Shehan Karunatilaka won the Gratiaen Prize last year for his novel in manuscript about ‘the greatest Sri Lankan cricketer never to achieve stardom’. The legend of Pradeep Mathew is told by W.G. Karunasena, an ageing, alcoholic sports journalist. Today Shehan, Sri Lanka’s great novelistic hope, talks to Amit Varma, among other things a cricket journalist.