So Sri Lanka didn’t win the World Cup. Again. We made it to the finish-line, before being tripped up by the wicketkeeper. Again. Two weeks have passed and it appears that the hangover has finally lifted. On the bright side, two consecutive finals prove, at the very least, that 1996 wasn’t a fluke. On the dark side, this is the last stand for many of our 2011 alumni. By the time another World Cup rolls by, Chamara Silva will be our most experienced batsman and Nuwan Kulasekera will be our main strike bowler. Yikes.
Sri Lankan fans have responded with quiet dignity. Many accept that we were beaten by a greater force, that our multi-pronged bowling attack, marred by injury, soggy conditions and miscued selections, were unable to tame the best batting line-up in the world.
There have been no prolonged sulks in the press as per the western media. No subcontinental-style hurling of pebbles at cricketers’ homes. For a nation not averse to irrational barbarism, the reaction has been surprisingly measured. Effigies have...
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