COLOMBO:For a man of such emotional balance and oratorical cadence — his voice so measured and clear — it perhaps was strikingly odd to quaver. But Kumar Sangakkara’s inimitably expressive voice quivered, midway through his farewell speech, when he fell short on words to thank his parents, as when you convey certain feelings you can’t really explain through mere words.
Thus he began, crisp as he always is: “A lot of people ask what has inspired me. I don’t have to look beyond my parents.” Then, inadvertently, he struggled for words. The words broke away. He paused. Maybe, a drip of tear might have trickled down his cheeks. This is Sangakkara as emotional as you could ever see him.
He held back the tears, if any there were, and gathered himself: “I am sorry I don’t want to embarrass you (parents) but you have been my inspiration. And my siblings.” He creaked again. A pause. And then he resumed, the tinge of emotion lingering on, making his sound a little heavy: “Thank you amma and appachi. I felt safe at home. They say you can’t choose your family, but I am thankful I was born your children and your sibling,” he said. Then the apology, almost brusquely: “I am sorry I don’t always get emotional, but this is the rare time that my parents and my siblings are here. People asked me the big achievements. The hundreds, the WC win, but I just look up at the box, all my friends over the last 30 years, have come up here on a Monday to watch me play. But to be able to go back to a family that will love me whether I win or lose is my greatest achievement.” He stopped. He could no longer conceal his emotions.
An emotional Sanga was symbolic of the truism that sportsmen, for all their certitude and bravado or maybe even machismo, are after all, humans like us, affected by emotional ebbs and flows.
Such a reaffirmation only enhances the connect between the athlete and the viewers, to know that the man batting in front of you, is just another human being like you, flawed like you and emotional like you, and not a machine that could be tuned to please you. You realise how difficult it is, and at times cruel, to suppress the emotions on the field. It’s only we who thrust the superman image on them.
It also conveys how much they depend on their family, how much they still yearn for security, despite all the monumental feats they have achieved. “Once I’m finished, I’ll miss the game, but I know I have the security (of the family),” he said.
For all his colossal achievements on the turf, he feels the best partnership is with his family. “You know my children are six-years old now and that’s been the highlight of my partnership. She (Yehali) has been amazingly supportive and tolerant. I’m only organised in my bating. Anything away from that, I’m quite chaotic. It’s not easy for her to get me organised, to keep me on track and get my appointments done. But she has done the most amazing job. She has gifted me amazing children. Like I said again, I’m blessed with so much and I’m thankful for all these. Yehali and my children is the best partnership of my life. I hope she tolerates me for a few more years,” he chuckled.
It’s such little joys that would help him overcome the certain pain of not playing cricket any more. “I’m sad, but there’s also joy, because playing cricket every day is not easy. There is pressure. There is lots of difficult work. Struggle. Sacrifice. It’s not easy. So if you look at it like that, there is some relief. That pressure and those expectations have been lifted off. But at the same time, watching cricket is also not easy. That desire is still there. You have to get used to that,” he said. There was a certain frankness and relief in the voice.
But it’s hard to conceive that Sanga would completely drift into a world of anonymity. Already, the Sri Lankan government has offered a diplomat’s role to the UK. “I’ve only got one invitation so far (laughs). I haven’t got the second one. I respect the President’s request. I need to talk more with him about it. I’m very inexperienced in such things. You need to have special knowledge for that post as well. I have to think about it and work out a reply to the offer,” he said.
Now he just wants to return home and sleep, and not mull over his post-retirement plans. “I’ll go home and sleep, and then tomorrow (Tuesday) I’m going to England. If you’re talking about my future, I have to sit down with my wife and children and figure out what’s best for them. I’ll think about them first,” he said.
Cricket will move on. But it will miss Sanga. Not just the batsman. But the thinker too. And for the latter reason, cricket wants him back.
Tsunami charity
after the 2004 tsunami, Kumar joined Murali and Mahela in travelling around the island nation and providing help to needy.
ministry of crab
sanga and mahela run a restaurant, The Ministry of Crab, in partnership with renowned Sri Lankan chef Darshan Munidasa.