[VIDEO] 20 years of Sanath Jayasuriya - Relive the mayhem

Thanks to Hilal Suhaib ( Island Cricket ) for the Video

A tribute to two decades of Sanath `The Matara Mauler’

He made his ODI debut on December 26 1989 just a few days after Sachin Tendulkar played in his first such game. All the same one is not sure Tendulkar will be around at 40 however enthusiastic he remains about the game. But here is Sanath Jayasuriya still playing limited overs cricket a few months after his 40th birthday and 20 years in cricket. ODIs and Twenty20 s a young man’s game?

Try telling that to the ever youthful `Matara Mauler’ who is still boyishly enthusiastic about the game, still hungry for success and still wants to win matches for his team. These positive factors have seen him carrying on when cricketers who started out after him have longed called it a day.

Just a few months ago Jayasuriya was the first cricketer to get an ODI hundred past the age of 40. Only last year he had become the oldest centurion in ODIs. At 39 years and 212 days he broke the record of Geoff Boycott who was 39 years and 51 days when he scored a hundred against Australia in Sydney in 1979. I wrote then that a century past the age of 40 could not be ruled out for Jayasuriya and I was happy that the swashbuckling left hander proved me right. Verily he has sipped from the fountain of youth.

Not too long ago Jayasuriya was the first to play 400 ODIs a mark soon equaled by Tendulkar. At the moment he has played 444 matches a few more than Tendulkar. In matters of runs (over 13,000) and centuries (28) he stands second to Tendulkar. But of course when you add his 300-odd wickets – Tendulkar’s tally is around the 150-mark - it can clearly be seen that Jayasuriya is one of the greatest one day players ever. Even at an age when people have long since called it a day from what is essentially a young man’s game there is no indication that he will be retiring even though it is about two years since he called it a day in Test cricket.

Clearly the secret behind Jayasuriya’s successful career is that he enjoys the game and that he is still young at heart. It was this upbeat attitude that saw him enjoy himself in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa particularly while hitting 88 off 44 balls against Kenya and following this up with 61 off 44 balls against a much stronger New Zealand attack. Even as Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly – all younger than Jayasuriya - opted out of the tournament Jayasuriya was still around to regale audiences in the newest and shortest format of the game. But then of course he has been
regaling audiences all over the cricketing world for almost two decades.

It is a tribute to his skill, enthusiasm and fitness levels that Jayasuriya has lasted so long and like good wine, seems to be getting better with age. Certainly the end of his career is nowhere in sight as yet. He did in fact announce his retirement in 2006 but almost immediately retracted his decision. Which was just as well for Jayasuriya still had much to contribute to the cause of Sri Lankan cricket and had still a lot to contribute by way of entertainment to spectators and the TV audiences all over the cricketing world.

Jayasuriya has lit up one-day cricket at the highest level ever since his power-hitting at the top of the order enabled Sri Lanka to win the 1996 World Cup. At his peak in the mid and late 90s Jayasuriya the buccaneering batsman emptied bars as followers of the game rushed to their seats to watch him take the bowling apart. Similarly cricket fans rushed to the TV sets as Jayasuriya wasted little time in sending the new ball to all parts of the grounds. Fours and sixes flowed off his blade and I was once a happy witness to Jayasuriya and his swashbuckling opening partner Romesh Kaluwitharana bringing up Sri Lanka’s fifty in 3.2 overs against Kenya in the World Cup match at Kandy in 1996. He was certainly the batsman whom bowlers did not want to come up against for it was mayhem from ball one. He intimidated bowlers like few batsmen have done dispatching even good balls to the fence by extraordinary hand eye coordination and super fast reflexes complimenting his natural talent.

Where does one start to reel off Jayasuriya’s outstanding performances in ODIs? He still holds the record of fastest 50 (off 17 balls), has hit a century off 48 balls, shares the highest partnership (with Upul Tharanga) of 286 for the first wicket, is the only player to complete the double of 10,000 runs and 300 wickets, has hit the third highest individual score (189) and possesses a career strike rate of over 91 which is really quite mind boggling considering how long he has been playing.

One must also not forget that he has been an outstanding player at the Test level – second to Mahela Jayawardene in the runs tally (almost 7000) at a pretty impressive average of 40 coupled with a bag of almost 100 wickets. Till Jayawardene overtook it in 2006 Jayasuriya held the record for highest individual score for Sri Lanka (340 against India in 1997).

In the new millennium as players like Adam Gilchrist, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Shahid Afridi, Andrew Symonds, Virender Sehwag and Kevin Pietersen have upped the career strike rate to anything between 91 and 110 Jayasuriya achieving the status of elder statesman has stayed in the background. And even if there are finally some indications that he is nearing the end of the road what a remarkable career it has been!

(Source - Article by Partab Ramchand)

Sunday Observer pays tribute to Sanath Jayasuriya on 20 years as an international cricketer

‘Matara Mauler’ Sanna blasts a score in cricket

The ‘Matara Mauler’ Sanath Jayasuriya yesterday completed the 20th anniversary of his international debut for Sri Lanka. As one of the greatest cricketers in world cricket, Jayasuriya has come a long way since his entry to the world arena.

Born on June 30, 1969 in Matara, Sanath Teran Jayasuriya made his international debut for Sri Lanka exactly 20 years ago. But it was an inauspicious start scoring just three runs in Sri Lanka’s World Series Cup one day international against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the Boxing Day of 1989.

It was a bitter start for Jayasuriya as his debut international innings lasted just 11 minutes to face five balls to score the three runs before being caught by Greg Campbell off Australian paceman Merv Hughes. Jayasuriya never got an opportunity to bowl at it was the humble beginning of this great cricketer.

But later be blossomed into one of the greatest batsmen ever in world cricket. He proved his credentials both in the Tests as well as in One Day Internationals. Jayasuriya is simply unstoppable when he is in full cry, treating opponent bowlers to all corners.

He has shown no mercy to some of the greatest bowlers in the world and some of them were even forced to call it a day after an unexpected thrashing from Jayasuriya.

Having made his ODI debut on December 26, 1989 against Australia, Jayasuriya has now figured in a total of 443 ODIs to aggregate 13,397 at an average of 32.43. He has scored 28 centuries and 68 fifties. His impressive strike rate of 91.33 speaks volumes of control he has maintained over world class bowlers, hitting a total of 270 sixes and 1,495 fours.

The most cherished moment of Master Blaster Jayasuriya’s career was in 1996 when Sri Lanka team emerged champions of the World Cup tournament in the sub continent, beating Australia by seven wickets in the final played in Lahore on March 17, 1996. Jayasuriya had a rich harvest during the 1996 World Cup to be adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

His hurricane efforts won him the prestigious Wisden Cricketer of the Year award the following year.

It was Jayasuriya, along with his opening partner Romesh Kaluwitharana, who ‘invented’ the art of pinch-hitting during the 1996 World Cup which took most teams by storm. As one of the world’s most uncompromising strikers of the ball, Jayasuriya has established his name in Test cricket too.

He was initially labelled a one day cricketer and as a result he had to wait little over an year after his ODI debut to play in a Test. Jayasuriya made his mark in the established game scoring successive double centuries in Sri Lanka ‘A’ team’s tour of South Africa. H e made his Test debut for Sri Lanka, scoring 35 runs in the second Test against New Zealand played in Hamilton in February 1991. He did not get an opportunity to bat in the second innings as Jayasuriya batted in the low middle order during the early part of his career.

At the time of his retirement from Test cricket in 2007, Jayasuriya had aggregated 6,973 runs in 110 Tests at an average of 40.07 with 14 centuries and 31 fifties. His marathon knock of 340 against India at Premadasa Stadium in 1997 remains his career best Test innings.

Besides that, the champion left-hand top order batsman has two other double centuries - 253 against Pakistan in 2004 and 213 against England at the Oval in 1998. He also scored 199 against India at SSC grounds in 1997 and 188 against Pakistan at Asgiriya Stadium in 2000.

Incidentally, his career best ODI innings too was against India - 189 off 161 balls at Sharjah Cricket grounds on October 29, 2000. On three other occasions, Jayasuriya has scored over 150 runs in ODIs.

Though he initially made his name as a batsman, he subsequently cemented his place as one of the greatest all-rounders. In 443 ODIs, he has captured 322 wickets at an average of 36.72 apiece. His figures of 6 for 29 against England at Moratuwa in 1993 remains the career best in ODIs. In Tests, his best innings analysis had been 5 for 34.

Jayasuriya is a born cricketer with a natural talent. At 40 years plus, he still runs between the wickets like a teenager and maintains a sharp eye on the ball. Many tried to dump this gifted cricketer in 2005, forcing a premature retirement. Even some scribes joined the bandwagon to make a malicious campaign against the truly village cricketer who never lost his head despite going places.

It was President Mahinda Rajapaksa who meted out justice to Jayasuriya and found a fair deal for the Master Blaster to resurrect his international career. And he did make the best use of the next given opportunity, blasting a century in Sydney when he was recalled to join the team in Australia during the World Series in 2005.

Jayasuriya has often replied to his critics with the willow, and when it starts talking, his critics simply ate humble pie!

What is unique in Jayasuriya’s exemplary career has been his humbleness. Though he is one of the best all-time cricketers in international cricket, he is still the very same Jayasuriya who used to travel to Colombo by bus from Matara with his heavy cricket baggage during the early part of his career.

In keeping with the great qualities of a sportsman, Jayasuriya has been humble in success and determined in defeat. That has been the key to his success. Jayasuriya has proved that there are no short cuts to success. Hard work, dedication and sacrifice have been the vital ingredients of his successful recipe.

The Sunday Observer wishes Jayasuriya all success in his future endeavours.

Sanna Boy, you have taken Sri Lanka to the world.

We are proud of you.

(Article by Dinesh WEERAWANSA - Source)

Sanath makes batting easy - Mahela Jayawardene

"In ODIs and Tests alike, Jayasuriya deflated bowling attacks, taking pressure off his team-mates"

Mahela Jayawardene
December 26, 2009

Blazing away at The Oval in 1998, in the days before it was accepted for openers to attack

My oldest memory of Sanath Jayasuriya is of the time he was asked to open in Tests, and he scored a century, in Adelaide. Later that year, he had the whole nation glued to the cricket during the 1996 World Cup.

Immediately he was one of the big stars, up there with Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga, but to us, youngsters in their formative years, Sanath was much more. Here was a man from a humble background, from down south, perhaps the first "outstation" player to make it big, changing the way cricket was to be played - not only in Sri Lanka but the world. It said to every youngster growing up in Sri Lanka at the time that he too could achieve anything. Apart from Sanath, Muttiah Muralitharan was the other big player to come from outside the main cricket centres, but it took Murali time to become a hero for the country. Sanath's appeal and impact were immediate.

My first memory of Sanath as a team-mate is my debut, the famous Test where he scored 340 against India. When I first met him as a team-mate, I found him to be a very simple person. The remarkable thing - and the biggest lesson for others - about him was that he hadn't changed at all in the years till then. He was still the same person, his game was still the same. It told me, as a youngster, that I was in the team because I had something, because I had been doing something right. Normally youngsters, when they come to Test level, try to change things, but here Sanath was. He had made slight technical changes here and there, but the core of his cricket had remained the same.

In the dressing room Sanath is no Murali. Then again, not many are. He is quiet and simple, but whenever there is a contribution or a point to be made, he makes sure he does it, and in the right spirit.

As a captain, and as a senior player, he has always been aggressive, and he has wanted to see aggression in his team. He does get angry at times - he would as a captain too - but he doesn't go wild. You could see it in his eyes, though, and like any leader he was never short of a harsh word or two when it was needed.

Before heading to Australia in 2005-06, we had a team-bonding session down south, which is his part of the world. We had a lot of water activity lined up, which he loved. It involved banana boats, and he warned us it could be dangerous. We took the warning lightly and went about it. There was an accident and one of the guys fell on Sanath's shoulder, dislocating it. He was out for the first half of the tour and was really disappointed, but he took it in the right spirit. And his comeback innings was a match-winning century.

When he is playing one of those special innings and you are padded up to go in next, you have to keep reminding yourself that you are not Sanath and that you can't just go out there and do the same. The only bigger joy than watching him bat is to bat with him. When you are batting with him, you see that the bowling side is spending all its energy focussing on him, which ends up taking all the attention off you. You can quietly slip in, keep taking singles, keep doing your job, and let Sanath do the rest. Batting doesn't come much easier.

While Sanath is given due credit for his revolutionising ODI batting, scoring at eight or nine an over, his Test batting often didn't get as much credit. I have seen him score 96 in the first session against South Africa in Galle - against a decent attack featuring Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Jacques Kallis, Paul Adams and Lance Klusener. Such innings deflated bowling attacks. They took out all the venom, and made it easy for the batsmen coming in. That sort of batting was not common in Tests when he started playing in that fashion, but it came to be recognised slowly.

My favourite innings of Sanath's - there are so many in one-dayers - was played in a Test, at The Oval in 1998, in the same match in which Murali took 16 wickets. England had already scored 445 in the first innings. Teams would have been pleased to have drawn that match after that, but Sanath's 213 at a strike-rate of 75-plus stunned England and gave us enough time to bowl them out again.

I am not surprised at all that Sanath has survived 20 years in top-level cricket. He was one of the first professional cricketers from the country. Before 1996 we had a lot of talented players, but we had no fitness routines, nobody to tell us what was the right way to go about things. But with Dav Whatmore and Alex Kountouris coming, we developed a professional approach. And Sanath was among the first ones to catch up with it. He is still as hungry as the next youngster; his eye may have slowed a bit, but he makes up for it with his work ethic and fitness. At times, even at 40, he can be faster than some of the youngsters in the field.

Outside of cricket, Sanath is a busy man. He has many friends: he has not let go of them as he has gone along. He is a big star and everybody wants to know him and wants to be associated with him, but like with his cricket, the core of the man has remained the same.

(Source)