MR Sangakkara You’re Good but what about your country?
Posted on May 22nd, 2017
Top Spin by Suni
For all the acolades you’ve received re- the Cowdrey Lecture etc etc., your glorious accomplishments as a national cricketer and world recognition of your class as a cricketer you seem to have forgotten that by continuing to play in overseas teams and perform brilliantly, there are those who wonder why you seem to have forgotten your country which you chose to bypass at a time when it could have benefitted greatly had you continued to represent it a tad longer. Is this a kind of patriotism that leans towards” purse triotism” where moneymaking seems to be your motivation.It seems to show you up in poor light ? It is not that you are being slighted for your choices but in the greater scheme of things you seem to have failed your country in an hour of need where you could have carried it to greater glory. Others like Dishan, Mahela who bowed out of the game did so when they realized their time was up although Mahela still basks in the glory of the IPL and Big Bash leagues not that he owes anything to India and the“ pursefulness “ seems to also be the incentive but perhaps not to the degree of your illustrious colleague Sanga but it is mind boggling.In the end does it all boiled down to Money Money ans if so what a shame!!!
Thank Heavens for the true patriotism shown by the likes of Malinga, Murali and others who have indicated their love of Motherland through their words and actions and all the cricketers of yore who have wielded the banner of loyalty to a greater part despite their involvements with the IPL and other sources where surely, the commitment to serve and improve the quality of the National Game could have been prioritized rather than turning their backs on it in a manner of speaking .
Breathes there a man who never to himself has said `this is my land ! My Own Native Land!“
And of what use are all the glory and accolades one recieve in his name if incorporates mere jargon towards accepting them and in the greater scheme of things forgets the single most detail of priorities.
May 22nd, 2017 at 8:16 pm
Yes Suni. It all boils down to lack of patriotism.
We should ENCOURAGE cricketers to EARN MORE money which is VERY GOOD for SL.
But patriotism is also important. IF Sangha has more cricket in him why not give it to SL when we need?
I’m actually impressed with MALINGA. Though he does NOT sing the national anthem, looks irresponsible and have a don’t-care approach (sometimes rude and uses filthy words) he is TRUELY patriotic. An HONOURABLE man! A devoted husband and father. Love you Malinga. SL was blessed to have Malinga. He too retired EARLY from test and ODIs to play IPL but he gave it back.
May 22nd, 2017 at 10:58 pm
I said and knew from the beginning after arvinda.kalu and the rest left that these cricketers more interested in money than winning games for the country. Nowadays you rarely find cricketers who think of your Motherland and play to win but thinking of the money they get from matches. People have given up watching matches nowadays because of the pathatic situation in world cricket. Likes of kulasekera, tisara perera doing nothing although they were given chances to show their creditability but no use. They are tired old haggards but still play for money not for anything else. We are fed up of seeing these useless old players playing for our country anymore. Sanga and Mahela no different than others they too are same greedy for money and glory than winning matches for their Motherland same like our current politicians.
May 23rd, 2017 at 5:20 am
Cricket aside, Sanga will sell anything to make money for himself. On TV both he and wife appeared to sell Sausages, Coca Cola and other food / drink items which I am sure they don’t give to their own children.
May 24th, 2017 at 1:05 am
Sri Lanka cricket is going through a lean period, and would not all of us wish that Sangakkara, and for that matter, the likes also of Mahela and Dilshan, were still out there playing for their country?
It is only natural to wish they were but to expect them to be doing so is unrealistic. All three of them stepped down from playing for Sri Lanka when they knew that age was against them and the right thing to do was to step down. Sangakkara, the subject of this article, is close to forty, and he was quoted this week as saying that this was the last season of first class cricket. Now, there is a world of a difference between being able to perform well – and consistently well – in Tests and ODIs and in playing a few county games and T20s. Tests, especially, are quite demanding. Among other things, each Test involves five days of play, that is, on average, 90 overs per day and if as a fielding side you are on the field for two days that is close to 200 overs out there. When you are in your late thirties this is no easy task. With a T20 game, however, you field for no more than 20 overs – a small fraction of what Test cricket demands. Suni who has cited Malinga as an example of the patriotic SL player, will do well to remember that Malinga himself opted out of Test cricket because he could no longer cope with the demands of the longer form of the game. To do well at the highest level of any game, a sportsman needs to be very fit and in peak condition. Like it or not, age catches up with you, you are no longer able to perform as well as you once did, and you realise, as was said famously, that ‘the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak’
So, let us not be too hasty to accuse players like Sangakkara of being unpatriotic in not still playing. I believe it is far better that players stop playing for the country when their time is due rather than continuing past their ‘use by’ dates. Some of us will no doubt recall, for instqance, how Jayasuriya sought to play one final ODI in England when he was clearly well past it, and let himself and the team down very badly. And one may also well ask how patriotic it was of Murali to insist on playing that World Cup final in India when the man could hardly walk.
The likes of Sangakkara no doubt earn good money from playing county cricket and T20 games overseas. So, what? They are professional sportsmen being paid for their skills and there is nothing wrong in that at all. I will never earn the kind of money they earn but I say to them, ‘Good on you, congratulations and well done’.
Sangakkara, along with other players like Mahela and Dilshan, has been a great servant of SL cricket. All of them have done the country proud. Let us appreciate what they have done and be thankful to them for their enormous contribution, rather than engage in puerile and senseless whingeing.
May 24th, 2017 at 2:19 am
Kumari,
Perhaps you are being unfair to Sangakkara for wanting to earn a few bucks by quite legitimate and honourable methods that leverage his hard-earned renown as a cricketer.
Have you seen the Colin Cowdry lecture Sangakkara gave at the MCC? His UTTERLY PATRIOTIC SPEECH at thst venue brought tears to my eyes and made me proud to be a Sri Lankan. An unforgettable performance that matched his cricket!
May 24th, 2017 at 7:57 am
Indeed there are no aspersions about what Sanga has done for the country nor is there a call for Mahela, Murali and Dilshan to return to the fray- their dedication and contributions to SL cricket are unquestionable but the issue here is the opportunism shown at a time when Sri Lanka probably needs a bit of propping up and who better to do it than Sanga who chooses rhetoric as part of his repertoire to sustain his Motherland which seems a bit shallow where in the same breath he jumps into a moneymaking ventures that serves other countries as well as his pocketbook so are these too puerile and senseless observation might it be asked?
May 24th, 2017 at 1:01 pm
I am STILL puzzled. What have I missed?
What EXACTLY does the author of this article find reprehensible in Kumar Sangakkara’s current activities??
Please, can someone clarify that precisely?
May 24th, 2017 at 2:06 pm
Leave Sangha alone. He has made his choice which is LEGAL and MORAL.
There are other cricketers who VIDEO sex with their former partner and now is the fastest growing SL video!
This is a VERY BAD example to youngsters. They will use REVENGE PORN to punish their victims.
MANY popular cricketers who played in late 1990s have MANY sex partners – within marriage and outside.
A VERY BAD example to youngsters.
Remove DESHABANDU title at least. It is an INSULT to the nation.
May 25th, 2017 at 7:52 pm
Sanga has done enough to the country. If he was still playing for SL and on a bad day if he did not score, people will blame him for not allowing younger players to step in and being selfish… similar to what happened to Jayasuriya.
He loves this country more than the bloody politicians. SL should be proud of him.