World Cup fever grips Sri Lankans in UAE

Cricket-crazy Sri Lankan fans in the UAE have also been gripped by World Cup fever as their team takes on New Zealand in the first semifinal in Colombo on Tuesday.

Most of them are looking beyond Wednesday’s titanic clash between arch rivals India and Pakistan in Mohali as they make plans to watch Saturday’s final to be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India.

A cross section of the Sri Lankan community based in the UAE speaking to Emirates 24|7 were quietly confident that Kumar Sangakkara’s men would not only cross the New Zealand hurdle with ease but go all the way to emulate Arjuna Ranatunga’s feat of lifting the trophy when the tournament was last co-hosted in the sub-continent in 1996.

Like most followers of the sport in the sub-continent, the islanders are excited and waiting eagerly for the culmination of a tournament which has captured the imagination of the cricketing world since it began on February 19 in Bangladesh.

Some have decided to work for only half the day so as not to miss a single ball against New Zealand with the match scheduled to start at 1pm UAE time while others will follow the proceedings via internet waiting for the first opportunity to rush home early to watch the action on television.

With injured spin great Muttiah Muralitharan a doubtful starter for the clash against New Zealand, it has dampened the spirits of some in the Sri Lankan camp. But the general consensus was that with or without Muralitharan, they had enough firepower to cast another spell over the Black Caps who succumbed tamely in a group match in Mumbai.

“Definitely we will be winning. Our team is 100 per cent better than New Zealand because we have several all-rounders,” said Gayani Jayawardena, a Sales Executive at SriLankan Airlines in Dubai.

She said that SriLankan airlines organised a package tour for a group of fans for the semifinal in Colombo. However, they could not organise it for the final because of the short time factor and high cost of hotel accommodation in India.

“We watched all the World Cup matches since my husband Samantha is an ardent Sri Lankan supporter and sometimes I support the other team for fun,” she said. Her son Nimhan, 7, who plays rugby is also a keen cricket fan.

Asked for her predictions on the India-Pakistan match, she said it would be a tough match and a battle between India’s batsmen and Pakistan’s bowlers.

“Sri Lanka has more chances since we will be playing in conditions suited for us and in front of our home crowd. Only hiccup is missing Muralitharan but we have good back-up bowlers,” said Prasanna Wanigasekera, an Instructor at Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies based in Abu Dhabi.

“I like Sri Lanka to meet Pakistan in the final because if we play India we will have less ground support. But remember we have beaten India in the semifinals at Eden Gardens in 1996,” said Wanigasekera who was brimming with optimism of Sri Lanka winning the trophy again.

“It would be a Sri Lanka-Pakistan final definitely,” said Wazeer Miskin who is employed at Dubai Duty Free. He has already taken leave to watch the final on the big screen at the Sri Lankan restaurant in Panorama Hotel in Bur Dubai on Saturday.

“Sri Lanka has to improve their fielding. If we miss catches like we did against England, it could cost us,” said Azhar Jayah, manager of a shipping firm in Dubai. He was nevertheless confident that Sri Lanka could beat New Zealand but said India would be under pressure to win against Pakistan.

“India-Pakistan match is a war. There will be more pressure on India. It could be anybody’s game,” he said. He hopes to watch the final with a group of friends in Sharjah.

Iqbal Marjan, an executive at Vanoord said Sri Lanka had always been dominant in all three formats of the game against New Zealand. “For sure we will beat them again,” said Marjan who will work only half day today.

“I feel we have a good chance of winning if India comes to the final because we have won many big tournaments against them. Pakistan is a tricky side always,” said Marjan who remembers celebrating with a group of friends in hotel in Dubai when Sri Lanka won the trophy in 1996.

“Sri Lanka have a well balanced team. Although is Muralitharan is doubtful we have good back-up bowlers,” said Gamal Rahim, Business Development Manager at Kanoo Shipping in Dubai.

He felt the toss would be crucial at Premadasa Stadium although Sri Lanka won comfortably against England batting second because the target was less.

Rahim backed Pakistan to prevail over India in the second semifinal because “they have a good team of fighters.”

Asked who deserved to win the tournament, he said diplomatically: “All three Asian teams.”

A Sri Lankan manager based in Abu Dhabi Ijaz Haniffa who has taken half day, was confident Sri Lanka would reach the final although New Zealand were no “push overs”.

He felt India held the edge against “unpredictable” Pakistan having lost the previous World Cup clashes against their arch rivals.

“We should win comfortably against New Zealand,” concurred Heshan de Silva, Operations Manager at Emirates Islamic Bank, Sharjah. “Even without Muralitharan we have enough experience to win though having him would be a psychological advantage. But if he is not fit he cannot play,” said de Silva, who was a top schoolboy cricketer in Sri Lanka.

However, another Sri Lankan Deepal Rajaguru was worried that Muralitharan may not be playing because of injury. “His 10 overs could make a big difference. Also being his last World Cup, we need to give him a fitting farewell,” said Rajaguru, Engineering Controller at Emirates Airlines. “We are praying he makes a quick recovery.”

He also wished Pakistan would come to the final. “Wankhede Stadium is not a big ground and the ground support for India could pose a problem for us in the final,” said Rajaguru. He hopes to rush home early to catch the action against New Zealand.

“Our team is winning,” said Ponniah Thayananthan, top Sri Lankan banker at Barclays UAE.

He will also be going home early to catch the action. “Nowadays none of the Asians in UAE are working,” he said.