Arjuna Ranatunga

Infobox Cricketer


nationality = Sri Lankan
country = Sri Lanka
country abbrev = SL
name = Arjuna Ranatunga
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Left-handed batsman (LHB)
bowling style = Right arm medium (RM)
tests = 93
test runs = 5105
test bat avg = 35.69
test 100s/50s = 4/38
test top score = 135*
test overs = 395.3
test wickets = 16
test bowl avg = 65.00
test 5s = 0
test 10s = 0
test best bowling = 2/17
test catches/stumpings = 47/0
ODIs = 269
ODI runs = 7456
ODI bat avg = 35.84
ODI 100s/50s = 4/49
ODI top score = 131*
ODI overs = 785
ODI wickets = 79
ODI bowl avg = 47.55
ODI 5s = 0
ODI best bowling = 4/14
ODI catches/stumpings = 63/0
date = 15 April
year = 2005
source = http://content.cricinfo.com/srilanka/content/player/50244.html

Arjuna Ranatunga (born 1 December 1963) is a Sri Lankan cricketer-turned politician. He is the current chief of Sri Lanka Cricket, the body which predominantly oversees the game in Sri Lanka. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/other_international/sri_lanka/7166208.stm BBC SPORT | Cricket | International Teams | Sri Lanka | Ranatunga begins Sri Lanka role ] ]

Ranatunga comes from Gampaha, a town twenty miles north of Colombo. He, along with his brothers, studied at Ananda College Colombo where his mother was a teacher. Arjuna's cricketing career started and was carefully nurtured at school. He played cricket for both the junior and senior teams and captained the Ananda College senior team for two years.

A left-handed batsman and useful right arm medium pace bowler, he made his first-class debut in 1981 at the age of eighteen and a year later played in Sri Lanka's inaugural Test match. He went on to score Sri Lanka's first half century in this game.

Ranatunga went on to captain Sri Lanka in 1988, taking control of the national team for the next eleven years through one of its most successful periods. He was widely recognised as a master tactician and was famous for defending his players at all costs.fact|date=June 2008

Ranatunga's weight was also notable, and gave rise to an incident during a game played in humid conditions when he called for a runner, claiming that he had "sprained something". Opposition (Australian) wicket-keeper Ian Healy, responded that he could not get a runner for being "an overweight, unfit, fat cunt", a comment picked up by the stump microphones and broadcast on television. Ranatunga was known for controversially calling a runner during long innings due to his level of fitness. In the finals of the One Day triangular series in Australia later in the 1995/6 Season, Ranatunga instructed his players not to shake the Australian players hands. [ [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21630900-15084,00.html World Cup final: A history of tension | The Australian ] ]

Ranatunga is also remembered for his stand in a one day international against England. Australian Umpire Ross Emerson called Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing. (Muralitharan was subsequently cleared by bio-mechanical experts hired by the ICC.fact|date=June 2008) Ranatunga exchanged heated words with umpire Emerson and led his team to a point just inside the boundary line, halting play, until the Sri Lankan management conferred with him and play resumed. English captain, Alec Stewart, was openly critical of Ranatunga's behaviour. In a comment caught on the stump microphone he was heard to say to Ranatunga "Your conduct today has been appalling for a country's captain" [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/80351.html]

The Sri Lankan national team were considered perpetual underdogs but this image changed completely during the 1996 Cricket World Cup, when Sri Lanka defeated tournament favourites Australia to win it under the captaincy of Ranatunga. This victory, for which Ranatunga was a pivotal part both as batsman and captain, has ensured that Sri Lanka are no longer underestimated on the world cricket stage.fact|date=June 2008

Arjuna Ranatunga and Darren Lehmann of Australia are the only batsmen to score the winning run in the world cup (as the only two teams to successfully chase a target rather than batting first).fact|date=June 2008

He is noted also for his repeated intense criticism of the Australian team, especially his longstanding rivalry with Shane Warne. While this saw him a maligned figure among the Australian public, his ability to lead the long-standing minnows of world cricket to a World Cup win - over Australia in the final - is arguably one of the greatest displays of captaincy in the history of cricket. Australia were renowned for intimidating their opponents by any means possible, and Arjuna's ability to take on and rattle the team of renowned sledgers, inspired his players to have the self-confidence to stand up to Australia in an era where no other sides could. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/18/1077072715056.html Warne is a liability, claims Arjuna - Cricket - www.smh.com.au ] ] [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/cricket/1999/world_cup/news/1999/05/15/warne_charged/index.html CNN/SI - Cricket World Cup '99 - Warne charged by ICC for Ranatunga comments - Saturday May 15, 1999 02:04 PM ] ] .

Ranatunga lost the national team captaincy in 1999 after Sri Lanka's poor showing at the World Cup in England, although he was chosen as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for that year. He retired from playing cricket in 2001.

He entered into politics by joining the PA led by Chandrika Kumaratunga. Later, he was the Deputy Minister of Tourism for Sri Lanka.

Teams

International

*Sri Lanka

ri Lankan first-class

*Sinhalese Sports Club

Career highlights

Tests

Test Debut: vs England, Colombo, 1981-1982
Last Test: vs South Africa, Colombo, 2000-2001
*Ranatunga's highest Test batting score of 135 not out was made against Pakistan, Colombo, 1985-1986
*His best Test bowling effort of 2 for 17 came against New Zealand, Kandy, 1983-1984
*Ranatunga's captaincy record was as follows: 56 matches, 12 wins, 19 losses, 25 draws.

One-day internationals

ODI Debut: vs England, Colombo, 1981-1982
Last ODI: vs Kenya, Southampton, 1999 World Cup
*His highest ODI batting score of 131 not out was made against India, Colombo, 1997
*Ranatunga's best bowling figures of 4 for 14 came against India at Kanpur in 1986-1987
*His captaincy record was as follows: 193 matches, 89 wins, 95 losses, 1 tie, 8 no result
*Until New Zealand's Stephen Fleming overtook him in October 2006 at the ICC Champions Trophy, Ranatunga held the record for the captaining the most ODI matches.

External links

* [http://content.cricinfo.com/srilanka/content/player/50244.html/ Cricinfo profile on Arjuna Ranatunga]
* [http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Players/PlayerOverview.asp?PlayerId=1433 HowSTAT! statistical profile on Arjuna Ranatunga]

Notes