A state banquet held recently at Shangri-La to welcome World Cup winning captain and Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan was graced by many greats of the game, Ministers, cricket officials and other dignitaries. However, two notable absentees at the gathering were two former Sri Lanka captains – Michael Tissera and Anura Tennkoon. The Island learns that the two former greats had been snubbed by the authorities.
The banquet was organized by the Ministry of Sports. However, they had obtained the list of cricket invitees and their contact details from Sri Lanka Cricket. SLC had failed to include the two former greats who are much respected in cricket circles.
In providing the list of cricket invitees, SLC had put down the names of players who played against Imran but had left out Tennekoon and Tissera. Incidentally, Imran during one of his speeches stated that his first memories of Sri Lanka were when he visited here in 1970s straight after his university days.
Tissera and Tennekoon, the nation’s two finest batsmen before gaining Test status, had long stints as captains of the national cricket team from 1960s to 1970s. Tissera’s crowning moment in the sport came when his team beat India in Ahmedabad in an unofficial Test in 1965. It was the first instance a Sri Lankan side had beaten a Test playing nation. Tennekoon captained the nation in two World Cups; 1975 and 1979.
Both former captains have been heavily involved in cricket even in recent years. Tissera was the Manger of the national cricket team for several years and stepped down after the 2007 World Cup where Sri Lanka finished as losing finalists. Tennekoon too managed the side successfully and quit after the 2011 World Cup where once again Sri Lanka reached the finals.
Both gentlemen have made generous contributions for the sport and ignoring them is simply unacceptable.
