Fuard the forgotten man of cricket

The Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket performed an admirable gesture when they made presentations to some of the past cricketing greats.

Some of the recipients are finding it difficult to make ends meet and the monies they received would go to cushion the difficulties that they are experiencing.

The recipients were some of the players who proudly sported the country's colours and paved the way for Sri Lanka to obtain the elusive Test status.

While the gesture of the IC is appreciated, one glaring omission among many, was the refusal to honour one of the greatest allrounders that the game has seen or will ever see Abu Fuard.

While not denying the work that others had done, one man who stood out like a beacon and to whom the major credit should go for Sri Lanka entering cricketing elite is Fuard.

As a player Fuard has experienced the ups and downs of the game. Moves were afoot to even drop him from the national team. With no support forthcoming to fight and regain his rights, Fuard fought a lone battle and that he finally got the establishment to bow to his calling was one of the best things that happened not only to the player but also the game.

How the IC failed to have Fuard in the first list of awards smacks of enmity, revenge and call it what you will.

Manners and courtesy are things taught when one is in the kindergarten. Whether Fuard was going to accept the award or not is not the question. Common courtesy demands that he be asked.

Fuard is one who will call a spade a spade and not some other implement. He revels in righting wrongs. He fought the establishment when he realised they were wrong. He is one who will dare tell his mother or father when they are wrong. His failing was that he not only fought his battles, but he is one like the saying goes would lay down his life for a friend.

Fuards' contributions to school, clubs and the country are too numerous to mention. Suffice to say that Richie Benaud, one of the best captains produced by Australia paid Fuard a rare compliment when he said that he would love to have the off spinning allrounder in his team to England when the Aussies played a whistle stop match here on the way to England.

Then when it looked as though Sri Lanka would have to always be satisfied with Associate Member status in the International Cricket Council, he led a crusade and paved the way of entering the promised land by spinning in that man who Sri Lanka cricket should eternally be grateful to Gamini Dissanayake as President of the Cricket Board.

Dissanayake was the artillery and with Fuard providing him the ammunition, supported by great lovers of the game - President J.R. Jayewardene, Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa, R. Rajamahendrean, Daham Wimalasena and Vasantha Coomarasamy, joining in the battle to breach the ICC defence and enter the inner portals, victory was not long in coming. Fuard is not one who should be an after thought. The above named must have their names writ in letters of gold when Sri Lanka's cricketing history is chronicled.

Abdulrahman Bukathiar's Cricekters Benefit Fund rewarded Fuard for playing a pivotal role in the promotion and development of the game in Sri Lanka. And to think that the IC SLC forgot Fuard is unforgivable and unacceptable.

It is said that a prophet is not without honour other than in his own country. And that great saying rings true of Abu Fuard who it would be ungrateful for Sri Lanka Cricket to forget. It sure would have hurt fuard to realise that he was ignored. But then knowing the man as I do to him forgiving is divine.

Mixed feelings

There were mixed feelings amongst the 17 past cricketers on the meagre felicitous sum of Rs. 150,000 made to them by the IC SLC on Wednesday at the Headquarters.

Some of these cricketers now advancing in years spend a considerable amount on medical expenses and were hoping that a very tangible sum as a fillip would come their way - but sadly it was not to be.

Equally embarrassing and adding insult to injury as it were, was when these cricketers discovered that a percentage was held back as withholding tax.

Considering that these cricketers comparatively hadn't received any form of remuneration during their playing days and, for the reason that they selflessly contributed much to keep the game alive - the least the IC of SLC could have done, would have been to absorb the tax element and not burden them.

Tissera deserves it

Michael Tissera, the best Sri Lankan skipper produced in the pre-Test era and who was one of those conveniently forgotten by the Interim Committee when making presentations to former greats, rightly deserves the honour bestowed on him by the Marlyebourne Cricket Club.

Tissera will join a galaxy of former Test greats in serving in the World Cricket Committee of the MCC.

Tissera, after a lucrative school season at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia had the distinction of scoring a century on debut in Sara cricket when he notched up three figures against Saracens.

Given the honour of captaining the country at an early age, Tissera grew in stature with every game and his crowning moment was when he led Sri Lanka to a unofficial Test victory against the might of India in Ahamadebad.

One knock that is vivid in my memory was the century against some of the West Indies players which had the great Wesley Hall, Chester Watson and Garfield Sobers when they played at the Oval on their way home after the memorable tour of Australia in 1961.

A gentleman cricketer of the calibre of Tissera is hard to find.