Out of sight isn’t always out of mind. The legendary Sunil Gavaskar isn’t in Sri Lanka during the ongoing Asia Cup, but he continues to generate awe and reverence in Sri Lankans of all ilk. Among those in the Gavaskar fan club is Sidath Wettimuny, the former opener, who made his country’s first Test century.(v Pak in 1981-82) Wettimuny and the great Mumbaikar are excellent buddies, a bond sparked by cricket that has grown over time.

‘A role model’

To Wettimuny, the first man to reach 10,000 Test runs was a wonderful role model, who inspired not just Indians, but Asian batsmen as a whole. “Sunny was a fabulous player, a great cricketer,” Wettimuny tells mid-day. “It’s just respect for what he was as a cricketer and the way he has carried himself, with dignity. He was a role model for Asian cricketers to aspire to be. He stood out because he took the West Indians on, he took the Aussies on, all of them. At that time, there weren’t too many in this region who were doing that. He became a role model for guys like us, who were trying to get better.”