Once Upon a Time (a Man Called Ranjit)

As written by a keen observer of Ranjit Fernando put it with a humorous touch...

Once upon a time there lived a man called Ranjit Fernando in sunny Sri Lanka, a land of milk and honey often referred to as Paradise, previously known to the Colonial British rulers as Ceylon.

This man was “no mug with the ball or bat”, having kept wickets and opening the batting for St. Benedict’s College in Kotahena. It was “never going to be an easy proposition” selecting him to play for the national team since ijn comparison to the rest of the contenders at that time his cricketing ability was “nothing to write home about”.

However, the man was “gathering impetus” in the local cricket scene playing and excelling in club cricket during the P Sara Trophy season every year. Finally, he came out with a surge, “Breaking the shackles”, and ended up as a commentator for World Cup and ICC Cricket matches across the globe. A great achievement for Sri Lanka, no doubt, but not a very pretty predicament to all the millions of TV listeners across the planet.

Although one could easily claim that his style of patter was a “trifle short” of what was needed to be able to deliver the state of the game across the airwaves, he still kept on “fluttering away” under the tragic assumption that he was still an “experienced campaigner” who was willing to exercise a “valiant effort” in carrying out his tasks effectively.

While we are all aware that he is trying his best to “maintain his composure” in order to be able to “marshall his troops” it is sad to note that he always ends up as a terrible “tormentor” to the ears of the peasant public who make every attempt to try and get a glimpse of the game and find out what’s really going on in the middle.

It may be said that he is not one of those whose “pitch has good carry” he surely does put us common people into some very hot “pressure cooker situations” most of the time.

I guess one can say that he is a “sort of” a cool character in his own way and his lovely wife seems to think that he should spend more time in the garden where he is supposed to be one of those who can really “sweep, and sweep well” too.Since he does wear spectacles it is not unusual for him to have misread a stunning bowled dismissal for a cracking boundary through point, no doubt. We cannot be unfair on ageing men no? After all the man must now be in his mid sixties, I believe?

So now that Ramani too has entered the fray of bashing the poor fellow lets hope that things wont get out of hand when he returns home to stay? We hope, at least, that he will not have to sleep on the couch downstairs? That would be cruel aney! Ehema kiyanna epa...paw ne?

We just want them to live happily ever after!