BS!
Sri Lanka's captain was Ranatunga!
Do you honestly think he'd let it go if there was an ounce of truth in it
What's more, the ICC, ACB, and Sri Lanka's Board approached all the players from that series for verification and NOT ONE supported Mahanama
For some .... Ignorance is bliss !
'Retired Hurt', a success
We carry in full a statement made by Roshan Mahanama on his controversial auto-biography "Retired Hurt".
I consider it my duty by my fans and the cricket-loving public, to place my viewpoint in response to your article on the above subject.
This article was first published in the Daily Telegraph of 9th May, 2 days after my arrival in Melbourne for the launch of my auto-biography "Retired Hurt" with Ken Piesse. All leading newspapers in Australia including 4 TV Channels and 3 Radio Stations too, highlighted the statement in my book that during the 1996 Aussie tour, Glen McGrath called Sanath Jayasuriya a "black monkey".
I was heavily interviewed by the media in Melbourne and Sydney during my visit from 11th to 19th May seeking my response. There were threats of legal action by Glen McGrath and hints of an injunction against the release of my book in Melbourne on 11th May. Despite these threats I am happy that "Retired Hurt" was successfully launched.
Considering the wide publicity this comment has received locally and internationally I wish to clarify my position with reference to comments made by Glen McGrath, his manager Warren Craig and Malcolm speed, the ACB Chief.
Point No.1: The book deals entirely, with my cricket story and not McGrath's story. It records my experiences and observations. It objectively deals with the good, the bad and the ugly.
Point No. 2: The controversy is on one line in a 230-page book. It is taken out of context and blown out of proportion. It should be read along with the other comments in the book. I have said that McGrath made the comment in the heat of the moment and so on.
Point No. 3: I am not making an allegation or a specific complaint against McGrath. Nor do I want any action taken against him now. We did not make an official complaint then and decided to let it pass. But we certainly did not approve of the comment. I have narrated it along with a series of ugly incidents which took place during our Aussie tour of 1996, such as the false challenging of the size of our team sponsor's Logo, accusation of ball tampering by us and Murali being accused of "chucking". McGrath's comment was a part of my objective analysis highlighting the various factors which motivated and brought out the "Killer Instinct" in us, to beat the Aussies and bring the World Cup to Sri Lanka.
Point No. 4: Glen is a nice guy, he is a great bowler.
That does not mean I condone his sledging. In fact, sledging in the real sense of the word should have no place in the gentleman's game of cricket. I am firm in this view.
Point No. 5: The ACB chief asks how I know about this incident, when I did not play in that match. This is amusing. Even if I played in that match I may not have been at centre, when the incident occurred.
I was injured and I was in the pavilion along with all the other players, team officials and the doctor in attendance, when Sanath on his return after getting out dejectedly informed us of the remark made by McGrath.
Point No. 6: The doctor in attendance at that match telephoned me in Sydney when I was there and in response to the publicity given by the Aussie media to McGrath's comment, inter-alia, vividly recalled this incident and how upset Sanath was as a consequence.
Funnily, some including Mark Taylor have insinuated, that the comment was fabricated to promote my book. My book was not conceived as a commercial exercise for profit. In that case, I would have given my story to a publisher. The book was printed by me with the assistance of a close friend - and that too, only a limited number of copies were printed. To these insinuators including Mark Taylor, all I can say is "don't judge me by your standards."
Mark also states, "It is 5 years since this match and this allegation has not been raised until now and ". Firstly, as already emphasised it is not an allegation against McGrath. Secondly, if I decided to write my auto-biography 10 years hence, it would have come up then and not now.
I have also been asked why the book was launched in Melbourne. There are 2 reasons for this. One, the person who assisted me in writing the book and the chief promoter are both from Melbourne and the book was also printed there. Two, I was keen to launch the book in Sri Lanka along with a Sinhala translation in fairness to the majority of my fans in Sri Lanka. I will launch it on 31st July in Sri Lanka. In the last 2-3 years McGrath has been punished on about 3 occasions for using abusive language and bad behaviour in international matches.
In conclusion, I wish to make a firm statement to all concerned and the general public of Sri Lanka, since my early childhood, I have been greatly influenced by high standards of conduct and behaviour instilled in me by my parents and my teachers. McGrath states, "I deny it totally, absolutely, 100%". I wish to categorically state, that every comment made in my book "Retired Hurt", is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth - totally, absolutely, 100%!
Yours Sincerely,
Roshan Mahanama