Bravo! Marvan Washes His Own
Dirty Lankan Linen in Australian Public
Dilrook Kannangara
This is in response to the remarks made by Sunny countering
my write up. I have noted all the averments made therein and find myself
in disbelief how someone who love Sri Lankan cricket fails to call a
duck a duck! Brave Marvan dared where gentlemen dire to tread. A few
hard facts about the recent episode go as follows.
- Marvan Samson Attapattu (MSA) was not selected for this Australian
tour on his merits
He was inserted to the team by the Sports Minister after the President
directed him, quite correctly, to look into the matter
- Marvan had refused to take part in a previous tour though selected
citing personal reasons. Factually, he had not participated in training
sessions leading up to the Australian tour. He is the only cricketer
who has ever joined the original squad leaving for a foreign tour
without participating in team practice.
- He had choice not to go on this foreign tour in spite of the Minister’s
appointment; had he done so there would not be a thirty seven year
old in the team and certainly a younger player would have gotten a
chance.
- Marvan was indeed known as a polite gentleman hitherto – just
like all other Sri Lankan cricketers; however, he made an off-field
Srisanth of himself by name calling the SL selectors. This type of
discerning behaviour was never displayed even by cricketing giants
like Aravinda de Silva amidst worst discriminatory selections. Rightfully
Aravinda has also disapproved Marvan’s burst. If a fifty in an
innings emboldens Marvan to go at the selectors, Brian Lara would
have gone for none less than George W Bush in 2004!
- Marvan made six big ducks at his debut; however, the Sri Lankan
selectors were accommodative of him. Of course now there is a different
panel of selectors, but, Marvan discredited Sri Lankan selectors ex
officio
- Marvan was mysteriously appointed the ODI captain in 2002 when there
was no such need. A much younger Mahela was appointed captain later
and since proven better with his ability to rise up to the occasion.
- Marvan and Arjuna are related through Sanjeewa Ranatunga; although
Arjuna brought much glory to Lanka, he has not been a SL cricket fan
lately. Irrespective of all forms of nonsense that SL cricket is unfortunately
destined to go through, most Lankans remain allegiant to our cricketers
and the team. However, Arjuna has failed to show such allegiance.
Of course he has his reasons as any politician would have ‘reasons’
in any case! Arjuna’s view coming from Marvan is therefore understandable.
- Marvan by-passed the Captain, the grievance handling procedure in
place, the team spirit and the norms of conduct of sportsmanship especially
when representing the country. He remains unapologetic to his hot
air burst. This is outright wrong whether it is committed by a cricketer,
a politician, the Opposition Leader or the President. It doesn’t
matter who commits the offence, an offence is an offence.
- As a senior player he knew how the Australian media always haunts
and intimidates touring teams. Knowingly he played into their hands.
If the Sri Lankan selectors are Muppets and jokers, their selection
cannot be any better and there should be ten jokers and Muppets in
the rest of the team. However, this is not so.
- He was appointed by the Minister and he had no guts to put down
the offer in the first place without harping on his old age halfway
into the tour. Thereby he became akin to a puppet! If the Sports Minister
asks me to play cricket for the Sri Lankan team I won’t accede
to such request even if I had been a test cricketer. It is also a
fact that the more popular word is puppet not Muppet (part of a trademark
registered name at one point) and he effort fully avoided it.
- As Sri Lankans we love our cricketers, but we don’t worship
them. Therefore we don’t call others ‘monkeys’ and
don’t tolerate Srisanth style behaviour in field. Calling a goose
a goose and a duck a duck is what is known as objective in a world
full of hypocrites intermingling between terrorists with rebels opportunistically.
At the other end of the spectrum there are ‘freedom seekers’
who approve anything and everything their terror leader does and wishes,
even if it is one’s own suicide!
- If name calling is the name of the game Marvan played recently,
what is wrong in calling him by his middle name?
‘Marvan’ was never associated in the minds of Sri Lankans
with any form of dissent that ridicules Sri Lanka cricket, hence the
reference ‘Samson’ in my previous article, which is his
unused middle name. It is his task to clear his name which is now
associated with Muppets, puppets and jokers which may stay with him
for the rest of his life. Get real Sunny; let’s not argue about
what is right and what is wrong; Marvan himself knows he was wrong
in washing his dirty Lankan linen in Australian public and he will
not do it again; even if he does, Stuart Clerk won’t do it against
the Australian selectors who overlooked him recently! That’s
a gent no doubt; match that Marvan, if you can.
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