India, Pak and Lanka would have dominated World Cup even if it was held outside the sub-continent, say former SL skippers Arjuna and Mendis
India, Pak and Lanka would have dominated World Cup even if it was held outside the sub-continent, say formeru00a0SL skippers Arjuna and Mendis
Former Sri Lanka captains Duleep Mendis and Arjuna Ranatunga have hailed the surfacing of three Asian nations in the semi-final stage of the ongoing World Cup.
In 2007, Sri Lanka was the only semi-finalist, and in 2003, India and Sri Lanka were in the final four. In 1999, Pakistan was the only side to get to the semi-final stages. This is the first time all three have qualified.
While home conditions are being attributed to the dominance of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, these former skippers reckoned that this symbolised a change of guard in world cricket.
"If foreign teams say that it's because they did not adjust to subcontinent conditions, it's wrong. As professional cricketers, everyone has to adjust to conditions.u00a0 These three countries would have made it to the final four even if the World Cup had been in Australia or South Africa," Mendis told MiD DAY.
"It brings a lot of credibility to the game. Once upon a time, nobody would have given either of these countries a chance, but look how the game has changed today. You can also see that the standard of cricket has gone up tremendously in these countries," he added. Ranatunga felt that spinners bowling in powerplays have added a new dimension. "Having Ajantha Mendis or R Ashwin bowl in the powerplays would be effective anywhere in the world. It's not just about the subcontinent conditions," the 1996 World Cup-winning skipper said.
"Obviously, batsmen benefit more from playing here because they are used to the pitches, but I feel Pakistan and Sri Lanka have excelled because of their bowling, and not batting.
"As a former Sri Lankan captain, I'm very proud. I think this is our best chance of winning the trophy in years because we are playing the semi-final at home. That's a luxury we didn't have in 1996. We had to play in front of packed houses in Calcutta (Kolkata) and Lahore. This team has a great chance."
Both Ranatunga and Mendis said that the Indo-Pak clash on Wednesday would be keenly watched in Sri Lanka. "It will be fantastic. Cricket lovers, not just in India and Pakistan, but all over the world will be watching the match," said Mendis.
