Sobers the best cricketer ever – Ranatunga ..

Ports and Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said that Sir Garfield Sobers is the world’s best cricketer ever produced and the legendary West Indian cricketer was a very special character in his cricketing career.

Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning captain made these remarks when he met with Sobers at his Ministry auditorium yesterday. A felicitation ceremony was held to appreciate Sir Garfield Sobers’ service to the development of Sri Lankan cricket. Ranatunga claimed that Sobers has been a unique coach to Sri Lankan cricket.

“Sir Sobers has been a very special character in my cricketing career. Before the 1993 Australian tour I was not included in the side. But Sir Sobers who came as the coach of the Lankan team, requested the selection committee to include me in the national side. It is after that I was able to secure a permanent place in the national side. Sobers’ guidance and instructions have helped me a lot. So after 30 years when he return to Sri Lanka I am very pleased to meet him,” said Ranatunga.

Addressing the gathering, Sobers predicted that Sri Lankan cricket will have a great time in time to come.

“When I was invited to come to Sri Lanka as a coach by late Gamini Dissanayake, I was in Australia. It was also after little while Sri Lanka gained Test status. But there were talented cricketers in Sri Lanka. So I accepted the invitation. My first job was to train Sri Lankan players to face fast bowlers and prepare their minds to face pace bowlers, because at that time there were very good fast bowlers in the world. Then I focused on their technical aspects. There were talented players in Sri Lanka at that time and I hope Sri Lanka will produce talented players in future as well,” Sir Sobers stated.

Minister Ranatunga also presented a memento to Sir Garfield Sobers during the ceremony. Ports and Aviation Ministry secretary L. P Jayampathi, Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Dhammika Ranatunga, former Test cricketers Pramodya Wickremasinghe and Ravindra Pushpakumara were also present at the occasion.