The terror attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore has left Sanath Jayasuriya, the Sri Lankan batting stalwart, shattered. It was in Pakistan that Jayasuriya remodelled himself as a classy opener in the 1996 World Cup and scored a dazzling double century at Faisalabad.
“This is for the first time that cricket has been targeted. It is an extremely unfortunate incident. We have never had this kind of problem. Though the good news is that all the players, in spite of injuries, are safe and are back in Sri Lanka,” he says.
It will be 20 years of cricket for the Sri Lankan batsman in December, and the news hit him harder because he remains as passionate about the game as ever. “I cannot imagine my life without cricket Be it in any form. The game has driven me all through out my life!” he says.
His association with the game and humanitarian work has also helped make a difference. Jayasuriya is a UN GoodWill Ambassador as well, and he says, “Coming from a country like ours, one has to do a lot of charity work and help people in any way one can. It becomes easier for a cricketer to convey a message. The people of Sri Lanka love cricket and they look up to us. It is a personal commitment.”