Afghans start Asia Cup with a bang !! - நமோ நமோ நமோ நமோ தாயே !

AT Dubai International Cricket stadium – in the first match of Asia Cup 2022, Afghans won the toss and put Lanka in.  SL is in deep trouble having lost 3 of its batsmen in 2 overs for just 5 runs !! 

நமோ நமோ நமோ நமோ தாயே ! நல்லெழில் பொலி சீரணி

நலங்கள் யாவும் நிறை வான்மணி ___

ஞாலம் புகழ் வள வயல் நதி மலை மலர் ! நறுஞ்சோலை கொள் ____ 

Wonder what the above is ?    It has been just over a year since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, again, and the effect on every aspect of life in the country has been drastic. A fledgling women's cricket scene has all but disappeared, the men's game is one of the few pastimes accepted - and seemingly closely followed - by the regime, which has clamped down on public entertainment in many forms. Cricket remains wildly popular among common fans in the country.

 

Asia Cup 2022 is not a great format – looks lopsided  - one half looks ordinary, India, Pakistan and Hongkong.  One win would take the team to next stage.  On the other - Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh can all best each other on their day and one of them have to say adios after playing just 2 games. This should have been round-robin tournament or just add 2 more teams and have 2 groups with 4 teams each."  

Anyway, the tournament is already on .. Afghan put Lankans into bat .. ..  Pathum Nissanka opened with - Balapuwaduge Kusal Gimhan Mendis.. .. off the 5^th ball Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled a fullish length, swung the ball a little, Kushan missed it, hit on the back pad.  LBW appeal turned down – Afghans reviewed.  Ball tracking showed that Umpire was wrong – pitching on leg, hitting leg stump and Afghans have drawn first blood.   Off the next ball Farooqi struck again – Charith Asalanka out LBW for 0.  In the second over -  Naveen-ul-Haq tried sort of leg cutter, Nissanka tried wild swing – appeal, Umpire says Yes.  Lanka reviews and   even though UltraEdge shows almost no deviation, the umpire says out! The Sri Lankan camp is stunned.   

What you read in para 2 in Tamil is the National anthem of Sri Lanka.  Just before the start of the match, first Afghan’s and then Lankan anthem was played. 

"Sri Lanka Matha" ("Mother Sri Lanka")  is the national anthem of Sri Lanka. "Sri Lanka Matha" was composed by Ananda Samarakoon and was originally titled "Namo Namo Matha" ("Salute! Salute! Motherland"). "Sri Lanka Matha" was first performed at an official ceremony on 4 February 1949 at the Independence Memorial Hall in Torrington Square during the national day ceremony. The anthem was given full constitutional recognition in the 1978 Second Republican Constitution. There are differing accounts as to the origin of the "Sri Lanka Matha". The most widely held view is that Sri Lankan composer Ananda Samarakoon wrote the music and lyrics to the song, inspired/influenced by the Indian Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.  Some  suggest that Tagore wrote the anthem in full  while others hold the view that  Samarakoon wrote the lyrics, to Tagore’s music. Samarakoon had been a pupil of Tagore at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan.  After returning to Ceylon Samarakoon taught music at Mahinda College, Galle.  The Sri Lankan national anthem is available in an identical version in two languages, Sinhala and Tamil, both official languages of the country. It is just one of a number that are sung in more than one language. 

The "Afghan National Anthem"   was the national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from 2006 to 2021. The lyrics were written by Abdul Bari Jahani, and the music was composed by German-Afghan composer Babrak Wassa [de].  It was de jure replaced by "This Is the Home of the Brave" after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

 

'Tis the land of Afghanistan,

'Tis the pride of every Afghan.

'Tis the land of peace and the sword,

'Tis the cradle of its brave sons.

 

Indians fans are busy setting themselves up for the match against arch-rivals Pakistan tomorrow. 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
27.8.2022