Michael Roberts
At 9.00 pm this day of 18th September 2022 I ventured back from my study to our living room to have dinner. The TV was on and my Scottish wife was watching the serried ranks of the British military and royalty accompanying the hearse bearing the body Queen Elizabeth on its last earthly journey towards Windsor Castle.
I stood and watched. The seepage of “Empire loyalism” in my upbringing [1] must have kicked in: I was saddened and a tear or two emeged. I remained standing.
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HRW …. 31 August 2022 …………. https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/31/sri-lanka-end-use-terrorism-law-against-protesters
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Michael O’Leary in Sunday Island, 17 September 2022, where the title reads: “A Tale of Three Elizabeths” … with highlighting being the work of The Editor, Thuppahi
England’s Glory: My mother had the same name as the UK’s latest and current (as I write) prime minister. My mother was Elizabeth Jane King and when she married Jeremiah O’Leary, the Irish labourer who helped to build her parents’ house, number 9, Stanway Road, Coney Hill, Gloucester, she became Elizabeth O’Leary. When Mary Elizabeth Truss married Liverpool accountant Hugh O’Leary she became Elizabeth O’Leary, just like my mother.
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Anura Tennekoon, in the Sunday Island, 17 September 2022, where the title runs thus: “Bhanuka Rajapakse – an innings worthy of emulation” … and where the highlights here are interventions of The Editor, Thuppahi
The innings of Bhanuka Rajapakse in the Asia Cup 2022 final needs to be highlighted as it was a well crafted effort.Having been asked to bat first by the Pakistan captain, the Sri Lankan batting was reeling with five wickets down for 58 runs. Most thought the match was in the bag for Pakistan, but Bhanuka had different ideas. He set about rebuilding the Sri Lankan innings in association with Wanindu Hasaranga who played some incredible shots against a high quality bowling attack. Wanidu’s approach was to counter attack with aggression which put the Pakistan bowling immediately under pressure.
The Island, 17 September 2022, where the title reads “Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara in Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup squad, subject to fitness”
Sri Lanka have shown faith with the group of players that won the Asia Cup, with the inclusions of fast bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara – who missed that tournament due to injury – the only change, as they named their 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.
Colombo … Sept 07: Dushmantha Chameera ... celebrates. ….. (Photo by Isuru Sameera Peiris/Gallo Images/Getty Images) … Dhananjaya glances
Risidra Mendis in Ceylon Today, 4 June 2022, where the title runs thus: “The Popham legacy lives on”
Rows of large and valuable trees, lush greenery in abundance, a cool atmosphere, and plenty of interesting things to see are what the iconic Francis Home Popham, (better known as Sam Popham) – the creator of the world-renowned Popham Method in Forest Regeneration, and founder of the Popham Arboretum in Dambulla – left behind when he passed away on 28 May 2022 at an Assisted-Living facility in England.
Two News Items in AdaDerana …. sourced from Reuters
ONE: “Asia Cup win will help T20 World Cup preparation, says Sri Lanka captain,” 12 September 2022, ….
(Reuters) – Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said winning the Asia Cup will help the team’s preparation for next month’s Twenty20 World Cup, while batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa labelled the achievement as a “great win” for the island nation amidst the country’s economic crisis.
Rex Clementine, in The Island, 11 September 2022, with this title “Captain Dasun has helped Sri Lanka turn things around”
Cricket’s most successful captains had some remarkable factors that made them successful leaders. Mike Brearley was a good thinker. Clive Lloyd was inspirational. Imran Khan had a good eye for picking talent. Arjuna Ranatunga was a fighter and two of his prodigies Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene had factors unique to them. While Sanath led by example, MJ was a brilliant tactician. All successful players don’t become good captains either. Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam-ul-Haq are cases in point.
Michael Roberts
I met Riaz Hassan for the first time as one of the keynote speakers at a conference organised by Neelan Tiruchelvam in Sri Lanka circa 1974 (details forgotten) when I was teaching in the History Department at Peradeniya University and Riaz was at an university in Singapore. It was the best of serendipity (a word deriving perhaps from Serendib aka Sri Lanka) that I found him attached to Flinders University when I moved to the Anthropology Department at University in 1977.
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