Sports
After brilliant 45 years, Ian Chappell quits commentaries
by Rex Clementine
Most of us know Ian Chappell as a commentator who pulled no punches. But he also could dish out humour like he did ahead of the Adelaide Test match of 1996. “The good news is that Sri Lanka are playing someone with extra pace and the not so good news is that we have to pronounce Ravindra Pushpakumara.”
Chappell was most cricket fans’ favourite commentator and he will be missed as he was the best storyteller in our game.
“I realized Australia were losing the plot ahead of the 1996 World Cup final before the toss. I had to do an interview with Shane Warne after Ravi Shastri had done one with the Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga. As I approached Warney, he asked me, ‘What has that fat b****** had to tell about me now.’ Arjuna had said that Warne was an ordinary bowler,” Chappell recalled in a recent interview.
Speaking about Sri Lanka’s recent slump, he made some sharp observations. He said that during his visits to the island in 1980s and 1990s, he had seen cricket (tennis ball) being played in every nook and corner. However, he felt that in his recent visits the game had been more restricted to organized cricket and that was a sign of youngsters losing interest in the sport.
Someone who called a spade a spade, Chappell didn’t mince any words even when his brother Greg ordered the underarm delivery against New Zealand in 1981.
The grandson of former Australia Test captain Vic Richardson, Chappell wasn’t afraid to take on the establishment. He was one of the first picks by business tycoon Kerry Packer when the World Series cricket was aired in Channel Nine. After 45 years of entertaining the game with his brilliant observations, there was no farewell game as such for him and the announcement of his retirement was put out in an interview. Many were the commentators who were inspired by Chappell.
Work was religion for Chappell as even in his 70s he worked as hard as any young person in the game. The other salient feature of his career was he was always being a voice for the voiceless.
He was someone who cared deeply for the underprivileged. Once during a tour of Sri Lanka, the local television crew had organized a party. Chappell was the only commentator to turn up for the event and had asked the TV Director who is paying for all of it. After being informed that it was the local crew, Chappell had said, ‘They don’t earn that much. Here’s my contribution,” and had given away couple of hundred dollar notes that would be sufficient to take care of the expenses.
When my good friend Nimal Welgama requested me to pen a few lines about Sir Gary Sobers as I had the privilege of playing for Sri Lanka against the mighty West Indies as they were known then, I was wondering whether I can do justice to this awesome cricketing all rounder.
In this particular game Sir Gary fell short of scoring his usual hundred. Sir Gary had a flair for unique stylishness which no other cricketer matched and it came naturally to him. He wore his shirt open all the way down to the navel perhaps to keep himself cool from the hot weather one encounters when playing cricket.He walked into bat leaning forward slightly with a gait that that had confidence written all over it.I had the good fortune of viewing on a video clip of an innings of 230 plus he made in a Match against Australia against a formidable attack headed by fearsome Dennis Lillee where he tore the the bowling to shreds.This innings was described by probably the greatest batters of all time Sir Donald Bradman as the best innings he has witnessed live.A tribute difficult to ignore. I wish to conclude by saying that Sir Garfield Sobers was an all rounder of exceptional ability which void will be hard to fill.
by Anura Tennekoon ✍️
Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute to lift Spain to their second World Cup title with a 1-0 win im extra time over 10-man Argentina in the final.
Torres’s deserved winner on Sunday came 16 years and eight days after Andres Iniesta also scored in extra time to lift the Spaniards to their first World Championship with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands.
It came on La Roja’s 20th shot in the contest against defending champions Argentina that failed to manage any to that point and struggled to wrest possession away from their superior Iberian opponents.
That was true at even strength and became more difficult when La Albiceleste’s numbers were reduced when Enzo Fernandez’s late challenge on Pau Cubarsi left referee Slavko Vincic no choice but to produce a second caution just before the end of normal time.
Spain remain the only nation ever to win a European Championship and World Cup in successive tournaments, having now done so a second time. They are also the first World Cup champions ever to concede only once across an entire tournament.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina failed to earn a title for the first time in three major tournaments, having also captured the 2021 and 2024 Copa Americas either side of their 2022 World Cup triumph.
The 39-year-old eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi finished the competition with eight goals and four assists, but had little time on the ball in the final until Spain finally took the lead. And he never seriously looked like he would lift his side to another great moment as he has so many times in the last two World Cup cycles.
Emi Martinez made 11 saves for La Albiceleste, who fell short in their bid to be the first consecutive World Cup champions since Brazil won the 1958 and 1962 titles.
What had felt so difficult for the first 105 minutes suddenly looked easy after 37 seconds of play in the second period of extra time.
Pedro Porro curled in an out-swinging cross from the left to the back post, Nico Williams won the header and nodded it back into space, and Torres hammered a half-volley at last past the flailing Martinez.
It was his only goal of the tournament, making him the seventh player to score during a tournament in which his side never trailed.
Asked about his goal, Torres said after the game: “Honestly, I didn’t think too much. I just saw the ball coming to me, and I just shot with the power of all the Spanish people.”
The win made Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, at 65, the oldest coach ever to lead a team to the World Cup title
“We are world champions,” de la Fuente said. “It was together we reached this stage.”
There was some pushing and shoving after the final whistle, which was quickly cleaned up, and Spain commenced their celebration as most Argentina players sat on the turf in disbelief.
Cooler heads prevailed, and Spain’s players lined up minutes later to form an honour guard of sorts for Argentina’s squad to walk through on their way to the stage for the runner-up medals.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni admitted that Spain were the better team.
“They were the better side – that’s the truth – but I’ll cherish the memory of them [his side], of what they achieved, and of the value of making it this far,” Scaloni said.
“We have to place immense value on this, because it takes so much effort.”
(Aljazeera)
HONOUR MCA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2026
Sampath Bank powered by a 53 ball 79 by Adithya Siriwardena and excellent bowling performance led by Chamath Dilsara, Dulaj Ashen and Hansaja Bandara registered their third win in the MCA Champions league cricket tournament sponsored by HONOUR mobile phones by crushing MAS Intimates by 131 runs at the Colts Cricket Club Ground on Saturday.
Batting first Sampath Bank powered by Adithya’a 79 and notable scores from Chamara Dilsara [34], HansajaBandara [42] and 20 plus scores from Gajitha Kotuwegoda ,Abhishek Anandakumara and Dumindu Sewmina posted 284/8 in their allocation of 50 overs after which the bowlers led by Chamath Dilsara restricted MAS Intimates to 153.
Scores:
Sampath Bank
284/8 in 50 overs (Hansaja Bandara 41, Adithya Siriwardena 79; Ruvin Senevirathne 2-41)
MAS Intimates
153/10 in 36.1 overs (Maheesha Sithum 39; Dulaj Ashen 2-13, Chamath Dilsara 3-21, Hansaja Bandara 2-15)
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts
Merchant Shipping Secretariat probes bribery scandal
Theft of USD 2.5 mn: Dinana Dakuna claims COPF trying to protect mastermind
COPF chief slams security sticker scam
CAA urged to protect soap users
Man who resisted search shot and arrested
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Business1 day ago‘Giving up was never an option’: The fisherman who fought back after losing millions in SL
-
Features1 day agoTwo memorable excerpts from a former SLAF commander’s memoir
-
Latest News2 days agoDavis cup Asia/Oceania Group IV 2026 to be held in Colombo from 20th to 25th July
-
Features1 day agoErdoğan’s New Republic
-
Life style1 day agoTaste of the Swiss Alps comes to Colombo
-
Features5 days agoDirty Money
-
News2 days agoDengue outbreak gallops ahead: Infections surpasses 73,455, leaving 50 dead
-
News2 days agoEvidence recorded in money laundering case against Yoshitha Rajapaksa