Romesh Kaluwitharana

Colombo: Former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana on Saturday said the prolonged civil war between the government and the LTTE was threatening to rob precious cricketing talent from the strife-torn region.

The 36-year-old swashbuckling opener, who played a key role in Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup success, said there were a few very talented cricketers in the northern part of the country. LTTE, who’s in control in that region, has been fighting with the Sri Lankan army for the past two decades and more, and the talents would be lost unless peace prevails.

“It has affected the country’s economy, but it has not affected the sport yet. I hope it won’t in future,” Kaluwitharana said on Saturday.

“Soon after the war stopped in 2002, I went there with a team to play a few matches. I came across some very talented blokes. Without proper grounds, proper facilities and proper coaching, they had a few very good players.

“I told the people there that if peace reigns and there is stability, we will definitely look after them. But under this situation, there is nothing much we can do.

The right-handed batsman forged an explosive partnership with Sanath Jayasuriya and the two led the team to a sensational triumph in the 1996 World Cup.

He recalled how his association with Jayasuriya, which changed the phase of one-day cricket by exploiting field restrictions in the first 15 overs, came into being.

“When we went to Australia in 1995, I did not do well initially when I came in at No.7. But I had done well as a top order batsman in the practice matches, and the captain (Arjuna Ranatunga), the manager (Duleep Mendis), and the coach (Dav Whatmore) thought that I might do well if I bat in my normally aggressive style in the first 15 overs,” he said.