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teams, team work and winning They did it with each team member contributing with grit, determination and focus. The usual match winning combination of Vaas and Murali in the bowling department is not what won us the match. We had only a modest score to defend ourselves with and at some stages of the game it looked as if India was on top and would beat us without much trouble. Sachin's effort was marvellous but India was found wanting in team work. For Sri Lanka, it was not any one individual or any one department that shone. All came together as a team and with the captain leading the way, we indeed won. Several of our political leaders sent congratulatory messages to the team on their achievements and perhaps many others watched the match on TV. If there was any lesson they could learn from watching our boys perform on the cricket ground - that to me - would be the merit of working in cohesive teams, to create winning situations. Sanath, I believe did not have the 'Man of the Series' award in mind, when he shone with the bat and ball and Marvan any definitive thought of being the 'Man of the Match'. It was evident that they played the game with the singular objective of bringing a win for Sri Lanka. The accolades and rewards were significant but came as incidental outcomes of that effort. If we thought of managing the affairs of the nation as a game of cricket, it is only the naïve that will not see the reality that we will never win if we don't, even at this stage, begin to play that game as a cohesive team. If we equated our cricketing stars to the leadership we have, they then need to be enlightened (or is the word coached?) to realise and see the obvious. They need to realise that the focus we need to have is to bring ourselves lasting peace, by seeking a dignified solution to our national problem and be able to work towards uplifting the socio-economic status of all our people. They need to realise that the only way forward we have is to form a team approach to winning this most challenging game. Like they do in the game of cricket with a team comprising of lads from all over the country, seeking to beat the best in the world, we also need to think local and act global. We need to raise ourselves beyond political party and ideology based divisions and find common ground and a level play field to play on. Many may argue that running a country is a million times more complex than playing a game of cricket. Indeed it is. But the rules of the game are in the main, the same. Both are team games that demand a common mission and focus where everyone needs to be effectively mobilised to contribute towards achieving that mission. That is no easy task and involves a lot of coaching and setting in place change management techniques at the core. It is a mind game where physical fitness to run that last mile matters most. That in turn involves selfless, empathetic, caring, determined and focussed leadership and a critical mass of persons with those traits playing in the team. In cricket, match fixing and corrupt practises are punishable offences. Strict rules of discipline are maintained among members at all times. Sharing is practised as a trait of team culture. Once initial mobilisation is done, the team members are led to stay focussed and allowed to play to their fullest potential, until the last ball is bowled. If one were to look at examples of such leadership efforts on the socio-political front, one can turn to Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed and Lee Kuan Yew. We all love our cricketing heroes for the pride and the joy they bring to our lives. We love them for showing us that Sri Lankans can do it, if they play as a team. We now await our political leadership to also give us that opportunity to love them as our heroes. They must realise that it is only by sound deeds and not by empty words, that they can make that dream a reality for us. |
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