Hats off to Mendis (and to Sangakkara) for the way they conducted themselves at the presentation ceremony.

It was refreshing and pleasing to hear Mendis talking in fluent Sinhala rather than in broken English. I was watching the proceedings with my British colleagues and friends and strangely enough, I was overwhelmed with a sense of pride and patriotism listening to him speaking in Sinhala. My young children applauded hearing their language in an international broadcast. I can recall a similar heartening experience a couple of years ago when Charmara Silva and Jayawardene conducted themselves admirably at a presentation ceremony in New Zealand. It is pathetic to read of some Sri Lankans lamenting the lack of a knowledge of English among our cricketers which I think, has more to do with an inferiority complex.

What is most irritating and humiliating is when someone pretends to know the Queen’s language, bring shame to everybody. A case in point was Dhammika Prasad’s recent interview with the media.

Nobody should feel inferior or ashamed of speaking in one’s native tongue. My children study the Sinhala that is offered in the British national curriculum. I think the SLC should take the cue and instruct all the cricketers to conduct themselves in a similar manner.