Special Representative
SINGAPORE, April 3: The manager of Sri Lanka, Duleep Mendis, has joined the bandwagon of former stalwarts who are calling for a World Cup of Test cricket. Previously, Sir Richard Hadlee and then Englishman John Emburey had urged the game`s governing body to organise a World Cup of five-day cricket.
All I can say is that (ICC) should do that, the proud manager of the world champions said at The Padang. Mendis said it will take some time to conduct a tournament "but it should be done. It has been seen that sometimes a team beats one or two teams and claims to be world champions.
"The World Cup of Test cricket can be played in different stages and you don`t have to play all at one time. The format should be of one-day cricket and the teams in one group should play the teams in its group. The league should be played sometime and when I say sometime I don`t mean far too long."
Mendis said there was no doubt that his team were the true world champions. "We beat every team convincingly. Unfortunately we couldn`t play the West Indies and Australia in the league games but we met Australia in the final and beat them comprehensively.
"I admit that we have not being doing so well in Test cricket but from now on we will be a different side altogether. I am sure the results in Tests will be different in future."
Mendis, a former captain, said if Australia and the West Indies didn`t come it was their decision. "I am sure if they didn`t come, they would have valid reasons but the reasons which they gave were beyond our control."
The burly manager was unsure what would be the impact if Australia didn`t come to Sri Lanka in August for the Test tour. "I am not sure what will happen? But if they don`t come, it will be their decision. Whether the relations will get tense or worse , well, only time will tell.
"If Australia didn`t come to Sri Lanka, then we will have to look for another team. Off the field, the players of the two teams talk but certainly the rivalry is there. Any cricketer will understand that everything is forgotten after the day in the field is over. A few of the players even share jokes but not all."
About the rewards and laurels that awaited Sri Lanka after they won the World Cup, Mendis said the players were not after the rewards. "But if they were announced, I don`t know because after we arrived back home, we got busy in religious obligations. And then we came here. So we will see when we go back from here.
"But I must make clear here that the boys are not waiting for the rewards. They have already got their rewards and that is that they are the rulers of the world."