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Authors: Shehan Karunatilaka
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office, Ariyaratne Byrd’s front room is littered with paper cuttings. He has lived down the road from me since Sri Lanka got test status. His office room is as dusty and dingy as mine. But it is neat. Cobwebs hang on alphabetised shelves, teacups with fossilised cockroaches are stacked in symmetrical towers. Another important difference: air conditioning.
Both the front room and neighbouring garage are AC-ed. Ari managed to tap into a roadside power cable and make sure that Mr Marzooq from No. 17 got the bill. Don’t ask me how. In the garage are a beat-up 1979 Ford Capri and dozens of broken gadgets. In the front room are the shelves of notebooks that deal with two broad subjects: electronics and cricket.
The electronics books are orange, the cricket books are blue, yellow, pink, grey and purple. Each has articles under various headings culled from the Cricketer, Sportstar, Kreeda, the Island, the Weekend, the Observer and Wisden Cricket Monthly. We stumble upon Pradeep Mathew’s 1987 World Cup profile from the Daily News:
Pradeep Sivanathan Mathew
Left-arm chinaman. Right-hand batsman
Born:
19 February 1965, Colombo
Test debut:
vs India, Colombo, 1985
ODI debut:
vs West Indies, Hobart, 1985
School:
Thurstan College
Club:
Bloomfield CC
Pradeep Mathew is a spinner of some promise who has excelled for Bloomfield this season, becoming the second highest wicket taker in the 1986 Lakspray Trophy. He made his debut in Sri Lanka’s inaugural test victory against India. He has played mainly as a test bowler despite good performances in the 1985/86 World Series, including two 5-wicket bags against Australia and the Windies. This is his first World Cup.
Ari has even collected school cricket reports. We dig out three mentions of Mathew. This time playing U-15 and then U-17 for Thurstan. ‘Here, my dear. Thurstan vs DS, Astra Margarine U-15 trophy 1979. Thurstan takes first innings lead, P. Mathew takes 4 for 17.’
‘Ariya-pala-rala…’
My voice is slurring and my motor skills are waning.
Ari frowns. ‘I think it’s time for your nap, Putha. And I think Sheila knows that you’re boozing during the day.’
‘She said something?’
‘Manouri saw her throwing out bottles. How much are you whacking?’
Ariyaratne uses his three-year head start in life and the size of his brood to put the fatherly act on me. Like any brat worth his salt, I know how to change the subject.
‘We have no records of Mathew playing 1st XI cricket? Here. Thurstan team profiles for ’82 and ’83. No Mathew.’
‘That is the thing. I know the Thurstan coach, Lucky Nanayakkara. Maybe I can put a call to see if he’s still around. Now kindly go wash your face before Sheila gets back. I will only help you if you behave.’
I make the Scout’s honour sign and promise.
Classified Ad
The good news is I have finished most of the scripts and the questionnaires and both Ari and Brian are pleased with the results. I explain that my Mathew piece is incomplete and that I need more time.
I call up the accountant at the Observer to check if I have any outstanding pension or gratuity. I am informed that after all deductions have been made, the Observer owes me Rs 695.63. I ask him what I could do with that princely sum and he tells me I can buy a bottle of arrack or take out a classified ad in that Sunday’s issue.
So that’s exactly what I do. The latter.
W.G.
I wish I was known by my initials. Like F.C. de Saram and C.I. Gunasekera, Lanka’s first great batsmen. Or D.S. de Silva, Lanka’s last great spinner. Like T.S. Eliot. D.H. Lawrence. Even O.J. Simpson.
My name is Wijedasa Gamini Karunasena. My mother and sister call me Sudu; my three brothers no longer call me. Strangers call me Karunasena; friends call me Wije. My wife calls me Gamini dear when she wants money and unprintable things when I don’t give it to her. But, regrettably and unfortunately, no one calls me by my initials.
If they did, I would share my name with the
Both the front room and neighbouring garage are AC-ed. Ari managed to tap into a roadside power cable and make sure that Mr Marzooq from No. 17 got the bill. Don’t ask me how. In the garage are a beat-up 1979 Ford Capri and dozens of broken gadgets. In the front room are the shelves of notebooks that deal with two broad subjects: electronics and cricket.
The electronics books are orange, the cricket books are blue, yellow, pink, grey and purple. Each has articles under various headings culled from the Cricketer, Sportstar, Kreeda, the Island, the Weekend, the Observer and Wisden Cricket Monthly. We stumble upon Pradeep Mathew’s 1987 World Cup profile from the Daily News:
Pradeep Sivanathan Mathew
Left-arm chinaman. Right-hand batsman
Born:
19 February 1965, Colombo
Test debut:
vs India, Colombo, 1985
ODI debut:
vs West Indies, Hobart, 1985
School:
Thurstan College
Club:
Bloomfield CC
Pradeep Mathew is a spinner of some promise who has excelled for Bloomfield this season, becoming the second highest wicket taker in the 1986 Lakspray Trophy. He made his debut in Sri Lanka’s inaugural test victory against India. He has played mainly as a test bowler despite good performances in the 1985/86 World Series, including two 5-wicket bags against Australia and the Windies. This is his first World Cup.
Ari has even collected school cricket reports. We dig out three mentions of Mathew. This time playing U-15 and then U-17 for Thurstan. ‘Here, my dear. Thurstan vs DS, Astra Margarine U-15 trophy 1979. Thurstan takes first innings lead, P. Mathew takes 4 for 17.’
‘Ariya-pala-rala…’
My voice is slurring and my motor skills are waning.
Ari frowns. ‘I think it’s time for your nap, Putha. And I think Sheila knows that you’re boozing during the day.’
‘She said something?’
‘Manouri saw her throwing out bottles. How much are you whacking?’
Ariyaratne uses his three-year head start in life and the size of his brood to put the fatherly act on me. Like any brat worth his salt, I know how to change the subject.
‘We have no records of Mathew playing 1st XI cricket? Here. Thurstan team profiles for ’82 and ’83. No Mathew.’
‘That is the thing. I know the Thurstan coach, Lucky Nanayakkara. Maybe I can put a call to see if he’s still around. Now kindly go wash your face before Sheila gets back. I will only help you if you behave.’
I make the Scout’s honour sign and promise.
Classified Ad
The good news is I have finished most of the scripts and the questionnaires and both Ari and Brian are pleased with the results. I explain that my Mathew piece is incomplete and that I need more time.
I call up the accountant at the Observer to check if I have any outstanding pension or gratuity. I am informed that after all deductions have been made, the Observer owes me Rs 695.63. I ask him what I could do with that princely sum and he tells me I can buy a bottle of arrack or take out a classified ad in that Sunday’s issue.
So that’s exactly what I do. The latter.
W.G.
I wish I was known by my initials. Like F.C. de Saram and C.I. Gunasekera, Lanka’s first great batsmen. Or D.S. de Silva, Lanka’s last great spinner. Like T.S. Eliot. D.H. Lawrence. Even O.J. Simpson.
My name is Wijedasa Gamini Karunasena. My mother and sister call me Sudu; my three brothers no longer call me. Strangers call me Karunasena; friends call me Wije. My wife calls me Gamini dear when she wants money and unprintable things when I don’t give it to her. But, regrettably and unfortunately, no one calls me by my initials.
If they did, I would share my name with the
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