Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning team arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Friday for a series of events marking the 30th anniversary of their triumph, The Island reported. The tour was organised by Tourism Malaysia, Cricket Malaysia and the Royal Selangor Club.
The highlight of the visit will be a Twenty20 exhibition match involving the World Cup-winning side on Saturday, starting at 11:30 a.m. Sri Lanka time. The match will be telecast live on Dialog TV. A gala dinner, coaching clinics for underprivileged children and fan engagement activities are scheduled across the four-day programme.
Asanka Gurusinha, Sri Lanka’s number three in the 1996 campaign, and team physiotherapist Alex Kountouri — both based in Melbourne — arrived in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the event. The rest of the squad left Colombo on Thursday night.
“It’s always fun to get together with the boys and relive the good old days. It’s going to be a cracking few days,” Gurusinha told The Island. “Without us even realising it, 30 years have gone by since we became world champions. All the boys are still close to each other just like we were back then.”
The organisers said the presence of Sri Lanka’s celebrated side is expected to generate greater interest in cricket in Malaysia. The country became an associate member of the International Cricket Council in 1967 and remains active in the Asian Cricket Council. Earlier this year, former Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore was appointed Malaysia’s Director of Cricket. Malaysia has previously hosted ICC events, including the Under-19 World Cup.
Sri Lanka beat Australia in the final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on March 17, 1996 — the country’s first and so far only senior men’s World Cup title. In other cricket news, veteran sports administrator Prema Pinnawala passed away this week, and Sri Lanka’s LPL Season 6 welcomed a new Galle Gallants franchise ahead of the July tournament.
