Sri Lanka spin beats Murali

Apr 04, 2011 (LBO) - Ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan may have retired with Sri Lanka's latest World Cup defeat, but a local television star showed much promise as an even better "spinner" when the dejected national team returned Sunday.

In high-flown Sinhala, the young television presenter anchoring the coverage of the team's return, said Sri Lanka had spectacularly won the "runners up." "India was contend to win the trophy," he added.

He kept on urging fans to flock to the Colombo-Negombo road carrying national flags to welcome Kumar Sangakkara and his team after their "spectacular success" at the World Cup.

The few loyal fans who turned up were disappointed once again.

The team did not take the promised open-deck bus ride to town.





Instead, they rode a luxury coach with dark tinted glasses. A safe precaution against stone-throwers.

It may have been a security precaution to ride a bus with dark windows given the foul mood of many fans. On their arrival, players blamed injuries which kept Anjelo Mathews out of play and crippled Muttiah Muralitharan.

But, in his end-of the tournament comments, Sangakkara singled out Eliyantha White as an individual to thank.

Sangakkara described him as a "doctor." White in n