Can cricket mad Sri Lanka bounce back?

Sri Lanka as a nation is cricket mad - it put this little island nation on the map and then kept it there. Whilst scandals came and went for other nations, Sri Lankan players were seen to be too innocent for politics, to thrive on their love of the game and to be above the corruption of money and fame. However, at the end of 2010, the Sri Lankan cricket team’s sterling reputation was brought into disrepute by the supposed actions of a few. Talk of match fixing filled the papers and suddenly that purity was tarnished - it wasn’t all about the game anymore.



Since cricket was first brought to the island nation in the 1800s by the British, it has been the pastime of the rich and the poor, the old and the young, and has succeeded in breaking boundaries and uniting a country. After being given test status in 1981, Sri Lanka went from the underdogs to the elite, winning the 1996 Cricket World Cup the same year they co-hosted it. They then went on to win the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 and were runners-up in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. This year they once again co-host the tournament alongside India and Bangladesh, but can they make cricket history and put all the bad feelings from the end of 2010 behind them? Only time will tell.

With 2011 in motion, the Sri Lankan cricket team have a lot of making up to do but it seems their supporters are firmly behind them. There is already a rising feeling of national pride within Sri Lanka as they prepare for the World Cup. A giant white cricket ball is being taken round the country for people to place their painted hands on, a blank canvas from which to start a new year. Now covered in hundreds of handprints, it is a show of solidarity and unity for the Sri Lankan cricket scene.



There was also a Mini World Cup, in which teams from around Sri Lanka competed for the opportunity to go up against the World Cup winning cricket team of 1996. Rattanapitiya Sports Club won the honour, then took on the champions and beat them.



So, a new year and a new start. Sri Lanka is behind their team, hoping they can put the rumours and scandal from last year behind them and go for glory. Visitors to the nation can currently visit the stadiums at Colombo, Kandy and Hambantota on their Sri Lanka holidays and, hopefully really immerse themselves in the spirit and the passion this nation has for the game.