Bayliss stands firm with Lankans
The Age
Tuesday June 9, 2009
AT NO stage in the past four months, in the aftermath of the Lahore terrorist attacks on his team and during the violent end to Sri Lanka's civil war, did the country's Australian coach think of deserting his post.Trevor Bayliss was more convinced than ever about the healing power of cricket as the Sri Lankans went back to work, in a Twenty20 game against Australia at Trent Bridge overnight, for the first time since coming under attack on the way to a Test in Pakistan in March.The team bus was quiet when the touring party arrived in England for the Twenty20 world championship, but with the resumption of cricket, Bayliss has felt the recovery process take another important step. "There were certainly a few nerves early on in the tour, they seem to be disappearing now. I think being here in England has probably helped in that respect. The security all teams have got around them is very good," he told The Age."There were obviously some extra concerns for our blokes with the events happening back in Sri Lanka as well, but now that we're into the cricket we're pretty much focused on that. We've got used to the security being around, and I think everyone is pretty relaxed now."Bayliss' admiration for the Sri Lankan players, who have carried themselves with dignity against a backdrop of conflict in their own country and the terror threat that became a chilling reality in Lahore, is obvious.Tensions heightened with the death of the founder of the Tamil separatist movement in Sri Lanka, which brought a bloody end to a 26-year war. Captain Kumar Sangakkara and Muthiah Muralidaran, a Tamil, cancelled a speaking engagement at Oxford University after their arrival in England because of security fears."They don't get involved in any of the politics, they have always kept cricket separate," Bayliss said. "Especially in this climate, I think the rest of the population will be looking for the team to do well."Bayliss remains committed to the job, having taken the team to fourth in the Test rankings behind Australia, South Africa and India."It never crossed my mind to give it away, that's for sure. We have always felt very comfortable in Sri Lanka and I was enjoying it very much so I couldn't see any reason (to quit)," he said."I live in Colombo, and to be quite honest you don't see a real lot (of unrest) at all. Since I've been there there has been the odd bomb go off in districts in Colombo, but I've never been close to it . . . There is always a lot of police on the streets; people put up with that and get on with life."The trauma of Lahore has not changed the desire of Muralidaran, 37, to continue on to the 2011 World Cup, on the subcontinent."We have seen so many things in Sri Lanka and other places and we pretty much know what is happening in the world, and we just keep on moving," he said. "I will keep on playing until I think enough is enough. The next World Cup will be my main thing, until that I will play."Sangakkara, one of seven cricketers to receive minor injuries in Lahore, gave a message of hope that his country was on the mend."We are just looking forward to showing the unity of Sri Lanka that our team represent," Sangakkara said. "The end of the war is a weight off the shoulders of all of Sri Lanka. Twenty-six years is a long time. The war touched every single person in Sri Lanka. But cricket has been that one unifying force over the years. It has been the passion of the whole country."
© 2009 The Age
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