[Video] Indian team is the most solid team: Jayasuriya | Interview

India is the most formidable team going into the second edition of the Twenty20 World Cup. Speaking exclusively to Nidhi Tuli, Sri Lankan explosive opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya calls the Men in Blue the most solid side in the race for the world title.

Nidhi: Last time around Sri Lanka could not make the cut, but are you confident about doing well this time?

Sanath: I think. The boys have been playing well and we have been playing IPL too before this, so it is a good practice for us. We have a young and experienced side, so we are just looking forward to this tournament.

Nidhi: Which team would you are targeting?

Sanath: The thing is on the particular day who will do well will be good for the team. It will depend from day to day.

Nidhi: India are the defending champions in this tournament. Do you think the pressure to defend the title can pull them down?

Sanath: No. I think it is all a history. This is a new tournament. They will come in with a fresh mind and thinking to do well in this World Cup.

Nidhi: Do you think there will be any advantage for India going into this World Cup?

Sanath: They have a good side. They have been playing really and also their confidence is really high.

Nidhi: Do you think the current Indian side on paper is the best?

Sanath: Yes they have a very good side. They have been playing very good cricket in the last one year or so. They have been really good in all forms of the game. Most of their batsmen are in good form and their bowlers also are doing well.

Nidhi: Coming through the IPL, do you think that practice is going to help the team or will the fatigue factor come into play?

Sanath: When you play for any tournament, it helps players because you need match practice.

Nidhi: Which is the one team you would pick to be most solid for this tournament?

Sanath: I think Indian team is the most solid team

(Interviewed by Nidhi Tuli)

Source : TimesNow

[Video] Sanath Jayasuriya Speaks to Idea Customers

Sangakkara banking on veterans Sanath,Murali and Mahela to deliver in T20 WC

Mahela Jayawardena (left) and Sanath Jayasuriya follow the proceedings at the media launch of a new team sponsor at Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters on Tuesday.

The Sri Lanka cricketers led by new captain Kumar Sangakkara will take wing today to England for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup tournament starting on June 5. The Sri Lankans find themselves in a tough group with Australia and West Indies as their opponents. The first hurdle they will have to clear is beating one of these teams, if they are to move on to the Super eight group, the semi-finals and then god willing the final and the trophy. The Lankans play Australia on the 8 and West Indies on the 10 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

Pity that the Lankans have not been given a game at the Kennington Oval or the Mecca of cricket Lord’s. But that is how it goes.Addressing the media at the Cricket Board Headquarterson Tuesday, skipper Sangakkara said that he has the talent and theconfidence to beat their opponents.”

We have some plans and strategies as to how we should go against our opponents. If we play to form,there is no reason why we should not get the better of our opponents. Sangakkara said that in addition to the experienced seniors, he has some highly talented juniors with him. While the opponents will know how the seniors go, it is advantageous to have the juniors, because the opponents will not have a know how of the capabilities of the juniors.

The winners in this style of game are those who execute correctly the needs of this game. There is no time to think, because runs have to be made off each ball, not caring how it comes, but that it comes.When bowling it has to be wicket to wicket and curtailing the batsman’s ability to score.

What is very important is that the fielding, especially the catching be spot on. A big responsibility rests on the broad shoulders of the elder statesman in the team Sanath Jayasuriya. Jayasuriya has proved himselfin this style of game and knows how to adjust. He has promised to deliver this time round. Batsmen of the calibre of the

Sanath Jayasuriya

skipper, Tillekeratne Dilshan, former skipper Mahela Jayawardena, Chamara Silva, Indika de Saram and Farveez Mahroof must strike it rich with the bat. The good news is that Mahela Jayawardena is quickly responding to treatment and is fast recovering. “I am still not back to full fitness. But when tournament time comes around, I’ll be raring to go”, said a beaming Jayawardena who was reaching his peak batting form when he suffered a muscle damage.

Lasith Malinga, now that he has regained full fitness and showed good form in the IPL Twenty20 will have to lead the pack of bowlers.

Spinners Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitheran and Sanath Jayasuriya must curb the batsmen. The conditions will be cold, similar to the conditions some of the players experienced in South Africa. The wickets at Trent Bridge will be more swing friendly and while the bowlers will have to have control, the batsmen will have to get in line before executing. The cricketers have been fortunate to have with them the chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket D. Somachandra de Silva a former national cap. DeSilva a former leg spinning all-rounder knows what the cricketers need.”

The players must have peace of mind to perform. I have looked into every need of the players and gone out of the way to please them. The players too have confidence in me and together we have formed a good rapport”, said the chairman and advisor to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on cricket. He is confident that the players will mark his appointment as chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket by flying back with the ICC Twenty20 trophy.

The Lankans will not have to worry about security. The organisers have spread out a security blanket and the tournament should go on without a hitch.

We want Sachin to bat for a longer period - Sanath Jayasuriya | Interview

The story of Indian Premier League season two has been the phenomenal performances from cricket's old horses. While the retired Matthew Hayden holds the 'orange cap' for most runs in IPL2, Adam Gilchirst has most dismissals as wicket keeper. Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya have smashed bowlers all over the park and just when everyone said Twenty20 cricket is for young guns, these men have proved many wrong.

In what is pitted as the battle for the semi final spot, Mumbai Indians star batsman Sanath Jayasuriya speaks to us.

It is said that T20 is about youth, you think that theory has been proved wrong?

I think all the seniors have proved that IPL is not just for youngsters and they are still performing well. I am very happy to play this format of cricket and perform well. I think experience counts a lot; we have played [a] lot of cricket. The key is to adjust in such conditions. All the senior and experienced players are doing well and because of them [the] younger lot is also trying to do well.

Do you reckon foreign conditions to be the main reason why the seniors are shining in IPL2?

Obviously, it counts a lot when you play cricket away from home. Seniors have toured South Africa over 4 to 5 times and that experience comes in handy [in] such conditions during this time of the year as compared to our part of world. So I think most players who toured South Africa have adjusted themselves earlier than [the] younger lot who find these conditions tough to play.

Seniors are important, but can one deny that T20 is for quick players and fresh legs?

It was proved last year that seniors are important and even this year some old players have played well. But I must admit that youngsters have been impressive this season. Even with the tournament being held in South Africa young guys have chipped in which is good for cricket. You need a good blend of experience and young energy.

Why have we not seen more of Sanath and Sachin at the top of the innings opening together?

Well, it was decided to promote Bravo up the order. He was keen to open the innings and it was a good gamble. He played a brilliant knock first up and helped us win a crucial game. Tendulkar's experience in middle order is needed; it comes handy during chases as he will look to seal the game for us if he gets going.

How do you and Sachin plan your innings when you guys step out together?

We always bat to a plan. Whoever sees the ball early on goes for the big hits. Some days it can be Sachin or other days it could be me going after the bowling. We just try to bat our natural game. We want Sachin to bat for longer period.

You think Mumbai Indians are too dependent on both of you?

Sachin will punish lose deliveries but try to stay till the end. It gives more confidence to the players when Sachin is out there in the middle for 10-12 overs. Duminy can play sheet anchor in the middle order. These two play a crucial role while others can rally around.

It's a big game on Thursday, Rajasthan Royals will also be looking for a win to seal semi final berth, but do you think it is "Advantage Mumbai"?

Well, we have the momentum; the mood is good in the camp. But in Twenty20 cricket all opposition are tough. Rajasthan Royals have been struggling in this tournament and with Warne injured, they have to work hard. I expect it to be a tough battle.

Any targets this season you have set for IPL2?

Last year I had a good IPL, I want to just contribute and keep it same. It is important that Mumbai Indians continue winning at the same time. I want to perform big. We need to try hard and look to achieve the first objective of reaching the semi final stage. We will try and go few steps ahead and put up good show this season surely but semi final is our first target.

Kulkarni has filled in very well for Zaheer | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON MUMBAI INDIANS’ PROSPECTS

THE win against Bangalore on the weekend was an important lifeline for the Mumbai Indians, keeping us in the chase for the semifinals. Hopefully, by the time you read this we’ll have built on that with a win against Kings XI Punjab, but even if we don’t, the equation remains the same: we have to win our last three games.

We know only too well we’ve been underachieving thus far in the tournament. However, what I also know is that we have the class and temperament to win this tournament. If we can fight our way into the semifinals, our tough run in qualification might just turn out to be an advantage. We will be battle hardened and used to performing under pressure.

The big positive from the weekend was our top-order batting. We lost Sachin (Tendulkar) early but we did not panic. The promotion of Ajinkya Rahane worked beautifully. He is a talented cricketer and I’ve been really impressed with him. He has the strokes and his nimble feet against the spinners were a treat to watch.

The 104-run partnership between JP Duminy— who was brilliant once again—and Rahane was just what we needed. We did not set our sights too high and our 158-run target was always going to be competitive as long as we bowled well. In the end, although the margin of victory was just 16 runs, we won quite comfortably.

Another exciting young Indian talent, Dhawal Kulkarni, led the way with some miserly seam bowling. Replacing the injured Zaheer Khan, one of the leading bowlers in the world during the past year, is no easy thing. But he showed a good head for a young 20-year-old and responded brilliantly to the pressure.

Much of the IPL’s media focus is on the overseas players or India’s big name players, but ultimately one of the most exciting things about the tournament is the global platform it gives for India’s upcoming players. It gives the likes of Ajinkya and Dhawal a chance to showcase the talent and also a perfect arena to hone their skills and gather precious experience. This will be a huge plus for India in the coming years.

From our perspective, it is wonderful to see them flourish for the Mumbai Indians and I hope they continue in the next week. Certainly, after the weekend, the mood in the camp has been upbeat and determined. We know we have the ability. We just have to focus on delivering that potential at the right time.

I am ready to rise to the challenge | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON HIS RESPONSIBILITIES

MUMBAI Indians continue to perform below expectations even as we enter the last 10 days of the tournament. However, in tournaments like these you must not make the cardinal mistake of panicking. Things are not clicking, but it takes only one spark to change things around.

Last year we started dreadfully, but then found our feet and nearly clinched a semifinal berth. This year we are again behind the leaders, but our tournament is far from over with four games remaining after the game against the Royal Challengers.

I’d expect eight wins to guarantee a semifinal berth and seven wins to be sufficient for us considering that we also picked up a point from a “no result’’. Last year that was exactly what lifted Delhi above us into the knock-out stages.

After our win in Port Elizabeth, we need three wins out of four matches against Kings XI, Jaipur, Chennai and Delhi. All good teams, but so are we when we play to our potential.

The first of these clashes against Kings XI Punjab will be an intriguing battle. They’ve struggled a little bit of late with their bowling, especially in the latter overs, but they did a far better job against Team Hyderabad and the return of Brett Lee, a talismanic figure, is obviously good for them.

They’ll be worried though about the fitness of Mahela (Jayawardene). He has visibly grown in confidence as the tournament has progressed and he now has a very cool head which allows him to marshal their middle order. If his hamstring injury is serious, it would be a huge blow. Whether Mahela plays or not though, they have some dangerous players. We have not seen Luke Pomersbach in this year’s event, but he is a big hitter and cannot be underestimated. Then they have proven match winners like Yuvraj and Sanga.

For us, the key will be more batting support for JP (Duminy). He has been the cornerstone of our batting but the rest of the top and middle order have not provided sufficient back-up. Some of that responsibility will fall on me and I feel ready to rise to that challenge. The management went for a new strategy on Friday night and left me out. As a player, that was disappointing.

Sanath, Sachin should continue to open : Lalchand Rajput

Former Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput believes that the team could still make it to the semis provided the opening combination of Tendulkar and Jayasuriya is not disturbed.

"Sanath and Sachin are world class openers and on their day they can win matches single handedly. A few failures in the early part of the tournament should not tempt the team’s think-tank to change this combination because I am sure they will come good soon and start performing continuously”, Rajput told Cricketnext.com on Monday.

"Sanath, when on song, is a nightmare to the best of bowlers and if both Sachin and Sanath start firing on all cylinders, no bowling side in the world will be able to contain them and to disturb such a combination will only be disastrous to the Mumbai Indians. The team management should have little patience," the former Indian coach added.

"Moreover, most of the matches the Mumbai Indians lost were very close matches and could have gone either way. So this is not the time to panic and unsettle the team by making changes at the top but to be patient and reassure the players that everything was fine and the team management would back the openers to the hilt," Rajput observed.

"If at all the think-tank wants to experiment with new openers, than they should do so against teams which are languishing at the bottom of the table like Kolkata Knight Riders so that even if the new pair flop not much damage would have been done to the team’s position on the points table," Rajput added.

For team's sake, Jayasuriya finds himself in dugout | DROP ZONE

There was a sense of disbelief around the ground when the Mumbai Indians team-list was announced on Friday. No one could believe their ears — Sanath Jayasuriya had been dropped.

Welcome to the cruel world of the Indian Premier League, where reputations don’t always count. It doesn’t matter if you’re a superstar; if you’re not in form or not falling into the scheme of things, dugout is the only place where you can be on match day.

Jayasuriya’s is not a case in isolation. Team Hyderabad had no qualms in dropping VVS Laxman for a couple of games, while Team Delhi are playing Dutchman Dirk Nannes and Amit Mishra ahead of superstars Glen Mc-Grath and Daniel Vettori game after game.

Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar didn’t try to
hide the fact that Jayasuriya had actually been dropped. “It wasn’t easy but those are the calls that you’ve got to take from time to time. Shaun (Pollock) and me went up to him and said that he had to sit out this game and he accepted that,’’ Tendulkar explained.

The general feeling is that Mumbai Indians have only three match-winning batsmen and Jayasuriya is one of them. Tendulkar differed. “The bowlers have played a role in us winning the three games... And we felt, Luke (Ronchi) was the man in form,’’ was Tendulkar’s candid response.

It is precisely the same with Team Delhi, who are not playing McGrath and Vettori while Paul Collingwood has gone back without a game. “Are there any more interviews to give? Because that’s the only thing I have been doing since I have come here... I have no place to play,’’ McGrath reportedly told a Delhi official.

It’s understood that he, like Vettori, is a touch disappointed, but there’s little he can do but take it in his stride. “We know they’re great players, but at the end of the day it’s the winning momentum that matters and nothing else,’’ Delhi skipper Gautam Gambhir said. He makes it clear that the ultimate aim is to make the semifinals and for that they always have to look for the right combination instead of the right names.

“Getting the combination right is of paramount importance and I think that the players who are at their best are playing,’’ Gambhir pointed out.

The Team Delhi stand-in skipper didn’t seem too apologetic about his team’s decision, but Hyderabad captain Adam Gilchrist was when he had to ask VVS Laxman to sit out. “It was extremely difficult for me to go and tell VVS that he was not playing the game. But there was no other alternative,’’ said Gilchrist, who has had the opportunity of watching from behind the stumps those fantastic knocks that VVS played against Australia.

The Aussie ‘keeper, like the others, feel these greats sitting out may well have to play important roles in the games to come. It’s to be seen whether, after warming the benches for so long, they can come out and deliver straight away. If they get a chance that is!

Our batting hasn’t been consistent | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON CONTRIBUTING MORE

DESPITE Mumbai Indians having one of the best-balanced teams in the tournament, we are making hard work of our qualification to the semifinals. There is still time, but the loss against Team Hyderabad on Wednesday was a blow. We should have won that game.

I thought our seam bowlers did a terrific job to restrict Hyderabad to 145 for 6, especially as we were missing Zaheer (Khan) with a shoulder injury. Dhawal Kulkarni did brilliantly though as his replacement, snaring Gibbs early and conceding just 21 runs from his four overs. However, our batting, not for the first time, has not been consistent enough. We have usually had one or two players settle down, but we are not performing as a unit. The top-order of Team Chennai and Team Delhi have performed as a unit and we have to do the same.

Credit to RP Singh, though. He was been superb for Team Hyderabad this season and fully deserves his place in India’s T20 squad for England. Without obvious straining, he hits the pitch, bowling a heavy ball, and gets some movement. He can be a real handful.

Once again, after RP’s double strike to dismiss Sachin and me, it was JP Duminy who calmly re-built the innings. The more I see of him the more I’m impressed. He has been our leading scorer by a distance and our biggest failure is not being able to support him.

Dropping Sanath Jayasuriya was foolish | MI Blunder

It was absolutely shocking when MI announced a squad dropping Sanath Jayasuriya from the playing XI against a formidable Delhi Dare Devils team.

The opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar had only added 48 for the first wicket in their last four matches. The pitch ed encouraging for batting, and with the short boundaries, and then came this news which put me into total disbelief - "Sanath Jayasuriya was dropped".

Well this is what Sachin had to say on Dropping Sanath - "Well I know it is tough. But sometimes you have to take certain calls. For both me and Shaun, it was not a easy call. We know Sanath and he took it sportingly. It was a tough call for us and Luke was picked ahead of him. "

And what did his replacement Luke Ronchi do? God out for a golden duck. Not to blame him though.Mohd. Ashraful would've been a better choice than him. Sanath cant win the games for M all the time. Its the middle order and tail enders who have to step up, except Duminy, and Bravo no on seems like they've played cricket before.Others need to step up and not rely only on openers. Players aren't stepping up. They need to win the next game to even have a chance in the semis.

Jayasuriya who was responsible for Mumbai Indians success last year with both bat and ball and even this year with 2 back to back 50's and some crucial wickets whenever he gets the chance to bowl has been dropped from the side for which he dedicated so much.

This is so impossible to believe Jayasuriya, who is the best limited overs player in the modern era has been dropped from the side in such an important fixture and taking his place in this all important match is a rookie from australia called luke ronchi I mean a huge round of applause for Sachin Tendulkar for swapping Jayasuriya with a rookie in this all important match.

As captain, Tendulkar had let his team down big time. First the decision to drop Jayasuriya for Ronchi, to promote the in-form Duminy as opener and then to bowl the crucial 16th over - all had failed and no wonder Mumbai had gone down so easily.

It will be nice learning lesson for MI, specially Tendulkar so next time when he made a list of playing 11 he'll remember the fact that its Jayasuriya who holds the key to their success.

- Opinions expressed by Sanath community members on Orkut.com