What the World Cup means for Kumar Sangakkara? ICC World Cup 2011 final v http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750
Kumar Sangakkara exudes confidence as a person. Be it on or off the field, the man retains his composure, yet his eyes reflect ruthless ambition. It would not be far off to describe the man as a cold and calculating captain, not taking pressure, nor letting his team take any. He believes in his men and lets them play in their own way. For Kumar Sangakkara, cricket is not just a game and the World Cup, having more connotations than one.
Kumar Sangakkara has never been afraid to display his views regarding cricket and it’s affect on his nation and its life. After defeating http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 in the semi-final in Colombo, Kumar shared how life seems to be normal in Sri Lanka when cricket is at centre stage. He further added that the World Cup meant everything for the Pearl Island - coming so far through hard times; he believes taking the World Cup home will heal the nation from the ills of history.
One would think the Sri Lankans are placing way too much pressure on themselves but the Sri Lankans beg to differ. Each player carries the national flag with him and places it on his seat in the dressing room before he steps on the field. Many would agree that the desire to bring happiness to their nation motivates them in a positive way.
Kumar Sangakkara has dealt with tumultuous times that had engulfed the Sri Lankan team in the last few years. The team was visibly rattled after the Lahore attacks in 2009, yet Sangakkara was able to elicit outstanding cricket from his team and lead them to the final of the ICC T20 World Cup in England in the same year. He had the burden of keeping his team intact amidst match-fixing allegations and displeasure of seniors over IPL-drafted players.
Sangakkara responded to all the hurdles in a defiant way and did not let his team succumb to pressure. He assisted the team in their self-discovery; he let the players pave their own individual way, taking their own path towards the game. The result has been a team significantly different from the one in 1996. Sangakkara has never wished to transform his team to imitate an ideal of the past. He has always supported the creation of Sri Lanka’s own identity and the current team is a perfect example.
Sangakkara realizes the importance of this World Cup to the fullest. An innate belief in his strengths and a measure of the team's weaknesses have allowed the Sri Lankan leader to believe that 2011 belongs to his team like it once did in 1996. Recrods speark for themselves. Sangakkara has lead his team to the T20 Final and the first ODI series win in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 wins, he will be leaving a legacy, not unlike 1996.
World Cups have an air of finality about them - the losing team needs to be re-organized and we have already witnessed captains giving up their roles. The winning captain, today, will undoubtedly be remembered in history as one of the best ever for their teams. The losing team will receive much appreciation for achieving the second-best status; honorable mentions will be made, but it will definitely not be the same.
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have had that experience before in 2007 at the hands of the Aussies and, surely, would not want to go through it again. Today, the final will decide who takes the Cup to its final destination; either it stays in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 or flies to Colombo. The Indians want it for Sachin Tendulkar and the Sri Lankans want it for Murali, coupled with their aim to direct happiness home to their people to lift the nation’s spirits. Only one team will meet the expectations of their fans, but neither will give up easily.
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