World Cup 2023 | Interview: This Lankan side is better than the 96 team, says Arjuna Ranatunga

Arjuna Ranatunga has taken a break from politics, choosing instead to focus on his business – offering energy renewable solutions, and importing motorcycles from India, among other things. Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning captain, who has undergone a dramatic physical transformation, is a busy man but he isn’t very good at saying no, which worked out quite favourably for someone seeking his time.

With the World Cup imminent, it was inevitable that much of our conversation would revolve around the event. From the high of 1996, and even 2003 and 2007 when Sri Lanka reached the final, the Emerald Islanders were forced to qualify for this year’s tournament. For a proud Sri Lankan like Ranatunga, it’s a bitter pill to swallow, but he insists that it isn’t merely the players who are to blame for this scenario.

'Most disastrous thing'

“I personally feel that it is bad management, there is nothing wrong with the talent or the cricketers,” he tells The Federal during a chat at his Colombo office. “When the parents in the house are in disorder, you can’t set the children right. I feel we don't pick the best possible side. We’ve had too many so-called consultants and advisors in Sri Lanka Cricket in the last three years. That is one reason we had to play the Qualifiers. I never expected it to happen when I was living. Is this the most disastrous thing I have ever come across in our cricket? Well, we have been heading in this direction in the past and I predicted that too.

“I remember saying a couple of years back that one day, we will lose to Afghanistan, which we did,” he continues. “But if you take the talent, this particular side, maybe two or three players are injured, but I feel they are a better side than the 1996 team. You keep Aravinda (de Silva) aside, you can’t compare Aravinda with anyone. A lot of people are trying to dream that they are better than Aravinda but that will never happen in our lifetime. Apart from him, comparing that particular side (of 1996) with the present team, this is a better side. This is a better bowling side, a better fielding side. In 1996, however, we were a better batting side.”

Warming to the theme of poor management being the bane of Sri Lanka cricket, the 59-year-old continues, “I don't know whether these players are given a task or a job. Whenever I watch a game, I feel most batsmen don't know what their job is. Cricket-wise, we don't have a problem so far as talent is concerned. Discipline issues (within the side) started because of the bad management. And there has to be dedication when you're playing for the country. You are not going on a holiday trip when you are representing your country. You should remember you are representing 22 million people in this country. I know for sure that when the team loses, there are a lot of Sri Lankan cricket fans who don't eat. The players should know about those things. I don't know whether even the cricket board knows about these things. The other major issue that I see is that we don't have international cricketers represented in the Ex Co (Sri Lanka Cricket’s Executive Committee), apart from Pramodya (Wickramasinghe, the national selection committee chairman), and they are the ones who take decisions on cricket. Amazing! When you look at these things, I'm not surprised that our cricket has come to this.”

The one thing Ranatunga is convinced is that Sri Lanka’s problems need not be permanent and they are not unfixable, but for that, there needs to be intent from the various stakeholders involved. “The cricket part, we can control,” he says, with feeling. “We need to work on the discipline, we need to work on proper cricket fitness, which I feel is lacking. And even the selection process -- I don't agree with some of the selection processes. School cricket (once the country’s cricketing nursery) sadly has gone down in a very bad way. Ultimately, the (successful) cricketers who have played in the past should realise they are in positions of authority because of cricket, so they should not work for their own monetary benefits, they should not sacrifice Sri Lanka. That's why I don't get involved in cricket. I see some of the past cricketers, great cricketers, when they when they get into positions where they get paid, they act differently. We don't need advisors or consultants, we need people who take up responsibility. Overall, the system has to be changed. If it is not, we will face this same thing over and over again.”

Ranatunga picks World Cup 2023 favourites

Looking ahead to this World Cup, Ranatunga refuses to make an outright prediction. “The World Cup is the ultimate as far as I'm concerned,” he observes. “There are about three or four sides who are – I won't say favourites, there won't be a favourite in this tournament for me – capable of winning the title. Like India. England. Australia. Maybe even New Zealand. But if we don’t have injuries, I'm sure we (Sri Lanka) can push some of these top teams. Some of the teams are very skilled but they are very inconsistent. I feel even India still hasn't got the proper combination. But luckily, they have so many top cricketers. They were talking about getting the youngsters in and getting rid of the older guys, but you can't do that.

“You take someone like a Rohit Sharma or a (Virat) Kohli. KL Rahul. Some people are thinking that without them, India can win the tournament. They must be dreaming. Those are quality, top-class players. And the one thing with India is that the bowling has improved in a very big way. This fast-bowling attack must be one of the best as far as India is concerned.

“Most of the other countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, even Sri Lanka, they are very inconsistent. I'm not saying they don’t have a chance, but they need to be consistent. A team like Afghanistan looks very good on some days, Bangladesh looks really good on one day and so does Pakistan, but they are very patchy. Consistency-wise, I will say India, Australia, England, New Zealand – they have been playing really, really good cricket. I always say Pakistan is the most unpredictable side, the most unpredictable talent I have seen. We have to wait and see but it will be a super tournament.”