by Rex Clementine
reporting from Bombay (The Island)
World Cup winning Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga says that Kumar Sangakkara’s side should enjoy the occasion of being in a World Cup final without being overawed and if they do that they will beat India in today’s ICC Cricket World Cup final here in Bombay.
"We’ve got a fantastic opportunity this time to win another World Cup and I hope the boys will do it. I wish Kumar and the team all the very best. I won’t be at the venue, but I will be doing a studio show on TV and when the team lines up for the national anthem my thoughts will go back to the Lahore final. When you sing ‘Namo Namo Matha’ the feeling within you cannot be described in words. At that moment, you will do anything for your country.," Ranatunga told The Island in Bombay yesterday.
Read more"Playing a World Cup final is a unique feeling and nothing can be compared to winning it. My thoughts will be with the team and I wish them luck.""We have reached three World Cup finals, which is quite a good
achievement. If you take some of the other leading cricket playing nations barring Australia, not many countries have done that. And our record in recent times is particularly good."
Ranatunga said losing all-rounder Angelo Mathews would be a blow, but was confident the player who replaced him would fit in for the occasion.
"Losing Angelo is no doubt a blow because he brought in the much needed balance to the side. But having said that, the way I look at it is that his absence provides another guy the opportunity and I am sure an event as big as a World Cup final will bring the best out of that person."
"We shouldn’t put too much pressure on ourselves. We must enjoy the occasion and give the best. India will be tough opponents. They have a very strong batting line-up and we will have to come up with a collective effort to beat them," Ranatunga, who topped batting aggregates for Sri Lanka in three World Cups (1987, 1992 and 1996) said.
"The 1996 World Cup was the crowning moment for me, the team and the whole county. We felt for each other and stood up for each other. Our confidence was such that even if they had put up a World XI at that time we could have beaten them. I wish this team will win tomorrow. I don’t know when the sub-continent will host another World Cup and this is the time we should win it," he added.
