By Avishek Roy, IANS,
Colombo : Pull the bat-handle and open the door to cricket fantasy. The Cricket Club Cafe, tucked away at the serene Queen Street here, is an absolute delight for the connoisseurs of the game. The place is all about the gentleman’s game, its traditions and history.
Even the innovative menu card with dishes named after cricketers is a delight. So you have Murali’s Mulligatawny, Imran’s Pakistani Pumpkin Soup, Gavaskar’s Greek Salad or Ponsford’s Prawn. Or, try out Allan Lamb’s Stir Fry, Ganguly’s Grill, Punter’s Pepper Chicken, Viv’s Vegetable and Bedi’s Brownie with vanilla ice cream.
The cafe, set-up in 1996 by Australian James White and his wife Gabrielle, has cricket memorabilia — flags, team jerseys, autographed bats, shirts and everything related to the game — in four rooms of the building.
The walls adorn the pictures of some of the game’s historical moments. One corner has been kept exclusively for the champion Sri Lankan team of 1996 with pictures and clippings talking about their fairy tale victory.
The pride of place has been given to Sir Don Bradman and rightly so. There is a Bradman Bar and several items on display, including newspaper clippings of the exploits of his 1948 “Invincibles” on tour of England and pictures of the legendary cricketer.
Touring teams make it a point to visit the place. Several Australian players, including Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, have come here and so have former India World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.
Many players have also donated their memorabilia, informs a supervisor.
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Muralitharan adored at home
Every time Muttiah Muralitharan gets his hands to the ball, the stadium roar grows louder. The off-spinner is worshipped here and no wonder the loudest of cheers are reserved for him.
On the eve of the semi-final against New Zealand, the talk was whether he would be fit enough to play the match as the great spinner had pulled his thigh muscle in the quarterfinal against England. But fans here hoped that Muralitharan will overcome his niggle and give his cent percent on the field.
And true to the expectation, Muralitharan, who is playing his last game at home, turned out to play. He will retire after the World Cup.
“We have come here to watch him play. He is playing his last game at home,” said Rumesh Senanayake sporting a Sri Lankan team jersey.
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Sri Lanka president hosts dinner for media, ICC officials
Media and International Cricket Council (ICC) officials had a gala time at the dinner Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa hosted for them here Monday. The president spent a good 15 minutes with the media and posed for pictures.
When a journalist asked Rajapaksa whether cricket is his favourite sport, the president chose to be diplomatic and said he loves all sport, not cricket alone.
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New Zealand raise expectations back home
New Zealand came to the Word Cup with not much hope, but after shocking South Africa, their performance is being closely followed at home.
Nobody gave them a chance after their drubbing against Bangladesh and India last year. “It is rugby season in New Zealand, but cricket is being majorly discussed after they beat South Africa,” says a New Zealand journalist.
Former New Zealand batsman John Wright, who is the coach, and South African pacer Allan Donald, the bowling consultant, have played a role in the sudden transformation of the side.