Sri Lanka and Mohammedan Sporting Club batsman Upul Tharanga revealed on Tuesday that the memory of the 2004 South Asian Tsunami still haunts him at night after all these years.
‘I still pass sleepless nights when those dreadful memories of the Tsunami return,’ Tharanga said after arriving at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka to complete his Mohammedan transfer at the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis.
‘I was just passing my school career during the time of the Tsunami, in which we lost everything,’ said Tharanga, who lived with his family in Ambalangoda, near Galle, which was hit hard by the disaster.
‘I was expected to return home on the day of the Tsunami after completing a match in the domestic tournament and was on my way to the bus stand.
‘Suddenly my sister called me and asked me not to make an attempt to return back to the village as there were some strange things happening.
‘I went to a nearby shop along with a friend when the news broke out and we were keeping an eye on the TV to keep us updated.
‘But we began to worry as there were only reports of disaster coming in the headlines, and it only doubled as I could not connect with my family members,’ he said.
‘Each second in the shop before getting the call from my family is still very vivid in my mind. That had really made everyone panic,’ he added.
‘I stayed back in Colombo, and the next day when I returned I found every belonging of my family had been destroyed. It was very difficult to keep my focus on the game, but my sister Kumeesa had given me the mental courage to look forward,’ Tharanga said.
The left-hander joined Mohammedan on Tuesday for the Dhaka Premier League, which he expects will help him reach some of his personal cricket goals as he strives to achieve success in international cricket.
The Sri Lankan international, who debuted in 2005 and has already notched 13 ODI centuries in 171 appearances, was more comfortable talking about his cricket, which he still believes is not where he would like it to be.
‘It was good, but there were ups and downs in my career. Already I have played 150 ODI and that I consider an achievement,’ he said, crediting Kumar Sangakarra and Russel Arnold for supporting him in his international career.
‘My major lacking is inconsistency, and it was exposed in England series. [Over] there, in one game my performance was okay, but it was quite opposite in the next match.
‘It is one of the major areas that need to be focused on and one of the reasons to join the Dhaka Premier League is to work on this specific aspect of the game.
‘If I can reach my goal then it will definitely help me internationally, as I expect several good players to participate in the tournament,’ he concluded.
-With New Age input
