Sanath Jayasuriya to promote agri biz in Sri Lanka

Sanath Jayasuriya is known the world over and throughout Sri Lanka for his exploits in the cricket field. However a little known fact about the world renowned super star is his passion for nature and particularly agriculture.

It will be a surprise to many that the simple, down to earth cricketer is in fact an agriculturalist, to be more specific, he is also a paddy farmer. Like thousands of Sri Lankans Sanath Jayasuriya is also into rice farming.

He owns a 45 perch land in close proximity to his residence at Boralesgamuwa and has successfully cultivated rice. "I bought this plot of land some time back as I thought of doing some paddy cultivation. Today I am very happy that I have successfully cultivated paddy and in fact I hope to harvest it before the end of this month", said a delighted Jayasuriya.

When asked if he has plans to continue with cultivation the Lankan superstar had no hesitation saying, “Yes, Why not, I hope to do it in a better way during the next Maha season. I am also looking to increase the extent".

However the record breaking batsman said that he is only looking at cultivating in and around the Borelesgamuwa area as that will also help him to get involved more. "When it is close to my home I can spend some time as well", said Jayasuriya who like many cricket idols has a very busy schedule.

According to Jayasuriya since he began cultivating this season most of the people around his field has begun cultivating paddy. In fact it was only last week that CIC Agribusinesses, a leading Agribusiness company signed -up Sanath Jayasuriya as their Brand Ambassador. Reacting to the news that Sanath Jayasuriya is into paddy cultivation the Director HR and Corporate Affairs at CIC Agri Businesses Marlon Fernadopulle said, "We are extremely delighted at the news that our brand Ambassador Sanath Jayasuriya is involved in rice farming. The fact that a world super star is directly into farming is a big boost to us at CIC Agribusinesses and also to our country".

The Aging Warriors in the Sri Lankan Team | Sanath Jayasuriya & Muttiah Muralitharan

Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan are the most senior members of the Sri Lankan team. They were part of the Ranatunga outfit that took the Sri Lankans from minnow status to one of the powerhouses in international cricket. But they are aging fast at 39 and 36 years respectively, and it needs to be seen how Sri Lanka will handle their retirements.

Murali has already decided to make the 2011 World Cup his final goobye. Since it will be played in the Indian sub-continent, it would be a good place for him to go out with a bang. Having now claimed the highest number of wickets in one-dayersTests, there are few records left for him to break. and

I guess he could continue playing if he is still in good health, but the problem is that everytime he has a slump in form, people will take it as a sign of decline with age, and he will be under pressure. Sri Lanka does not have the strength to accomplish any great feats in Test cricket that would necessitate Murali hanging around.

Sri Lanka, being much stronger in ODIs than Tests, it is possible that Murali will go Jayasuriya’s route of a Test retirement first. With Mendis around, it won’t be as easy to grab the lion’s share of wickets any longer, and so the pace of wicket-taking will fall. In addition, longer tours against the bigger Test nations will prove gruelling.

Jayasuriya is also likely to try to stick around for the 2011 World Cup finals, but he has not made any commitment or expressed interest. AFAIK, he is taking it one match at a time. Sri Lanka has few talented and destructive batsmen as him. So his place is safe for the time being.

Since he retired from Tests, Jayasuriya only has limited overs achievements ahead of him. As far as individual records go, he is way behind Sachin Tendulkar, so perhaps the 2011 World Cup is the only thing left for him. Sri Lanka do have a good chance at it (if they can reverse the current slump), but South Africa and India could crash that party.

[Photos remixed from photo taken by Tony Patterson (license) and photo taken by S J Jagadeesh (license)]

Thanks to : KRIDAYA BLOG

Cobras win thrilling Semis after Jayasuriya falters in Super Over

The Nashua Cape Cobras beat the Nashua Dolphins on the Super Over after both teams scored 148 in their allotted 20 overs in their Standard Bank Pro20 semifinal third leg at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Wednesday.

With the match tied it meant that each team would face six balls and they could make use of three batsmen.

The Dolphins chose Sanath Jayasuriya and Johann Louw to open the batting during their extra over which was bowled by Charl Langeveldt. Langeveldt bowled Jayasuriya with his first ball and then conceded two runs and a wide before having the new man, Daryn Smit, caught at deep square-leg by JP Duminy.

It meant that the Cobras needed four runs to win from one over which was bowled by Alfonso Thomas. Graeme Smith was run-out, after the first ball of the over, by Jayasuriya after he backed-up too far.

Herschelle Gibbs then took two runs off the second ball of the over before hitting a boundary through the covers to secure victory for the Cobras.

The Dolphins had scored 148 for eight after beginning their last over, bowled by Vernon Philander, needing 17 runs to win which came down to the home-side needing six to tie off the last ball which Johann Louw duly delivered by smiting a mighty blow over long-on to end the Dolphins innings not out on 48 off 26 balls with four fours and two sixes.

The Dolphins’ run chase began poorly as they slumped to 11 for three inside four overs with fast bowlers Langeveldt and Rory Kleinveldt sharing the wickets to fall.

A fourth-wicket partnership between Hashim Amla (37) and Jon Kent (30) of 65 off 48 balls then revived the home fans' hopes.

However, in the 13th over, both men lost their wickets in consecutive balls from left-arm spinner Claude Henderson with Amla being caught at deep mid-wicket by Duminy while Kent was stumped. Henderson ended with figures of three for 23.

Louw and Smit then put on 39 runs off four overs for the seventh wicket to leave the Dolphins needing 23 runs off the last two overs of their innings.

Up stepped Langeveldt once again as he bowled Smit and Quinton Friend to claim four for 22 off four overs.

Earlier, a fifty from Duminy helped the Cobras to 148 for four.

After the Cobras had won the toss and elected to bat they slipped to five for one in their second over before Duminy played the anchor-role for his team to perfection as he ended not out on 53 off 46 balls with three fours and two sixes.

Duminy combined with Justin Ontong to put on 73 runs for the third wicket before Ontong was bowled by seamer Thomas for 44 off 32 balls.

Ontong began his knock slowly, with one run coming off the first six balls that he faced, but he was soon into his stride striking two fours and three sixes as he scored his next 43 runs off 26 balls.

Graeme Smith and Duminy had provided a good platform for the Cobras as they put on 50 runs off 44 balls for the second wicket before leg-spinner Daryn Smit bowled Smith. The Cobras’ skipper departed for 34 off 31 balls.

Thomas was the best Dolphins bowler on the night, finishing with figures of two for 14 off three overs.

Cobras wary of Sanath | Semifinals - Standard Bank Pro20 Series

Both the Dolphins and the Cobras have been starved of a championship success in recent seasons and they’ll be desperate to change that course of events by starting off with a win in tonight’s Pro20 semifinal third leg in Durban.

The “hit and giggle” version of the game has lived up to its reputation as a lottery and the most recent results in Port Elizabeth and Durban have clearly underlined that notion.

The two semifinal legs of the Dolphins and Cobras match-ups have been won by decisive margins and perhaps the hugely unpredictable nature of Pro20 cricket could result in a far more evenly contested third leg as teams make one last push for a final berth and its massive financial offerings, given the advent of the Twenty20 Champions League, which gets under way in India, in September.

The must-win nature of the game is such that the Cobras will be backing themselves to beat the Dolphins as they have emerged victorious in very tight games this season.

Cobras coach Shukri Conrad feels his team thrives in the “pressure situations” and he’s confident there are any number of players in his ranks who can play a match-winning role.

If indeed the result is going to hinge on the role of one match-winning performance, most pundits would rather be looking at the Dolphins’ opening batsman, Sanath Jayasuriya.

He is arguably the world’s most combustible batsmen, even at the ripe old age of 39 years.

The Sri Lankan legend, who has broken more one-day batting records than any other cricketer, revolutionised one-day international cricket with his explosive batting at the 1996 Cricket World Cup.

He failed to score in the second leg in Durban and he’s too good to fail again and if he does produce a decisive knock today, he’ll be repaying the Dolphins his R1-million Pro20 appearance fee with a single innings.

Jayasuriya gave Pro20 fans a taste of his explosive batting when he posted 41 runs off 24 balls, including six boundaries, three of which cleared the ropes at Newlands, last Friday.

That contribution, as well as his two wickets courtesy of his left-arm spin, wasn’t seen in its full context because his team-mate, Yusuf Abdullah (3/13) ripped out the heart of the Cobras batting, even before their chase got under way. He claimed his first two wickets before the Cobras had even managed to score one run on home turf.

Even in defeat the Cobras drew one consolation from their Friday the 13th defeat and it was their most lethal batter, Herschelle Gibbs, would not fail again.

And how right they, the Cobras, were. The “Hurricane Herschelle” innings clubbed the Dolphins attack for 92 runs off 57 balls.

There must be a similar feeling in the Dolphins camp ahead of today’s clash since Jayasuriya failed with both bat and ball (nought and 0/29 off 3 overs) in the last outing.

Jayasuriya would no doubt have noted that the most telling all-rounder Pro20 contribution yet this season was recorded in Port Elizabeth on Monday night where the Warriors’ Robin Peterson returned 49 not out and 3/24 with bat and ball respectively.

Defying Sanath, Amla gets it wrong

Ahmed Amla must have been questioning his wisdom to bowl first as the Nashua Dolphins were crushed by a resurgent Cobras in the second leg of the Standard Bank Pro20 semi-final at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Sunday.

The three-leg tie now stands at one apiece and the deciding game in the semifinal will be staged at the same venue on Wednesday, at 6pm.

On Sunday the Cobras batsmen were in sublime form as they savaged the Dolphins attack while scoring 191-4 and then had the home side on the ropes and waiting to be counted out on 59-5 when the rain came down.

The Duckworth-Lewis method was called on and it declared Cobras deserved winners by 38 runs.

After winning the first leg at Sahara Park Newlands on Friday any captain would have learned that the Cobras do not take too well to pressure.

In that game the Dolphins pummelled their attack while scoring 162-5 off 20 overs and came away with a 14-run win after dismissing their opposition for 148.

Instead of continuing in the same vein and giving Sanath Jayasuriya and HD Ackermen - the destroyers in chief in Cape Town - the opportunity to lay into the Cobras attack, Amla decided to field after winning the toss.

The advantage of using the wicket first disappeared and the initiative was gone. Dolphins hearts sank further as Yusuf Abdulla dropped a "dolly" from Graeme Smith on the ropes.

Heads dropped and the body language told the whole story.

The bowling went to pieces as the carnage began with Smith and Herschelle Gibbs butchering the so-called strongest attack in the competition. Smith, who has returned to the game after a five-week lay-off, scored 33 (20b 6x4s) in his 66-run opening stand off 42 balls with Gibbs, who was a class act.

The Proteas player, who has had a troubled life on and off the field in the past year, went on to compile 92 with seven 4s and four towering sixes off 57 deliveries.

Though there was some joy after Smith and Duminy (0) departed in quick succession, Gibbs blasted away as he delivered more telling blows to the home side with Justin Ontong (32 off 26, 3x4s 1x6). The Gibbs-Ontong third wicket stand yielded 74 runs.

After that Vernon Philander also helped himself to 21 off 11 balls before the innings ended on 191-4.

Even before the 8 500 crowd had finished their dinner, the Dolphins batting began crumbling.

Jayasuriya, who had to play the big shots, went for a duck, playing a reckless shot off his first ball, Ackerman went for 16, Grant Rowley (1), Jon Kent (10) and before they knew it they were 59-5 and at a point of no return. In that 59-5 Hashim Amla made a classy 23 off 18 balls.

The rain came at a time when the Dolphins were way behind and, according to the Duckworth-Lewis method, they were 38 runs behind and thus well beaten.

Now they have a day in between to pick themselves off the canvas and go into the deciding leg on Wednesday.

But if they want to win and book a passage to India for the IPL Champions League, it will be crucial for Amla to make the right decisions.

Sanath Jayasuriya 3 back to back sixes and two consecutive wickets [ VIDEO ] | South African Standard Bank Pro20 Series 2009

Above is a video of Sanath Jayasuriya hitting Rory Kleinveld for three sixes in a row, then following it up with two wickets off the first two balls that he bowled for the Nashua Dolphins in the Standard Bank Pro20 series.

--> Scorecard

Thanks to Hilal - http://www.islandcricket.lk

One-day cricket`s oldest centurion | Sanath Jayasuriya

Limited overs cricket a young man’s game?

Don’t try telling that to Sanath Jayasuriya. His hundred in the last month’s game at Dambulla against India made him 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.

Sanath Jayasuriya : The way he is going a century past the age of 40 cannot be ruled out for the ever youthful Sri Lankan who seems to have sipped from the fountain of youth.

After almost 20 years in international cricket he has not lost his zest for the game. He still enjoys batting and conveying that enjoyment to the spectators and his 107 at Dambulla in January 2009 was very much in keeping with that reputation.

Put in to bat Sri Lanka got off to the worst possible start with Tillekeratne Dilshan being run out. But quickly putting that disaster behind him Jayasuriya counter attacked as only he can and with a second wicket partnership of 118 with Kumar Sangakkara got the innings back on track.

This was followed by another fruitful association with Thilina Kandamby. By the time Jayasuriya was fourth out at 171 in the 40th over Sri Lanka were heading for a challenging total thanks to the seasoned swashbuckler’s breezy knock which came off just 114 balls with ten fours and a six.

Sri Lanka were however restricted to 246 for nine in 50 overs and India were home with six wickets and eleven deliveries to spare. But Jayasuriya had given enough notice that neither time nor age had withered his skills.

‘Sunny’s’ side is up | Jayasuriya on fire as Dolphins win at Newlands

He's back: Jayasuriya on fire

THEY made it interesting, but in the end, the KZN Dolphins pulled off a critical first-leg victory in the semi-finals of the Pro20 Series at Newlands last night.

Defending 163, after a Sanath Jayasuriya blitz at the start of their innings, the Dolphins almost choked as a defiant Richard Levi toiled desperately to haul the star-studded Cobras from the doldrums.

And it was Jayasuriya himself who almost turned from hero to zero, as his third over, and the 18th of the innings, disappeared for 16 runs, leaving the Cobras needing a not so daunting 25 off 12 balls for the unlikeliest of wins.

Step up Johan Louw, who bowled a nerveless six balls, snaring the wicket of Claude Henderson with one of his leg-cutters, but also conceding a mere two runs.

Twenty-three off six balls was always going to be too much for the Cobras, and they eventually lost by 14 runs.

The night had started brilliantly for the Dolphins, as Ahmed Amla won the toss and the opening pair of Jayasuriya and silver fox HD Ackerman scorched their way to 75 without loss by the eighth over.

Jayasuriya, back from international duty, signalled his intentions by smashing Rory Kleinveldt for three successive sixes.

When he fell for 41, however, the innings began to stutter and stumble, before almost grinding to a halt.

Ackerman played sensibly for his 62, but what looked like a possible 200 became “only” 162.

The Cobras, with Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibs and the mercurial JP Duminy in tow, looked set to cruise home.

But Yusuf Abdulla had other ideas. The swing merchant toppled Henry Davids leg-stump, before trapping Gibbs plumb in front with a beautiful inswinger.

At zero for two, the Cobras were in danger of folding dramatically. And when Abdulla had Duminy snaffled smartly by Daryn Smit, the game looked done.

Smith, from a Proteas perspective, looked in decent touch after a five-week layoff, but he holed out to Smit’s leg spin for 32.

It was all left to Levi and the tail, and they ensured the Newlands faithful stayed to the last with a spirited fightback.



But it was the Dolphins’ night, with Abdulla shining again with the ball. and “Sunny” Jayasuriya back with a bang.

They may yet seal their place in Friday’s final tomorrow, in the second leg at Kingsmead.

Scoreboard
Dolphins innings
HD Ackerman c Ontong b Kleinveldt 62
S Jayasuriya b Ontong 41
HM Amla c and b Henderson 2
G Rowley c Gibbs b Duminy 22
J Louw c Smith b Langeveldt 8
A Amla not out 17
J Kent not out 7
Extras (1lb, 2w) 3
Total (5 wickets in 20 overs) 162
Fall of wickets: 1-75, 2-82, 3-119, 4-136, 5-141
Bowling: Langeveldt 4-0-20-1, Henderson 4-0-21-1 (1w), Kleinveldt 4-0-49-1, Telemachus 4-0-43-0 (1w), Ontong 3-0-21-1, Duminy 1-0-7-1.
Cobras innings
H Davids b Abdulla 0
G Smith c Thomas b Smit 32
H Gibbs lbw b Abdulla 0
J Duminy c Smit b Abdulla 17
A Puttick run out 2
J Ontong b Jayasuriya 9
R Levi not out 48
R Kleinveldt b Jayasuriya 0
R Telemachus c & b Louw 11
C Henderson b Louw 15
C Langeveldt not out 6
Extras (1b, 2lb, 4w ) 7
Total (9 wickets in 20 overs) 148
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-35, 4-46, 5-63, 6-64, 7-64, 8-95, 9-139
Bowling: Abdulla 4-0-13-3, Friend 4-0-35-0, Louw 4-0-21-2, Amla 1-0-8-0, Smit 3-0-22-1 (1w), Jayasuriya 3-0-32-2 (1w), Thomas 1-0-14-0 (1w).
Result: Dolphins won by 14 runs.
Master Blaster Bowler: Yusuf Abdulla
Master Blaster Batsman: HD Ackerman.

Jaysuriya's all-round performance sets the Dolphins up for win

Charl Langeveldt had started the innings by conceding only a single in the first over, but the KwaZulu-Natal side picked up the pace in the lucrative fourth over - the first by Kleinveldt - when they scored 23 runs.

The man responsible was Sri Lankan Jayasuriya (41 off 24 balls, three fours and three sixes).

Sixes driven to mid-off and mid-on were followed by a third flicked to square-leg, and a four hooked fine off the first four balls of the over.

With HD Ackerman keeping up a good tempo at the other end, the Dolphins were able to reach a handy 71/0 after seven overs.

Off-spinner Ontong's first ball broke the threatening 75-run first-wicket stand when Jayasuriya hit across the line and was bowled by a full ball, and it became two wickets in two overs when Claude Henderson held a return catch to send a hesitant looking Hashim Amla (two) back.
It was a horror performance for the Cobras, whose star-laden batting order failed to deliver, in pursuit of a target of 163. They finished on 148/9.

Abdullah bowled Henry Davids (0) off an inside edge off the second ball of the Cobras innings, and beat Herschelle Gibbs (0) with swing to trap him in front three deliveries later.

Left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya bowled Justin Ontong (nine) and Rory Kleinveldt (0) with his first two balls of the evening, both of which kept straight.

That double-strike in the 11th over, left the Cobras on 64/7, and it was thanks to Levi's fight that the margin of defeat was made to look acceptable.

The Dolphins return home with their tails up for the second leg at Kingsmead on Sunday. The Cobras must win that clash to force a third leg, set for Durban on Wednesday.

Graeme Smith knows Dolphin danger Sanath Jayasuriya

If there is one player in the Cape Cobras team who knows the danger Dolphins opener Sanath Jayasuriya poses in Friday night's Pro20 first-leg semi-final at Newlands, then it's captain Graeme Smith.

Smith has spent years devising strategies on how to dismiss the Sri Lankan master blaster, but has also had first-hand experience of the carnage Jayasuriya can cause when he is in the mood.

The veteran left-hander was certainly in the mood four years ago at Taunton when he and Smith shared a 197-run first-wicket partnership for English county side Somerset against the then all-conquering Australians. Jayasuriya struck 101 off 79 balls and Smith 108 off 74 balls and the Aussies were humbled by four wickets.

"Geez, that was an amazing game," said Smith. "The Aussies got over 340 and we both got hundreds. Sanath obviously doesn't talk much between overs, so he was just standing on the one side and me on the other, and we were just flaying away.

"It was great to be able to just watch and enjoy and not having to worry about trying to get him out. He played some amazing shots that day. There's no doubt Sanath is a match-winner. If he gets off to a flyer, he just takes the pressure off all the remaining batsmen. He is also a more than useful bowler."

Jayasuriya only joined the Dolphins camp on Thursday, having represented Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 international against India as late as Wednesday. Smith, who had the entire week to familiarise himself with the Cobras' set-up, believes Jayasuriya's late arrival might just play into the Cobras' hands.

TEAMS FOR NEWLANDS:

Cobras: Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy, Henry Davids, Justin Ontong, Richard Levi, Andrew Puttick (w/k), Roger Telemachus, Rory Kleinveldt, Claude Henderson, Charl Langeveldt.

Dolphins (from): Sanath Jayasuriya, Hashim Amla, HD Ackerman, Grant Rowley, Ahmed Amla (capt), Jon Kent, Pierre de Bruyn, Daryn Smit (w/k), Johann Louw, Alfonso Thomas, Quinton Friend, Yusuf Abdulla, Imraan Khan.

Sanath Jayasuriya Caricature | by Champika Wijayatunga

Fantastic Sanath Jayasuriya Caricature by my friend and a very good Artist - Champika Wijayatunga

All thanks to him :)

- Sujan Rao

Champika's Facebook Profile : Link

Dolphins keen to have Jayasuriya back

There were smiles for different reasons at the end of the Nashua Dolphins-Highveld Lions Standard Bank Pro20 Series game at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Sunday.

The first was obvious - the Dolphins had easily beaten the Lions by eight wickets and secured home semi-final advantage in the two-leg affair, while the second was for the fact that the local team had avoided being the No. 1 side on the final round robin league table.

That was the second reason for the huge smiles on the faces of the KwaZulu-Natal cricket officials.

"This means that we will play on Friday and not Wednesday. That suits us as Sanath Jayasuriya will be available for the first leg of the semi-final on Friday against the Nashua Cape Cobras," said Jay Naidoo.

"If we had finished on top of the table we would have missed the opportunity of having Sanath for the two-leg semis. He will arrive here on Wednesday morning and it would have been difficult pressing him into action soon after landing from a long flight from Sri Lanka."

The Dolphins will play the Nashua Cape Cobras on Friday at Sahara Park Newlands and their second leg game is scheduled for Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Sunda, at 2.30pm.

Sanath Jayasuriya Wallpapers | Part 3

Sanath Jayasuriya headed back to South Africa | Nashua Dolphins

Sanath Jayasuriya will return to South Africa this week to complete his stint with the Nashua Dolphins.

Jayasuriya will join the Dolphins at the end of the current India series.

Jayasuriya's first stint with the Dolphins was not a productive outing for the veteran - However, his 28th ODI century against India recently has boosted the dashing opener back into form.

The first leg will be played at Newlands on Friday and Sanath Jayasuriya will be back for the Dolphins to add weight to batting and bowling departments.

Jayasuriya was forced to leave for national duty as Sri Lanka re-organised their international calendar after a tour programme upheaval in the sub-continent, when India cancelled their Test and one-day international series tour of Pakistan.

The Sri Lankan opener was called by his national selectors for the one-day and Twenty20 games against Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. Jayasuriya will return to Durban tomorrow and will be included in the Dolphins' 13-man squad for Friday's first leg of the semi-final and the second leg at Kingsmead on Sunday, starting at 2pm.

With the Sri Lankan returning, a tough selection call will have to be made - Martin Bekker has to be left out for Jayasuriya in the final XI. Jon Kent or Pierre de Bruyn may feel aggrieved at being dropped for the crucial semi-final stage. But Kent's all-round ability as a batsman and bowler may count in his favour.

So South African's be ready for Run feast !! Sanath Jayasuriya in full form

Age no barrier for Jayasuriya | Lanka Dairy by S. Dinakar

The Indians have no time to breathe easy in the arena though. Sanath Jayasuriya rolls back the years to become the oldest cricketer to notch up an ODI hundred. Typically exhilarating strokes mark his century.

And guess whose record he breaks? It’s Geoff Boycott, the technically pure and the rather slow paced English opener of the past. Ironies never cease in cricket!

Despite Jayasuriya’s effort, India seals a win. Mahendra Singh Dhoni excels as captain and then delivers with the willow. Booming straight drives from the skipper herald the Indian surge towards the finish line.

A band plays through the entire match. The lilting tunes, enhanced by the rhythmic beat of the drums, have the fans dancing. Cricket in Sri Lanka retains the element of joy.

Jayasuriya : Individual performances do not matter | Interview

Damboola, Sri Lanka: Although he no longer features in Test matches, Sanath Jayasuriya is still scoring hundreds for Sri Lanka in international cricket. Not just that, he is going places. Soon after this series against India, he will fly to Durban to play for Natal and then will go to India to turn out for Mumbai in the second edition of IPL. He is a busy bee these days!

However, he was not aware of the fact that he had broken the record of Geoffrey Boycott to become the eldest cricketer to score a hundred in one-day matches. Following are excerpts from an exclusive chat with the maestro:

Gulf News: Congrats for the 28th hundred. How does it feel to break the record of Geoffrey Boycott?

Jayasuriya: Which record? I did not know about it!

Before your latest hundred, Boycott was the eldest to score a ton in one-day Internationals ...

Is it? When did he score that? Against whom?

He had scored it against Australia in Sydney in 1979, when he was 39 years and 51 days old. You are now 39 years and 212 days old!

Against Australia? Oh, that's nice. Then this is really an achievement for me to have broken his record. I am happy. But I would have been happier had my team won the last game.

Still, you were the Man of the Match

That's okay. But again, I have to say that individual performances do not matter if your team is not winning. It's important to have contributed to the team's cause and that's what every player looks for. So, despite scoring another hundred in international cricket, I am not happy.

Till now, you have scored 2,633 runs against India with 7 hundreds. The Indian bowlers seem to be the favourites on your list!

Well, I am playing for almost 19 years in international cricket. Just the other day, I came to know that I had scored more than two-and-a-half thousand runs against Pakistan. When one is playing for his country for years, these milestones will be reached. I am happy to be able to score against quality opponents even now.

What was special about this 28th hundred?

Nothing much. It was tremendously hot out in the middle. My target was to be there till the first 15 overs and then to be at the wicket for as many overs as possible. But the heat made it almost impossible. It is quite natural for a man of my age to feel so. But that's part of the game and it gave me lots of confidence.

Now that you have more than 13,000 runs in one-day matches and 28 hundreds, you are second to Sachin Tendulkar only ...

Since I am continuing to play one-dayers for almost two decades now, there are bound to be some runs and hundreds in the bank, is not it? But Sachin is a genius. He will always be on top of all of us.

Sachin had said that he wanted to continue playing till the 2011 World Cup. Do you have similar plans?

I cannot say it now. I do not know whether I shall be able to survive the next two years. I am not playing Test matches any more. Just playing the one-dayers. And as long as I am enjoying the game, I shall be continuing. I have not thought about a particular tournament or so.

What is your next assignment?

I went to Pakistan straight from Durban. And after this series, will return to Durban to play for the Natal side yet again. Actually, I know nothing except playing and these days, it has been a great journey, I must say.

Last year, the Mumbai Indians could not do that well in the Indian Premier League (IPL). What are your expectations from this year's edition of the tournament?

Well, I hope this year will be better. Sachin has done a good job by roping in Zaheer Khan from Bangalore. Zaheer is a rhythmic bowler and at the moment, he is bowling really well. So having him in the side will have its good effects. It was really an intelligent decision from the Mumbai captain.