Peoples Sportsperson of the year 2011 - Sanath Jayasuriya

Master Blaster Sanath Jayasuriya recently won the ' Peoples Sportsperson of the year 2011 ' award.


Nominated Names:

1.Sanath Jayasuriya
2.Kumar Sangakkara
3.Muttiah Muraitharan
4.T M Dilshan
5.Susanthika Jayasinghe


Winner : Sanath Jayasuriya


For more details click on Peoples awards official website and Nielsen Official website release.

Sanga’s choice of openers upsets Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya questioned the wisdom of Kumar Sangakkara making his choice of batting line-up for the World Cup public, saying as skipper, Sangakkara should be more responsible about the statements he made.

''You can have your opinions as an individual, but when you are in a position of responsibility, you must be careful of what you say in public,” the most capped one-day player in the history of the game told Deccan Herald. Sangakkara’s preferred line-up does not include Jayasuriya, the current captain plumping instead for younger guys like Dinesh Chandimal and Jeevan Mendis who are not in the squad for the tri-series under way. “I am not disappointed, it’s just an individual making a statement,” the 41-year-old Jayasuriya reiterated. “Anybody has the freedom to do so, but we must remember that there is a system in place, there are four selectors whose job it is to pick the team. Yes, the captain must have a say, I agree, but at the end of the day, the players must play the game and the administrators must run it. “There are six months between now and the World Cup, anything can happen in that period. For the captain to come out and make his choices clear and public is not in good taste. What are the selectors there for?” Jayasuriya, an elected member of Parliament, questioned. The explosive left-hander hasn’t played for Sri Lanka since the World T20 in the Caribbean, and his last 50-over game for the country was in India last December. “I am still fit, and I have the same enthusiasm as before,” the former skipper went on. “I have been training with the domestic season in mind. I have come up the hard way, taken several knocks along the way and therefore I value playing for Sri Lanka. I feel I still have what it takes to succeed at the international level. “Now that I have retired from Test cricket, I am managing my cricket better, too,” he observed. “Age is just a number, I don’t think it has affected my fitness in any way because I work really hard to stay fit. And I don’t give up. I know that eventually, it’s performances that will count, and that once the provincial tournament starts, I must grab my chances and make runs. I was happy with the runs I made for Worcestershire this season in England, and I am confident I will deliver in the domestic competition too.” Massive stage Only Javed Miandad has played in six World Cups. Jayasuriya and his Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar have been part of five campaigns, with a sixth beckoning. “The World Cup is a massive stage, and I personally feel the future of 50-over cricket is secure,” Jayasuriya pointed out. “It’s a bit disappointing that the fans aren’t flocking the grounds to watch one-day cricket like they used to. Now, it’s all about T20 cricket – the combination of cricket and entertainment. Plus, you get a result in three hours. The administrators must find ways of bringing the crowds back to 50-over cricket.” One of the pioneers of making the most of the first 15 overs, Jayasuriya agreed that the face of the 50-over game had changed. “There aren’t too many destructive openers. Of course, there is Sehwag who is a unique player. There is no doubt he is the most explosive opener now. But with the introduction of the batting Power Play, there is scope to make quick runs in other positions too.”

Jayasuriya & Sangakkara are Bollywood movie buffs

Kumar Sangakkara, current captain of the Sri Lankan Cricket team, opined that the IIFA 2010 Awards, that would be held in Colombo, is a “big opportunity” to promote Sri Lanka in Bollywood and building a better relationship between two countries.

He said to a media, “Bollywood is a great hit in Sri Lanka and all over the world. I think everyone in the world has sat up and taken notice of how big Bollywood is, how attractive it is and how talented the stars are.”

Kumar Sangakkara who is also the captain of Preity Zinta's IPL (IPL) team, Kings XI Punjab, said that Bollywood actors’ presence will create lots of excitement among the people of Sri Lanka.

Sangakkara, who is a wicket keeper and left handed batsman is also a big Bollywood movie fan. He first saw Mani Ratnam’s super hit movie, Bombay, which stars Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala. His other favorite movies are- Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, Monsoon Wedding, Water. Sangakkara likes these films because they carry a message.

Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Sahrukh Khan are the favorite Bollywood actors of Sangakkara. He also likes Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah. He also likes Bollywood actresses. Sangakkara would like to see Aishwarya Rai Bachchan perform in IIFA 2010.

The IIFA Awards 2010 will take place in Colombo starting fromJune 3, 2010 to June 5, 2010. In between, there will be a friendly cricket match between Indian celebrities and Sri Lankan cricketers. The money collected will be used in rehabilitating former LTTE child soldiers. A village for 100 families will be built. The children will be re-educated, rehabilitated.

Sanath Jayasuriya, another Sri Lankan all-rounder cricketer, said, “It's a big opportunity to promote Sri Lanka among the film fraternity here. Sri Lankans are very big fans of Bollywood and the film industry is very popular in Sri Lanka,……Sri Lankans are looking forward to this big event. It's nice for our country and good for the relations between the two countries.”

Jayasuriya saw few Shahrukh Khan movies on local channels. He likes Shahrukh Khan very much and never misses his movies.

Jayasuriya will be given more opportunities - Asantha De Mel

Chairman of selectors, Asantha De Mel speaking to the media today said that veteran batsman Sanath Jayasuriya will be given more opportunities in future.

When asked about some of the senior players left out for the Bangladesh tour, Chairman selectors Asantha De Mel stated that Mahela Jayawardena, Muttiah Muralitharan and Angelo Mathews were nursing injuries while Sanath Jayasuriya will be given more opportunities, however will have to play as a bowling all rounder.

He also added that Jayasuriyas’ tour of duty will be to bat at any position depending on the match circumstances.

Sri Lanka who were runners up in World Cup 2007, have been down hill in the shorter version of the game. De Mel then justified the down trend to certain seniors calling it a day in the international arena, further the out of form aspect in some, and also certain pitches or venues that give an added advantage to winning the toss and wrapped up his views by stating, that too much of cricket is being played in this era.

All three decision makers and the rest of the selectors were in unison in strengthening the bench and took the India as an example. Sangakkara also stated that the current out look is healthy because no player can rest on his past laurels, both seniors and the youngsters will have to perform to cement their respective places. He also made a pertinent point when he told the media that we were dependent only on a few players like Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vass and Muralitharan to win games for Sri Lanka, the time is ripe now for every single player to put his hand up and be counted.

Commenting in the drop of the fielding standards its one area along with our bowling that needs vast improvement. The skipper spoke of the high standards set by players in the caliber of Mahanama, Jayasuriya, Upul Chandana and T.M. Dilshan. Sangakkara also in no uncertain terms stated a specialist fielding coach sourced from overseas on an intermediate basis will help the cause.

Coach Trevor Baylis stated that the youngsters are given a golden opportunity, it’s now up to them to cement their respective places and be counted, since many are knocking on the door. The youngsters must take into account that Jayasuriya can fit in even at the age of 40. The south paw is still in the reckoning from Sangakkaras’ and De Mels’ view point hence performance and knowing the art of winning a game should be priority number one.


(Source)

Sangakkara pays tribute to milestone man Jayasuriya

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI): Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara today paid rich tribute to legendary teammate Sanath Jayasuriya, who made his ODI debut exactly 20 years ago.

The 40-year-old left-hander made a quiet ODI debut -- managing three runs off five balls at number five -- against Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground before he went on to be monikered the 'Matara Marauder' for redefining one-day batting in the 1996 World Cup.

Having played 443 ODIs in the last two decades, apart from the 110 Test matches, Jayasuriya is clearly past his prime but Sangakkara said the old warhorse still commanded respect in the dressing room.

"It's a great moment for him. Since the 1996 World Cup (which Sri Lanka won under Arjuna Ranatunga's captaincy with Jayasuriya as a crucial performer), he has gone on to turn one day cricket upside down with his batting," Sangakkara said.

Constructive Dismissal of Sanath Jayasuriya by Sangakkara ?

(December 23, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) 

In countries where there is law, constructive dismissal is illegal and can be contested at a court of law or an industrial tribunal. Even if a person resigns a post he/she can still sue the employers on constructive dismissal if he/she believes that the resignation was unavoidable under undue pressure, harassment, discrimination or subtle construction of it. In this light, let us see whether Sangakkara is constructing Sanath Jayasuriya’s dismissal.

This discourse, which is based on an article that appeared on The Indian Express on 21 Dec 09, is not meant to insist that Sri Lanka keeps playing Sanath for ever. There will be a time, maybe not far ahead, when Sanath has to hang his boots. Yet someone has to show Sangakkara and those others in his calibre that the public are no fools to be deceived by hypocritical and insincere comments like the following .

“Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara admitted on Sunday that dropping out-of-form Sanath Jayasuriya was a tough call but added that he had to take the decision keeping the right combination in mind.

“Sometimes you’ve got to accept it whether it’s fair or unfair,” Sangakkara said, ahead of the third one-dayer. “As a captain, whether it’s a senior player or a new player (you are dropping), it doesn’t matter. It’s the team combination that matters. The captain can be direct, or can be subtle. At the end of the day, how you take it shows your character.”

This is nothing but empty garbage if he can’t prove the point. The point should be that, irrespective of the past achievements, it is fair to select the team on merits they have gained on this tour.

Sanath was called in to play in the two Twenty20 games and five ODIs. He played three games before he was dropped. He scored 26 in 20 deliveries in the first Twenty20 followed by taking 2 wickets for 19 runs. His victims were Dhoni (in-form skipper) out for 9 and YK Pathan (the hard hitter) out for 0. His two wickets for 19 turned the game and SL won it. At the second Twenty20 Sanath scored 31 in 21 deliveries. The person who turned the first game in Sri Lanka’s favour with the ball was not given the ball at all. Adding insult to injury, he was sent far down the batting order in the first ODI. Needless to say he failed in that match and indeed his failure can certainly be attributed to the mental torture emanated from being aware of the plot that Sangakkara was hatching and the unfair treatment that Jayasuriya received. Who would dismiss the idea that Sanath’s failure at the third game was constructed?

A simple comparison of Sanath and Mahela, another stalwart of SL cricket, further disgraces Sanga’s comment. Mahela scored 9, 12, and 3 respectively in the three games averaging 8 whereas Sanath averaged 20.67 even after being disadvantaged by the captain’s decision to send him down the order. Why was Mahela not treated in the same manner? Indeed, Mahela was brought into the comparison not with the intension of devaluing his contribution to Sri Lanka cricket, but there is no other current player worth comparing with Sanath.

The media recently reported that Sanath rejected a request by Namal Rajapaksha to take part in Mahinda Rajapaksha’s election campaign and Sanath was subsequently threatened by Namal of his cricketing career. If this item of news is true, I wonder whether Sangakkara has got a word in his ear by the infamous family. Sangakkara’s comments have inescapable characteristics of a disgraceful politician other than a quality sportsman. If he is responding to political pressure and bringing the game into disrepute, I would like to remind him of Marvan Atapattu, who had no hesitation to call a Muppet a Muppet.

“It’s always a tough decision when it comes to dropping guys like Sanath who is a legend. But then one has to think about the country and look forward. It’s the right combination that matters, and that is most important.”

This comment cannot be defined in any other way other than buttering. Sanath is a legend, and there are no two ways about it. His incomparable achievements are in black and white and the world of cricket acknowledges that it was the Sanath and Kalu combination that changed the one-day game altogether. He became a legend not only with the bat and ball but also with his gentlemanly manners and dignified character. Sangakkara has a long way to go to become a legend. It will be an uphill task if he believes that he can achieve that by masquerading.

By Helasingha Bandara - SriLankaGaurdian

It’s tough to drop a legend like Sanath Jayasuriya - Sangakkara

End of Happy days? - Sangakkara explains rationale behind Jayasuriya’s omission for the 2nd ODI vs India

Kumar Sangakkara admitted that it hadn’t been easy to leave out veteran Sanath Jayasuriya for the Nagpur one-dayer, but added that he was forced to make that move by circumstances.

“It’s always tough to drop a player like Sanath Jayasuriya the legend,” said the Lankan skipper. “But at the end of the day, you want to have the best side and that’s the way to go forward.

“You look at the conditions and the combination, and it was tough to fit him in the last match. Every player knows it’s the same, whether it’s Murali, Sanath or anyone else,” he reasoned on the eve of Monday’s third game here.

Admitting that it was difficult to convey the message to anyone who was going to be dropped, the left-hander pointed out that the key to dealing with such issues was direct communication with the players concerned. 

“It doesn’t matter whether he is a senior or a junior, you obviously have to tell him. But it has to be direct, and in a subtle way sometimes, depending upon how at ease that person is with himself. Whether you take it well or take it badly does go on to show what your real character is. 

“All our guys accept the fact that you’ve got to perform to stay and sometimes the combinations don’t allow certain players to play,” he explained.

Angelo Mathews became the latest player after Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando to return home with injury, further reducing their bowling fire-power, but Sangakkara said he would look at it as a chance for other guys to step up to the plate. 

“I look at it as the opportunity for the new guys to come here and show what they can do. I know you can say it’s a depleted attack, but I look at it in a different way. 

“It’s great for these guys to get an opportunity against a tough opposition in tough conditions. You can then see what their character is and how they are going to shape up in future. These guys are fresh and hungry to perform, hopefully they will perform well,” he noted.

Source

Difficult to slot Sanath Jayasuriya in the playing XI - Sangakkara

Sangakkara was  clear, that in the present scheme of things, it would be very difficult to slot Sanath Jayasuriya in the playing XI. Jayasuriya was pushed down the order to No. 4 in the opening match in Rajkot and sat out the following ODI. "Jayasuriya is a legend but the combination we played in Nagpur, it was hard to fit him in," Sangakkara said. "Sometimes, the combinations do not allow certain players, even some great players, to get in the side. They all take it very well. We look for direct and honest communication. It's no different to anyone.

"As a player, you've got to accept decisions that are sometimes fair or sometimes unfairly done. But at the end of the day all decisions are made for the interest of the side. Be it any kind of player, senior or new to the side, it does not matter. If you have something to tell them, you have got to tell them. It has to be direct and sometimes it has to be subtle, depending on individual character.

"At the end of the day whether you take it in the right spirit or take it badly, it will show your real character. But all our guys accept the fact that you got to perform to stay in the side." 


Source

Sanath is an important player - Sangakkara

Maintaining that Jayasuriya was very much in the reckoning for the 2011 World Cup, Sangakkara said the team was waiting to see how he performs in his new role on this tour.

"Sanath has been wonderful he's always been positive accepting of the decisions made about him and supporting those ideas. We are going to wait and see how Sanath comes out from this tour. He's a very important player for us going towards the next World Cup," he added.

Sangakkara warned that no excuses like in the past about the food in India or conditions would be tolerated.

"Complaints are negative things and excuses. No matter what happens on field if you focus too much on negative things it's not good for anyone," he said.

Sangakkara said if Lanka were to become competitive away from home they need to toughen up mentally.

"Sometimes they are too pampered and spoilt to accept things not going our way. We have to change attitude. If you want to compete well anywhere in the world you need to become mentally tougher. This (tour) is a start," he said.

"If we can all play our cricket fair and hard and commit to give 100 per cent we don't need these complaints and excuses. We have to enjoy India as a country, enjoy the tour as individuals and as a team," he added.

Jayasuriya to drop down the order - Sangakkara

Sri Lanka, in their forthcoming tour to India, will like to erase the dubious record of never having won a Test match on the Indian soil.

As the men from the Emerald Isles prepare to embark on the tour, skipper Kumar Sangakkara has a short and simple message for his team.

"The attitude should be simple. The first thing we should start with is no complaints with anything," said Sangakkara.

The wicketkeeper batsman has asked his players to concentrate on their strengths and do what they do best, instead of complaining about the uncontrollables.

He urged his men to use their energy in focusing on their game rather than finding flaws in the conditions, pitches and other things about the tour.

The Lankan captain expects the series, which includes three Tests, two Twenty20s and five ODIs, to be “very exciting and also a daunting task” for his side.

Talking about the composition of his team, Sangakkara conceded that the old war-horse Sanath Jayasuriya will drop down in the batting order in order to accommodate young opener Upul Tharanga, who is likely to open the innings along side Tillakaratne Dilshan.

The 40-year-old Matara Marauder has opened the innings in 387 matches out of 441 that he has played, scoring 12,738 runs with an average of 34.

Source

40 year old veteran Jayasuriya breaks into ICC ODI Batting Ranking's Top 20

After the Tri Series Compaq cup moving up the order was Sri Lanka's veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya whose series contribution of 141 has helped him return to the top 20. The 40-year-old from Matara has jumped four places to 17th spot.

However, Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has failed to defend his 11th position and has fallen to 15th spot after scoring just 56 runs in three matches.

Jayasuriya , Arjuna Ranatunga & co add Lankan Flavour in SPG centenary match

On Sunday morning former India skipper Ajit Wadekar was at Shivaji Park. He had an eye on the sky. Shivaji Park Gymkhana (SPG) were playing Parsee Gymkhana and Wadekar was hoping that the rain stays away.

Twenty two Test players in all, including Vijay Manjrekar, Subash Gupte, Ramakant Desai, Bapu Nadkarni, Wadekar and Praveen Amre have represented Shivaji Park

As part of the centenary celebrations, Wadekar is banking on old and trusted friends. During the early 1970s, Wadekar's State Bank of India (SBI) team used to tour Sri Lanka. This was before the Island Nation received Test status.

The SBI tours were aimed at helping the Lankans improve their standard of cricket and at the same time it allowed Indian players to adapt to different conditions.

A celebrity match, as a part of the centenary celebrations, will be held at the SPG shortly after Ganesh Chaturthion August 23. 

"Arjuna Ranatunga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya are among the Sri Lankan players who have confirmed their participation. Invitations have also being extended to Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli among others," Wadekar told.

"These Sri Lankan players can't say no to me. Sri Lanka is like a second home for me. I have a bond with them that stretches back to many years. It'll be a great game of cricket." 

Source : DNA India  

Jayasuriya will be given every chance till he gets back to form - Sangakkara

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has defended veteran dasher Sanath Jayasuriya’s horrific batting form and said that the team management will be patient with the 40-year-old till he gets back to form, whenever that will happen.

"It's always a concern when a batsman's out of form," Sangakkara said at the post match press conference after the Twenty20 loss to New Zealand on Friday night. "But we all know what he can do and what he has done. We have to give him every chance to get back in there and score runs.''

Sangakkara had also admitted that the fragility of the Sri Lankan top order was hidden by Tillekratne Dilshan’s magnificent form and was exposed when Dilshan failed.

"When a batsman's in form, he always seems to be the guy scoring the runs at the top. Unfortunately the other guys haven't been supporting him as they can," said Sangakkara. "They have the ability to do so but unfortunately we haven't had that. It's a learning process, form comes and goes but I think the players we do have are well capable of getting us the runs and the starts we need to win."

Sangakkara also conceded that his team was outplayed by the Black Caps. "It was a great pitch, but we lost too many wickets and were not able to build the kind of partnerships you need. We tried everything and we still came up short. A loss is always a concern. Once you're outplayed, you have to accept it. You learn from it and move on."

Source : DailyMirror.lk

Sangakkara backs Sanath Jayasuriya for World Cup 2011

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has backed veteran Sanath Jayasuriya to feature at the next World Cup.

Jayasuriya, 40 later this month, crashed himself back into form ahead of the Super Eight clash against Pakistan at Lord's, with 81 from just 47 balls against West Indies.

Having arrived at this tournament in poor form, it was a perfectly-timed return to prominence for the explosive left-hander.

Jayasuriya retired from international cricket in 2006 but almost immediately reneged on that decision and his worth is still acknowledged by his colleagues 20 years after his debut.

"We have a World Cup coming up in 2011, so the decision is ultimately his," Sangakkara said.

"We are just happy to have him because he has won a lot of games for us, and I strongly believe he is going to win a lot more. Can he make the World Cup? Why not.

"He can keep going as long as he is fit. In Sri Lanka we are trying to move away from talking too much about age and potential and moving more towards about performance.

"It doesn't matter how old you are, in my view. If you are fit, scoring the runs and taking the wickets and doing the work at training, those are the people that are key when it comes to building a side.

"Because they can be a great example for youngsters coming in or even watching the game.

"They see how well these guys prepare and how much hard work goes into becoming a good player."

Jayasuriya struggled in the warm-up matches and was not at his ferocious best in the second season of the Indian Premier League, so his innings of 10 fours and three sixes, was well received by the Sri Lankans.

"As a unit we have never had any questions about what Sanath can do," Sangakkara added.

"We have seen it for years and we were just waiting until he worked his way into the tournament.

"It was great for his confidence, and for that of the team in general, that he got the runs he did.

"The manner in which he got them was very encouraging: we want him to feel comfortable and not worry about having to do anything special other than just be himself and be a part of our side.

"We want him there, we think he's a matchwinner and as long as he is fit and willing to play for us, we are happy to have him."

Sri Lanka face Pakistan for the first time since being targets in the Lahore terror attacks in March.

Jayasuriya's future in his hands says captain Sangakkara

LONDON — Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara wants star batsman Sanath Jayasuriya to carry on playing for just as long as he can after the veteran opener proved age was no barrier to success at the World Twenty20.

Aged 39 and the oldest player in the tournament, left-hander Jayasuriya ended a brief run of indifferent form with a sparkling 81 in Sri Lanka's 15-run win over the West Indies at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

Both sides were already through to the second phase Super Eights but the bonus for Sri Lanka was to see Jayasuriya, whose innings featured his trademark cuts for six over point, look back to his best in a stay of just 47 balls.

Jayasuriya called time on his Test career in 2007 but his latest knock was proof that the man whose aggressive batting revolutionised the one-day game during Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup triumph, remains a potent forced in limited overs cricket.

"As a side, we have never had questions over what he can do," Sangakkara told reporters at Lord's on Thursday. "We were just waiting till he made his way into the tournament.

"It's great for his confidence and the team's confidence. He got the runs that we needed and the manner in which he got them," the wicket-keeper/batsman added.

"We need him to play the way he has played for years now.

"He's a match winner and as long as he's fit and willing to play for us, we are happy to have him. He'll be 40 soon. The decision is finally his.

"We are happy to have him in the side. He's won us lot matches and I am sure he will win a lot of games as well for us in the future.

"It doesn't matter how old you are," Sangakkara stressed. "In my view, if you are fit, scoring runs taking wickets and doing the hard work at training, that's what we require."

Sri Lanka, unbeaten at the tournament so far after wins over Australia and the West Indies, begin their second phase Super Eights programme against Pakistan at Lord's on Friday.

Source : AFP

Jayasuriya has Sri Lanka backing

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has told Sanath Jayasuriya to continue his return to form against Pakistan in their Super Eight game on Friday.

Jayasuriya struck 81 off 47 balls in the win over West Indies on Wednesday.

"As a side, we have never had questions over what he can do," said Sangakkara. "We were just waiting till he made his way into the tournament.

"It's great for his confidence and the team's confidence. We need him to play the way he has played for years now."

Jayasuriya's powerful batting helped Sri Lanka win the 1996 World Cup in the 50-over game.

The 39-year-old has retired from Test cricket but is still going in the shorter form of the game and is the oldest player at the World Twenty20.

"He's a match winner, and as long as he's fit and willing to play for us, we are happy to have him," added Sangakkara. "He'll be 40 soon. The decision [to carry on or not] is his.

"We are happy to have him in the side. He's won us lot matches and I am sure he will win a lot of games as well for us in the future.

"It doesn't matter how old you are. In my view, if you are fit, scoring runs taking wickets and doing the hard work at training, that's what we require."

This will be the first time the two countries will have played since armed terrorists opened fire on the Sri Lanka team bus in March in Pakistan.

Sangakkara added: "Lahore is Lahore and that's in the past. We are here to play a fresh game of cricket."

Source : BBC Sport

Sangakkara hails Jayasuriya as a 'genius'

NOTTINGHAM: Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara hailed golden oldie Sanath Jayasuriya as a "genius" after the opener smashed 81 in the 15-run win over West Indies in the World Twenty20 on Wednesday.

Left-handed Jayasuriya, at 39 the oldest player in the 12-nation tournament, hit his runs off 47 balls, an innings studded with 10 boundaries and three sixes.

Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan hammered an opening stand of 124 to lay the foundation of their team's 192-5.

"Sanath is a genius and he was ably supported by Dilshan. They proved that with a good start you can put up a very defendable total," said Sangakkara.

"The main thing today was to get momentum and I'm happy with the way the guys played."

Jayasuriya made just two in the opening victory over Australia and has been struggling recently for runs with many questioning his place in the team.

But he answered his critics in style in Wednesday's Group C match at Trent Bridge.

"I am enjoying my cricket, but I get great support from my teammates," said the veteran.

"Dilshan and I like to play our natural game and it was great for our confidence.

"In the first few overs if you see the ball well, then you are there. I was positive and played my natural game."

Subdued Jayasuriya has captain's backing

Sanath Jayasuriya has made a career out of defying convention, but evidence is mounting that his powers are in decline

Kumar Sangakkara drew directly from the Good Captaincy handbook by offering unqualified support to a team-mate down on his luck. But, at some level, Sri Lanka must harbour concern for Sanath Jayasuriya, the one-time Howitzer of international limited-overs cricket whose firepower has been notably subdued in recent months.

By his own lofty standards, Jayasuriya's return of 221 runs at 18.41 in 12 innings for the Mumbai Indians was unsatisfactory, and the constricted nature of his batting often made life difficult for his middle-order team-mates. That thread extended into Tuesday's Twenty20 practice match against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge, during which Jayasuriya failed to register a run in eight consecutive deliveries from Mashrafe Mortaza and Mahmudullah. Precisely half of his 26 deliveries faced were dot-balls, and only a few trademark sixes over the square-boundary and a charitable offering of four overthrows kept his innings strike-rate above the industry standard 100-mark.

The beauty of Jayasuriya's batting has always been its simplicity and general joie de vivre. See the ball. Hit the ball. With little mind paid to match situations or the reputations of opposing bowlers, Jayasuriya breathed life into a stagnant limited-overs game in the mid-1990s with dashing, free-spirited strokeplay in an era of nudgers and nurdlers. Indeed, his one-day opening combination with Romesh Kaluwitharana revolutionised the manner in which international teams viewed opening 50-over innings, ditching conservatism to take full advantage of early field restrictions.

Yet, as indefatigable as his performances have been over the years, there is no escaping the fact that Jayasuriya's 40th birthday falls nine days after the final of this World Twenty20. That is comfortably clear of the next oldest player currently participating in top-flight international cricket, and a quick glance at his record - 371 Test and first-class matches, 951 ODI and List-A games and 64 international and domestic Twenty20 encounters - reveals a workload that may well be unmatched in the history of the game among allrounders.

Jayasuriya has made a career out of defying convention, but evidence is mounting that his powers are in decline. Can he produce one more fortnight of powerful strokeplay? Time will tell. But Sangakkara, for one, is confident he can.

"The fact that he's always going to be in our starting XI is because we have that confidence in him," Sangakkara, Sri Lanka's recently installed captain, said. "He could be 40 or 45, but in our fitness tests he's up among our top eight. Age or fitness is not going to be a problem. He just needs to work his magic when the opportunity presents itself.

"He's still very important to us. I think he's just working his way into the tournament. His job for us is just to go out there and be Sanath. If he wants to hit the first ball out of the park, that's what we want him to do. We just want him to feel he's a very important part of our side. Everyone in the team has the fullest confidence in him. That's why he's here, and that's why he's going to be part of our side looking forward to the 2011 World Cup."

Sri Lanka possess a magnificent Twenty20 line-up; perhaps the best on-paper team in the tournament alongside South Africa. With Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara leading the batting effort, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis headlining the spin attack and Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara to take the new ball, Sri Lanka appear well positioned to launch an assault on India's crown.

A firing Jayasuriya - complete with thunderous strokeplay, miserly spin and athletic fielding - would greatly enhance that bid. But while the body appears willing with the ball, Jayasuriya's recent hesitancy at the crease throughout the IPL is a concerning development for a team seeking to avenge the disappointment of its 2007 World Twenty20 campaign. Bangladesh confounded him with changes of pace and full-pitched spin; a template they appeared to borrow from Mumbai's IPL rivals in 2009.

A temporary glitch or the inexorable encroachment of old age? Much will be revealed in the next fortnight.

Source : Cricinfo