‘Can’t fight the weather’
Galle, July 19: Jaynanda Warnaweera’s bleary eyes said it all. It is only natural the chief curator and overall in charge of the Galle International Stadium is disturbed. Monday was only the second day here where a day of Test cricket has passed here without any action.
“We tried our best but we can’t fight the weather. If there is no rain during the night I am confident of play commencing early tomorrow,” said Warnaweera.
For the former off-spinner, the stadium is more than home. It took a herculean effort from all concerned to get the venue back in shape after the tsunami ravaged it in 2004.
“The stadium is only 60 yards from the sea and the government then had stopped all restoration activities after the tsunami.
“There were clearances that we had to seek from the Heritage department too. President Mahinda Rajapaksa was a huge help and things started moving from 2006,” said an emotional Warnaweera.
Galle is probably the only venue where the entire playing surface goes under the covers in the rain. The ground staff are the last word in commitment.
The advantage with the ground staff is that most of them have played the game at a decent level. Their understanding of the game helps in many ways. The passion among the staff is infectious. “We are like a family and I keep reminding them that it is our Test match. There is nothing more I can ask for from them,” informed the former Test cricketer.
Muttiah Muralitharan could not have had his swansong at a better venue. The warmth from the public off Galle has been overwhelming.
“I go back a long way with Murali. We played a lot of cricket together. Murali had once said a farewell Test in Galle was his dream. We are here to ensure that he gets a fitting goodbye to all the service he has rendered to Sri Lankan cricket,” said Warnaweera, who played 10 Tests and six ODIs.
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