Arjuna Ranatunga bids adieu

COLOMBO, AUG. 11 Sri Lanka's most successful but controversial skipper Arjuna Ranatunga bowed out of international cricket here on Thursday at his home ground, the Sinhalese Sports Club ground, amid a tearful farewell.

The gates were thrown open shortly before tea on the fifth and final day of the third Test against South Africa by the Sri Lanka Cricket Board to give the public free entrance to show their appreciation for this great cricketer.

Fans came in numbers to give Ranatunga a final salute which was fitting for the contribution he had made to Sri Lankan cricket. Ranatunga did not fail them, scoring an undefeated 28 with six fours to see Sri Lanka through safely to a draw.

In the presentation after the match, Ranatunga was at a loss for words as he thanked all those who had stood beside him in the hour of need during his long and distinguished career. Ranatunga was the only survivor of the inaugural Test played by Sri Lanka against England in Colombo 18 years ago, and he's been through it all representing his country in 93 of the 105 Tests played to date. He took over the captaincy in 1989 when things looked bleak for Sri Lanka, but with his flair and understanding he played a significant role in building up a side with collective strength to win the most prized possession in one-day cricket, the World Cup in 1996.

Ranatunga was a cricketer the Aussies loved to hate, following his on field incidents with individual players, especially Ian Healy and Shane Warne during the 1995-96 tour when his key bowler Muttiah Muralitharan was no-balled for throwing. It was sweet revenge for Ranatunga that his side should beat Australia to win the World Cup at Lahore.

The victory was a crowning moment in Sri Lanka's cricketing history and it brought forth a new generation of cricketers and cricket fans to the game.

He earned the tag of ``captain cool'' from International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee John Reid when he led the side to victory against India in the Asia Cup final at Colombo in 1997 with a career best 131 not out. The success was also transformed into the Test, where Ranatunga became Sri Lanka's most successful captain winning 12 of the 19 Tests won by his country.

In the recently concluded Test series against Pakistan in June, Ranatunga became the first player in the history of the game to appear for his country in its inaugural Test and its 100th Test. He achieved this feat in the first Test against Pakistan at the Sinhalese Sports Club grounds.

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Section  : Sport
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