It’s no surprise that the India vs New Zealand World Cup semi-final clash is on everyone’s mind and the ICC Hall of Fame event in Mumbai on Tuesday was no different. Former Sri Lanka cricketer Aravinda de Silva, the recent inductee along with Virender Sehwag and Diana Edulji, is no stranger to a knockout fixture of a multi-nation event and feels handling pressure is key during this “vital stage”.
“It’s anyone’s game when it comes to semifinals, it’s a pressure game. It’s a knockout game and it’s not like you have seven or eight games to play where there is chance to come back. This is the vital stage where you need to fire on all cylinders at the right time. Pressure will be on both sides and about how you handle the pressure and how many players in your side handle it well,” says De Silva, who played a starring role in Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup campaign.
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De Silva has played numerous games in India, including the high-pressure semi-final at the Eden Gardens back in 1996, and for him, the colour of the jersey supporters wear doesn’t matter. For the 58-year-old, during his playing days, having people around got his “adrenaline pumping”.
“I think just having people around gets your adrenaline pumping. It helps you to perform and to do whatever you do well. That’s the impact it had (on me) with spectators being around. That’s why I said, without those fans, irrespective of whether they are supporting you, it’s like them watching a play and then you producing that bit of entertainment for them,” explains De Silva.
The veteran of 93 Tests and 308 ODIs was all praise for India batter Virat Kohli, who has been in phenomenal touch this World Cup, and lauded the way he has been carrying billion expectations on his shoulders.
“I admire the way Virat Kohli has been performing over the last so many years. I think he has been carrying billion expectations on his shoulders and the way he has been performing has been remarkable. I have been admiring his conduct and the way he has been playing for so many years. His batting has been remarkable and performances over the years have been remarkable,” says De Silva.
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When asked about the future of ODI cricket and whether it would be able to sustain itself and remain relevant too, De Silva had a very thorough explanation.
“When you look at T20, it’s a combination of power and fast game. If you look at Test cricket, it’s about stamina, strategy and using proper combinations. One-day cricket is a bit in between where you use a bit of entertainment as well as power and also a fair bit of strategy, which is very very important. So I think all three formats have a place in my view,” says De Silva.
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