Cricketers tell parents not to worry- Tharanga

Ranjan Anandappa

When I first heard about the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team while travelling to the Ghadaffi Stadium, Lahore on the 3rd day of the second cricket Test, I was flabbergasted and just couldn’t believe that this terrible thing had happened.

Mrs. S. A. Chandralatha the mother of debutant Suranga Lakmal in disbelief wanting to know more about her son and the cricketers after the Lahore terrorist attack. Lakmal was also travelling with the team although he did not play in both Tests. Mahinda Vithanachchi

“I got to know about the attack when my other son conveyed the message to me. After some time Tharanga spoke to me from Lahore over the phone, and pacified me saying that nothing serious had occurred, but he had injured his shoulder,” said Paranavithana’s father Rathnasiri Paranavithana who had rushed to the Cricket Board to find out further details about the attack.

However, he said that the true nature of the injuries could be known once the players arrived.”

It was Tharanga Paranavithana’s maiden Test tour and his father was delighted to see his son representing the country at cricket at the highest level.

“When my other son rang me up and said that Tharanga has been injured in a terrorist attack while travelling to the stadium on the third day of the match I just couldn’t believe it, and was hurt wondering as to how a thing like this happen while going for a cricket match, especially overseas. In our country with all the problems a touring team has never undergone such agony or bodily harm to any player”, said Paranavithana.

Mrs. S. Chandralatha, from Tissamaharama, the mother of another debutant Suranga Lakmal, was seen sobbing wanting to know more about her only son Lakmal, although he did not play in both Tests and was travelling in the team bus to the venue.

“We came to know about the incident that took place in Lahore this morning. We were excited and sad, and keen to know what had exactly gone wrong. We contacted him, and he said that he was O.K, depite a few scratches, and told us not to worry. But she too firmly believed that seeing is believing, and eager to see her son Lakmal who is the only son among five girls”, she said.

Lakmal hails from a very remote area from Tissamaharama. He attended Debarawewa MV, and was later absorbed into Richmond College purely because of his cricketing ability and played cricket for about six years.