Sports

Remembering Martin Crowe

Published

3 years ago

2023/03/9

by Rex Clementine

Anyone who debuts as a teenager has got to be a special talent and to do it against the Aussies makes it even more special. Martin Crowe was 19 when he debuted against Greg Chappell’s side of which the attack was spearheaded by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson.

Crowe was a natural. He had so much time to play his shots. Technically sound and so pleasant on the eyes.

Crowe was destined for greatness from a young age. He was 21 when Somerset picked him as the county’s overseas signing. Guess whom he replaced? A certain Viv Richards.

What made Martin Crowe a cut above the rest was not just his technique or stroke-play, he was a keen student of the game and a fierce competitor. Sri Lanka’s maiden Test win overseas should have come in 1991 in Wellington but Crowe’s competitive nature put an end to it. In the same game, he broke Glenn Turner’s record for the highest individual score (259) by a Kiwi in Tests. But cruelly was dismissed one run short of a triple hundred. That one run would have meant that he became the first New Zealander to score a triple hundred in Tests. The worst thing was that he was dismissed by the harmless medium pace of Arjuna Ranatunga.

Tactically, he was brilliant. New Zealand were cruising in the 1992 World Cup as Crowe used Mark Greatbatch as an opener during field restrictions and handed the new ball to spinner Dipak Patel surprising opponents.

By the time Crowe retired he was New Zealand’s highest run getter in both forms of the game. He could have done more but knee injuries restricted him. He quit at 33.

More than his batting exploits or captaincy skills, Sri Lankans will remember him for one thing, for saving the county from cricketing isolation.

There was no international cricket played in Sri Lanka from 1987 to 1991 due to the war. In 1991, Ian Pieris was President of Board of Control for Cricket and S. Skandakumar was the Secretary. They attended the ICC meeting and appealed to the rest of the cricketing word to tour Sri Lanka. Australia had given an undertaking to come in September 1992 followed by New Zealand later that year. Over the next 12 months, India, West Indies, England, Pakistan and South Africa were scheduled to come.

The Australian series was a grand success but when the Kiwis landed there was trouble. Navy Commander Clancy Fernando was killed in front of Taj Samudra hotel where the teams were putting up. Troubled by the suicide attack, just outside their team hotel, the New Zealand team wanted to go home.

Not only the tour but cricket’s future in Sri Lanka was in jeopardy.

It was captain Martin Crowe who decided to stay on and convinced his team to do so. Yet, all his team didn’t agree. Some players wanted to go back home. Crowe ensured replacements were flown in from New Zealand and the tour went on uninterrupted.

Sri Lanka owe it to Crowe for ensuring the tour went on. Had it been interrupted, the country would have faced another long isolation without cricket.

In 2016, Martin Crowe lost his battle with cancer and died at the age of 53 sending the cricketing world into mourning. He was certainly someone ahead of his time and the World Test Championship that’s currently in play was first mooted by him. Crowe certainly was a friend of Sri Lanka. Impressed by cheerleader Percy Abeysekara’s passion for the game, Crowe once gave away his Man of the Match award to the cheerleader. Several years later upon hearing that Crowe was unwell uncle Percy organized a bodi pooja. He called up journalists asking them to put a reminder in the papers so that fans could turn up for the event. He promoted the event with these words, ‘I crow, you crow, we all crow, for Martin Crowe.’

All News Advertisement

Latest News

South Korea football coach quits as president calls for probe into World Cup loss

Published

4 hours ago

2026/06/29

Priyan

This is Hong's second stint as head coach of team South Korea [BBC]

Hong Myung-bo has resigned as head coach of South Korea’s men’s national football team after they failed to advance to the World Cup knockout stage.

The team had hoped they could still qualify for the next round of the tournament as one of the best third-placed teams, but that hope was quashed on Saturday.

The early exit has prompted widespread criticism at home, with President Lee Jae Myung calling for an investigation into reasons behind the team’s disappointing performance.

Hong apologised to fans on Sunday and said the responsibility “rests entirely with me as head coach”.

Ranked 32nd in FIFA’s men’s rankings and led by star player Son Heung-min, South Korea recorded two losses and one win at the World Cup, finishing behind Mexico and South Africa, who are ranked 15th and 60th respectively.

Criticism had mounted quickly after the team’s last match with South Africa on Thursday, which South Korea lost 1-0.

The defeat left them third in Group A. It still gave them hope to qualify for the next round under a new rule introduced with this tournament’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams, which allows the eight best third-placed teams in the group stage to progress to the knockout round. But on Saturday, they were knocked out because of the other teams’ final scores.

Fans blame Hong, who has been coaching the team for the past two years. On Monday, the national team’s official fan club Red Devils issued a statement calling on Hong to “kneel before the entire nation and leave the football world forever”.

Announcing his resignation at a news conference in Mexico on Sunday, Hong said that “we didn’t deliver the results that our fans expected”.

“Even though I am leaving the national team, I am not abandoning Korean football altogether,” Hong said. “I will cheer for the national team from the bottom of my heart and hope that the team will be trusted and loved by the people once again.”

The announcement came after President Lee said that he felt “not just confusion but utter bewilderment at the unexpected outcome”.

In a post on X, Lee said that the early exit of the team “appears to be a failure of organisation and personnel”.

“When favouritism and cronyism take precedence over competence in selecting a commander, the result is as predictable as fire burning paper,” he said.

Hong’s appointment to the head coach post was controversial from the start. The former defender was a hero of South Korea’s 2002 World Cup success, having captained the team to a historic semi-final finish. But when he led the team as a coach in 2014, they failed to advance beyond the group stage – or win a single match.

When Hong was appointed to the same job again in 2024, it was met with harsh uproar. Many football fans criticised the appointment as football association’s old guards giving the top job to their friend, as the KFA passed on a few foreign-born candidates who had undergone a rigorous vetting process.

On Sunday, Hong said that “accepting the job was not an easy choice”. “I cannot say every decision has been the right one, but I can tell you that I have made every decision with Korean football in mind,” he added.

South Korea police say that they are watching for security threats at Incheon Airport and other locations after a death threat was made online against Hong on his return to Korea over the weekend, local media reported.

[BBC]

Sports

Padikkal fifty, Sudeera five-for before India A, Sri Lanka A settle for draw

Published

7 hours ago

2026/06/29

Priyan

Devdutt Padikkal made 67 in India A's second innings [Cricinfo]

Devdutt Padikkal’s half-century and left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera’s five-wicket haul were the highlights on day four as the first unofficial Test between India A and Sri Lanka A petered to a draw.

India A declared for the second time in the game after setting Sri Lanka A a target north of 300, but were only able to take two wickets in the 15 overs they managed to get in.

India began the day on 48 for no loss and a lead of 170, although B Sai Sudharsan had retired hurt on the third day. Padikkal and Aayush Pandey added 42 runs on the fourth morning before Sudeera removed the latter for 38 for his first wicket. Two balls later, Ravindu Fernando trapped Ruturaj Gaikwad for 1 off 2.

Padikkal went on to make 67 in a knock laced with five boundaries before Sudeera struck in consecutive overs to remove him and Jurel. Shaik Rasheed and Harsh Dubey then added 47 runs for the fifth wicket before Dubey was caught behind off Chamika Gunasekara. Sudeera then snared Rasheed, Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi in the next over, when India A decided to declare 311 runs ahead. Sudharsan did not return to bat for India A.

Sri Lanka A’s openers had brisk and solid start, but it slightly came apart when Nabi cleaned up Pawantha Weerasinghe for 20 off 19 in the fifth over and Dubey trapped Niroshan Dickwella lbw.

Nuwanidu Fernando and Ashen Bandara then saw the day out, with India A unable to inflict any further damage.

Scores:
India A 452 for 6 dec in 111.4 overs (Sai Sudharsan 132, Dhruv Jurel 141*, Shaik Rasheed 63; Chamika Gunasekara 3-84, Dilum Sudeera 2-143) and 189 for 8 dec in 57 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 67; Dilum Sudeera 5-49) vs Sri Lanka A 330 in 101.4 overs (Nuwanidu Fernando 84, Ashen Bandara 70, Sahan Arachchige 72; Auqib Nabi 4-58) and 70 for 2 (Pawantha Weerasinghe 20; Auqib Nabi 1-18, Harsh Dubey 1-25). Match ended in a draw

Dilum Sudeera captured five wickets [Cricinfo]

[Cricinfo]

Latest News

Canada score late to beat South Africa and reach last 16 at World Cup 2026

Published

8 hours ago

2026/06/29

Priyan

Canada's Stephen Eustaquio, centre, celebrates after scoring [Aljazeera]

Canada beat South Africa 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time strike by Stephen ⁠Eustaquio from distance to reach the FIFA World Cup last 16 for the first time in their history.

Eustaquio received the ball on the edge of the ⁠South Africa penalty area and hammered it past diving goalkeeper Ronwen Williams in a thrilling conclusion to the first knockout-round match of the tournament on Sunday.

South Africa, who had seemed ⁠content to play for extra time and a possible penalty shootout, made a few furious but unsuccessful attempts to level before the final whistle as the sun broke through the clouds at Los Angeles Stadium.

Canada will next face either the Netherlands or Morocco on July ‌4 in Houston for a place in the quarterfinals.

“It’s about the two years we’ve been together,” Canada coach Jesse Marsch told the team in a huddle after the final whistle.

“Think about how we talked about sticking to the plan – you guys showing your character. You guys are Canadian heroes here.”

Chances were scarce in a cagey first half, with little to separate the sides, who were both playing ⁠in the knockout rounds for the first time.

Canada’s best opening ⁠came just before half-time when a corner sparked a scramble in the South Africa box. Moise Bombito sent a header goal-wards, which was cleared off the line by Aubrey Modiba, before Tajon Buchanan’s close-range effort struck ⁠Williams in the chest.

Moments later, Richie Laryea went down in the area, prompting Canadian appeals for a penalty, but the decision ⁠not to award a spot kick stood after a ⁠VAR review, prompting loud boos from Canada’s red-clad army of supporters dominating the stands.

Marsch continued to protest as the teams left the field at half-time, with Bombito appearing to urge him away from the referee.

Frustration ‌for Canada only grew early in the second half, as South Africa appeared in no rush to press the issue.

Canada had another chance just before the second-half hydration ‌break, ‌when Tani Oluwaseyi’s shot hit the keeper, and Jonathan David was unable to head the ricochet home, thanks to an excellent defensive effort by Mbekezeli Mbokazi to clear the ball.

Eustaquio dedicated the win to “all Canadians” when he spoke to reporters after the match.

“I think it was an amazing goal. When I shot, I thought everyone shot with me. Everyone added a little power to it when it went into the back of the net.

” It started when we came out of group stage. Belief is a big part of it. We will now get either Netherlands or Morocco. Anything can happen. If we keep working like we are doing, we might even win it.”

[Aljazeera]