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by Elmo Rodrigopulle

Aravinda de Silva, tagged Sri Lanka's master blaster early in his career for the devastation he caused to many an opposing attack has struck early form in England and that must be encouraging to the team.

De Silva when he first broke into the big league after scoring heavily for his school D. S. Senanayake College and later for the Nondescripts CC, was a treat to watch when batting and crowds thronged specially to see the little man playing his audacious strokes.

De Silva was a much feared and highly respected batsman and most bowlers used to shy bowling to him. Run scoring came naturally to him and although his strokes lacked technique, yet it was eye catching the way he scattered them to all corners of the field.

Two bowlers who suffered humiliation at his hands were Pakistani Imran Khan and Indian Kapil Dev. Khan and Dev loved to bowl the bumper and scare batsmen. They tried this against De Silva and had the ignominy of seeing the ball soaring over square leg for six.

I have been on tour with many a Sri Lankan team which included De Silva and can vouch for the many splendid innings he played flaying the bowlers at will.

One big knock that I still remember was the one he unleashed at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand when he put the bowlers to the sword. He made a classic 265 which was replete with the finest of strokes one can ask for.

Danny Morrison, the Kiwi pacie tested him with every delivery in his repertoire. De Silva was equal to the task and took him on. The faster that Morrison bowled the harder De Silva hit him.

De Silva was the master in the middle. He saw the ball early, middled it well and once he let go the ball sped to the boundary and over it as well in a flash.

De Silva continued his great form and accumulated runs with ease against all Test playing countries and what he remembers most other than for the big knock in Wellington must be the hundred that he made in the World Cup final in Lahore which was worth its weight in gold and which was instrumental in Sri Lanka winning the final.

But after all the good work and the grand contributions for the progress and development of the game in the country and when every other country held him in high esteem and respect, De Silva was suddenly thrown into the limbo of the forgotten for reasons known to the authorities of that time. De Silva was missing from the Lankan line ups where at one time he was an automatic choice.

But De Silva was made of sterner stuff. While those who knew little or nothing of cricket sent him into the wilderness, De Silva was quietly biding his time, knowing full well that there was more cricket left in him and he has a lot more to do for the country.

The new selection panel led by former Sri Lanka captain Michael Tissera which included Roger Wijesuriya, Don Anurasiri and Mahesh Goonetilleke, knowing full well that there was a lot more cricket in De Silva advised him to prove his fitness because his services were badly required for the vital tour of England.

Having had the good fortune to play under Tissera I can vouch for the fact that he is out to help Sri Lanka cricket hit the top. It was his idea to take to England nothing but best that gave De Silva his chance to comeback.

De Silva heeded the advice, grabbed the opportunity with both hands, moved into fitness training and playing for his club the NCC immediately began to make big scores. His training was handled by Alex Kountouri and now De Silva is again at his peak and if the early form he is showing is an indication, then hopefully runs will begin to flow from his bat again to the benefit of Lankan cricket.

Akhtar and Inzamam make big news

Shoaib Akhtar and Inzamam-ul-Haq, two of Pakistan's most exciting cricketers have hugged world headlines.

Akhtar has shocked the cricket world bowling at blistering pace and now rightly holding the title as the fastest bowler in the world. True the ICC refused to accept his latest speed that was almost 100 mph. But as he says he is not worried what the ICC thinks and says. The fact is that he delivered the fastest ball.

Next month will see a shoot-out between him and the Aussie speed merchant Brett Lee which will finally decided and lay to rest as to who the fastest bowler in the world is.

Akhtar has sent the Kiwi batsmen tumbling with dream figures. First he sent the Sri Lankans scurrying in Sharjah and now he has stuffed the Kiwis.

Inzamam has always shown promise as being one of the world's best with the bat. But for no accountable reason has not lived up to his promise.

But with a triple hundred 325 against the Kiwis, he has now joined the greats and one hopes that he will remain that way. With strokes all round the wicket, he probably would have got past Lara's record had he looked for not suffered cramps. His one weakness is that he is a poor runner between wickets.

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