da esoccer bet： Cricketing heavyweight Arjuna Ranatunga held his first press conferenceThursday as he prepares to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming GeneralElection in Sri Lanka
CricInfo26-Oct-2001Cricketing heavyweight Arjuna Ranatunga held his first press conferenceThursday as he prepares to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming GeneralElection in Sri Lanka.Ranatunga, wooed into the ruling People’s Alliance by President ChandrikaKumaratunga earlier this week, is expected to contest Kaduwela or Kotte seatin Colombo, an area which the party desperately needs support if a buoyantUNP opposition are to be stopped from seizing control of parliament.”This is not something I planned to do or wanted to do, but something I feelI must do for my country,” he revealed at the conference.Ranatunga claims to have agonised over the invitation to join Kumaratungafor over a week, but his family have a long involvement with the party. Hisfather, Reggie, is currently a minister and his oldest brother, Prassana, isalso a PA politician.Yesterday, he said he drew his political inspiration from Kumaratunga’smother, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world’s first woman prime minister.But he did not commit himself when he was asked whether he was left or rightof centre, saying: “I am not an expert in politics so I don’t yet know. Iknow that I am loved by the people but give me a little time to figure therest out.”Ranatunga has decided to campaign on a promise to revamp the country’sscandal-tainted sports and youth welfare programme.As a cricketer and former Sri Lankan captain he his was adored by fans andreviled by opponents for his seemingly omnipresent self confidence; as apolitician he has started in the same vein, stating: “I’m confident I willbe the first successful cricketer turned politician.”In fact, outside Sri Lanka, there have been famous cricketers who have beensuccessful politicians. There have also been some spectacular failures, mostrecently Imran Khan, who failed to win a single seat in the Pakistanielections after a high profile campaign.Imran refuses to give up hope and may still meet with success, but formerEngland captain Ted Dexter, is won’t try again having once taken on JamesCallaghan, a future Prime Minister, as a conservative candidate. ManojPrahabkar also failed in his attempt to enter the Indian parliament.The West Indians, though, have been more successful with Learie Constantinebecoming a Trinidadian MP and Minister, the legendary Wes Hall becoming theSports Minister for Barbados and, most recently, opening batsman DesmondHaynes becoming a Bajan Senator.Ranatunga retired from international cricket in August 2000, but continuedto play domestic cricket last season, as he decided upon his future.During that time he had been linked to a new Sinhalese nationalist party andhis name had been put forward as a potential cricket board presidentialcandidate.Indeed, he had been playing an increasingly activist developmental rolewithin the cricket board during recent months as a Cricket Committee member.For the moment, though, his cricket ambitions have been put to one side.Ranatunga was no stranger to controversy during his career, and after hisretirement he has remained in the limelight.He was accused of fixing cricket matches by bookie Mukesh Gupta in a CentralBureau of Investigation (CBI) report, but was cleared after a Sri Lankancricket board inquiry.He also appeared in court earlier this year to answer charges of assaultingschoolboys who hit a cricket ball into his family home. He was granted bailand will next appear in court on 7 December – two days after the elections.