Date:07/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/07/stories/2008070760362000.htm

Sport - Cricket

Sangakkara shines as an orator

Principal Correspondent

Sangakkara speaks about contributions of Asian legends
The Sri Lankan says he’s proud to be an Asian cricketer

Karachi: Kumar Sangakkara struck an evocative note during the course of the Asian Cricket Council’s silver jubilee seminar that dealt with Asian Cricket — Past, Present and Future here on Saturday.

The Sri Lankan vice-captain said: “As I stand here today, I am proud to be an Asian cricketer.” Sangakkara also spoke about the power of cricket to heal. “I have witnessed the ravages of the tsunami being soothed by the panacea that is cricket.” Sangakkara said. Sangakkara spoke about the contributions made by Asian legends including Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya.

While accepting that corporates, endorsements and money-inflows have spruced up the game in Asia, he added a cautionary line. “With power comes responsibility and Asia cannot sit back content with its new status and wealth. We have a solemn responsibility to ensure that the opportunities that are presented to us today are not squandered,” he said.

On a day when the feel-good factor of Asian cricket was reflected in a series of speeches right from the ACC president Arjuna Ranatunga to Wasim Akram, Sangakkara’s speech that celebrated Asian cricket and at the same time held a mirror to ground realities, was refreshing in tone and tenor.

The BCCI’s president-elect Shashank Manohar chaired the module that dealt with Asia as cricket’s commercial centre. The PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf and ECB chairman Giles Clarke were the other dignitaries who graced the function.