Pallekele stadium to be named Murlitharan stadium?

S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN Kandy sports corr.

Governor of the Central Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa has suggested to the Central Provincial Council that the Pallekele Cricket Stadium owned by Sri Lanka Cricket be named as Muralitharan Cricket Stadium to honour a cricketing hero who brought fame and glory to the country and also by his deeds bridged the gap between the two communities, if ever it existed.

Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa told this correspondent that this idea was first brought into focus by President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he inquired from him now that Muralitharan has retired from Test cricket and what they were going to do to honour this cricketing hero.

Governor Kobbekaduwa had indicated to the President that they could name the Pallekele Cricket stadium as “Muralitharan Cricket Stadium”.

As a first step he suggested this in writing to the Central Provincial Council to take steps with the Sri Lanka Cricket to rename this stadium.

The Governor speaking to this correspondent told that Muralitharan is a true son of Central Province and Sri Lanka whose deeds with the ball are unparalleled and cannot be matched by any past or present cricketer in the international arena.

He said that he is a sportsman par excellence and a team who is equally home with his opponents. He took everything in his stride and with a smile. No cricketer in Sri Lanka underwent the agonies he had to undergo especially when his cricketing career was at stake. He displayed grit and determination to fight his way back and proved his detractors wrong.

The Governor said that Muralitharan was born in the Central Province and had his residence only a few kilometres away Pallekele. His brother Shashidaran was instrumental in constructing a part of the stadium using his own funds up to that stage which helped the Pallekele Cricket stadium the light of the day.

He concluded by stating considering all these factors it is nothing but correct to honour this, great cricket hero and ambassador by naming this stadium as “Muralitharan International Cricket Stadium” - a name which has become synonymous with cricket.

He has dominated the cricketing world to such an extent that “Muralitharan is Cricket and cricket is Muralitharan”.

Now will the present administration of the Kandy District Cricket Association come up with a similar function which will be most probably the last as Muralitharan has retired from test cricket is left to be seen.