It hurts most when your people turn against you - Jayasuriya

More than five and a half months after the event, Sanath Jayasuriya still struggles to hide his disappointment. He attempts to put on a brave, philosophical face, but it is obvious that being left out of the team for the World Cup still rankles the 42-year-old.


As much as his own absence from the Sri Lankan team that worked its way to the final of the competition, the former skipper is also upset at the loss Kumar Sangakkara’s men suffered in the title round at the hands of India despite having put up a big total on the board.


“It was disappointing not to play in this World Cup,” Jayasuriya concedes in a chat. “People like the then chairman (Aravinda de Silva) said the team picked for the competition was the best team that could have been selected. Yes, I am disappointed personally for not having played in the World Cup, and I know it was very disappointing for the Sri Lankan people when the team lost in the final.


“At the interval, we all felt the team had a great chance of winning the title. When you have 270 on the board in a Cup final, it is as good as having the game in your hand. But I don’t think the defence of that total was planned properly, and I feel the bowlers were not used properly.”


Does he think he would have made a difference, with his vast experience, in a game as crucial as a World Cup final? “You can never say with any certainty exactly what would have happened,” he laughs. “But whenever I have got the opportunity, I have always done my best…”


Jayasuriya eventually called time on his international career a couple of months back, afforded a farewell in the limited-overs series in England. “It was a bit tough,” he recalls of the walk back to the pavilion after his last day in international cricket. “To have played 20 years of cricket and then to call it quits, it is a bit tough. But that is a reality you need to face some day. I took the decision to retire, and I have taken it in the right spirit.”


The destructive left-hander admits to a few regrets, and while he does throw up a few hints, he refrains from targeting individuals. “When you play as long as I have done, definitely there will be a few things that will not go your way,” he offers, measuring his words with great care. “What hurts most is when your own people turn against you.


“These are the people you have played with for a long time. Sometimes, when people who you have played with hit you in a different way, it becomes hard to digest. They have their own articles to write, and if they have something to say about you, they don’t do it straight up but go in a roundabout way in their criticism. That hurts. That’s something I will never do. But I have played enough and been around long enough to be able to take it in my stride. I feel if you want to make a point, come out in the open and make it directly,” he continues, leaving no one in any doubt which current players he is talking about though he pointedly chooses not to come up with names.


Jayasuriya says he hasn’t found juggling his multiple roles of a politician, a businessman, a commentator and an occasional cricketer difficult at all. “You can manage all these if you want to, and if you have a plan,” he shoots back. “I have some kind of a plan, and that makes it easy for me. I am very happy that I do a bit of everything.”


Source: DHNS

CLT20 2011: Age No bar for Sanath Jayasuriya

As Ruhunu Eleven embark on their journey in the Nokia CLT20 Qualifiers with a game against Trinidad and Tobago, legendary opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya spoke to the media.

On playing his first CLT20

It’s nice to get this opportunity, especially of representing my provincial team. We are the domestic champions in Sri Lanka and we’re all happy to be here.

On Ruhunu being the underdogs

Yes, we are the underdogs. We’ve got a young team with exciting players who have been playing good cricket at the domestic level. Now they have got an opportunity to replicate that at the big level and they’re keen on doing well.

On playing T20 cricket at the age of 42

If you’re playing well and your team is happy with you, age doesn’t matter. I was a part of this team when they won the T20 domestic championship and did well there. I also played a lot of T20 games outside Sri Lanka, which helped me stay in shape. I want to share my experience with the youngsters and I hope it helps them.

On comparing the standard of competition between IPL and CLT20

The standard doesn’t matter. We just need to perform at our best as a team and as individuals. I just want to give my 100 per cent to my team as a batsman and a bowler.

On the absence of world class bowlers

It takes time. You cannot produce Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan overnight. You need to give youngsters time to prove themselves and that’s how great cricketers are made.

Source: CLT20 Official Website

Sanath Jayasuriya's creaking spin destroys Stuart Broad's England

Here was a reassuring reminder for cricket purists: at the highest level, no matter how short the format, class will usually out. This was certainly the case in a disappointingly one-sided Twenty20 international, which ended with Stuart Broad's England being roundly defeated by Sri Lanka, who barely had to break sweat or, in Sanath Jayasuriya's case, into a trot. England lost by nine wickets with 16 balls to spare. It was a horror show.

The match was decided during an ugly period of play between the 12th over of the first innings and its conclusion, during which England contrived 41 runs for the loss of seven wickets. Thus they ended up with a paltry total of 136. Charlotte Edwards' women's side wereable to defend that target earlier in the day against Australia, Broad's had no chance once Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara set to work.

England, with Broad in charge for the first time, faltered at the start as Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter, hopefully reunited, both holed out tamely. However, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan, England's class acts, soon restored the situation. Together they added 83 in fewer than nine overs with few alarms and five sixes. A proper, competitive total was on the horizon, whereupon the old boys of the Sri Lankan side intervened.

First Lasith Malinga induced Morgan to be caught on the leg-side boundary.Then England were undone by someone who first played international cricket in 1989 against Allan Border and Dean Jones. Jayasuriya will be 42 this week and is supposed to be here only for a grand farewell. Yet his creaking left-arm spinners inevitably accounted for Pietersen, who tried to cut a skidding, straight delivery and was bowled. The MP would also dispatch Ravi Bopara during a miserly three-over spell.

Until then Pietersen had batted fluently and England had advanced steadily. Now they looked a bit of a shambles and in need of a bit more class. It was a surprise that Ian Bell, in such sparkling and impish form, had been omitted from the side. Once again the established pecking order – Bell has rarely been included in recent Twenty20 teams – took precedence over the concrete evidence of the last few weeks.

Samit Patel endured something of a nightmare, except that he had probably wrestled in his sleep with every other calamity bar the one that overtook him. Still, to get off the mark, he punched the ball square of the wicket and wandered a few feet out of his crease. Jayawardene flung the ball back and hit the stumps and the laggardly Patel, turning slowly, had not quite regained his ground. Moving slower still he trudged back to the dug-out with his ignominious duck.

The tail were equally tame. No one could fathom Malinga to such an extent that in the last over of the innings England were reduced to scrambling three byes from three separate balls as flailing batsmen failed to make contact.

The blame for England's predicament – about 30 runs short of par – could hardly be laid at the captain's feet. But neither Broad nor anyone else could threaten Sri Lanka as they set about knocking off the runs. Once again those with a touch of class prevailed. Jayasuriya could not quite defy the years with the bat in his hand. Soon he drove to mid-off to allow Jade Dernbach his first international wicket. But by then Jayawardene was already in full flow.

Chris Woakes, trying to be too elaborate, was taken for 17 runs in his second over. Occasionally Jayawardene backed away to give himself room to hit on the off side. Most of the time graceful orthodoxy was all that was required. Dernbach's wide range of slower balls did not disturb him greatly; these types of delivery are only effective when a batsman is under pressure to score quickly. The Sri Lankans never were.

At the other end loitered Sangakkara nonchalantly dashing the ball through mid-wicket against Graeme Swann. It looked as if he was enjoying being back in the ranks.

Loyally the fans stayed on to admire Jayawardene flicking more boundaries off Woakes, but, by then, any tension or any uncertainty about the outcome had long since disappeared.

As for the debut captain: well, it was a doddle – for Thilina Kandamby of Sri Lanka. He hardly had to put his pads on or his thinking cap.

For Broad it was all a dire disappointment. He now discovered the agony of the post-match interview. We were informed that "we didn't execute our plans; we didn't hit enough boundaries and that Jayawardene and Sangakkara played fantastically well".

All Broad can hope for is that his batsmen do not leave him in the lurch again when his second game in charge comes around on 31 August. It is a long time for him to wait to exorcise a nasty experience, albeit against the likes of Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Dhoni.

'I hope to be selected for the England one-day series' - Jayasuriya

Veteran Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya said that he is eyeing a comeback and hopes to be selected for the upcoming ODI series against England.


"I was disappointed when I was not picked for the World Cup. I have been part of the team and also in the [30-man preliminary World Cup] squad and when I missed it, I felt very disappointed," Jayasuriya told Gulf News in an interview.

"Our chief selector Aravinda De Silva said that he picked the best 15 players for the World Cup, which I don't think was the best. However, I don't want to comment on that much."

The 41-year-old, who has 444 ODIs under his belt, made his debut in 1989 and is now also a member of parliament. He last played an ODI for Sri Lanka in 2009, but appeared to be nowhere close to contemplating retirement.

"I hope to be selected for the England one-day series. I have been playing in the provincial series and have played well and got most runs in the domestic season," Jayasuriya said.

"If I get a chance I will give my best again for my country or I will continue with my preparations for the coming Sri Lankan Premier League (SPL) in July, which is going to be a big and interesting tournament."
The ODI series between England and Sri Lanka gets underway with the first ODI at the Kennington Oval in London on June 28.

© Island Cricket

Jayasuriya to captain Ruhuna in SL-T20-PL

Six national captains, including four from Sri Lanka, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardane, Kumar Sangakkara and T. M. Dilshan, will lead seven Provincial teams in the forthcoming Sri Lanka T20-Premier League (SL-T20-PL) Tournament.


The seventh captain will be former Sri Lanka vice-captain, Chaminda Vaas. The Sri Lanka T20 Premier League will feature almost 35 international cricketing stars and will be the first of its kind in Sri Lanka.

The event organizers, Somerert Entertainment Ventures (SEV) have found a window for the tournament which is sandwiched between Sri Lanka's tour of England and Australia's tour of Sri Lanka.

The event will kick off on July 15th and will go on for 18 days. Twenty four hotly contested matches, including the two semi-finals and the final, will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium. There will be two matches on certain days.

Dashing opener T. M. Dilshan will lead Basnahira while Kumar Sangakkara (Kandurata), Mahela Jayawardane (Wayamba), Sanath Jayasuriya (Ruhuna) and Chaminda Vaas (Uva) will be the other captains.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi (Nagenahira) and New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori (Uthura) have been chosen to lead two provinces that were isolated from the game for ages due to the civil war.

Five overseas players could be registered to a provincial team but only four will be allowed to play in a match. Sri Lankan national selectors and cricket authorities have agreed to blood as many youngsters and almost 70 Sri Lankan cricketers will be registered in the seven team tournament.

Almost all Pakistani national cricketers will be invited to play in the SLPL. Factually, Sri Lanka was Pakistan's adopted home in the 2011 Cricket World Cup concluded last month as they played all their first round matches in Sri Lanka.

In addition to that, Chris Gayle and the Bravo cousins (Dwayne and Darren) from West Indies, Pathan brothers (Irfan and Yousuf) from India, Herschelle Gibbs, David Warner and Shaun Tait will be seen in action on Sri Lankan soil.

The availability of retired great Muttiah Muralitharan is not yet confirmed but some unconfirmed sources revealed that he is eager to play in the series.

Milind Rege, the tournament manager of the 2011 cricket World Cup will be in charge of all cricketing matters of the tournament. Rege is a former Ranji Trophy captain for Mumbai and recently retired from TATA corporation as a managing committee member.

Sanath Jayasuriya dancing in IPL 2011 after KXIP victory

Sanath Jayasuriya danced to the tune of Punjabi beats after Kings XI Punjab chased down an improbable 189 against Chennai Super Kings, thanks to Paul Valthaty's brilliant innings of 120 not out. 


Jayasuriya, who is an expert with the official broadcaster Sony, had predicted that Kings XI will beat Chennai Super Kings and if that happens he will dance. 


Adam Gilchrist reminded Jayasuriya of his promise in the post match ceremony. "I hope to see Sanath Jayasuriya dancing, he said he will dance if we win today," said the Kings XI captain. 


True to his word, Jayasuriya shook his legs in the television studio. 


"They (Kings XI Punjab) were being criticised by everybody. I had the confidence that they will win today," said Jayasuriya.

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.

Why Jayasuriya & Vaas are essential for World Cup 2011

With the dawn the New Year, players of all countries contesting the 2011 World Cup are hard at practice. The countries have named their provisional squads of 30 players, from which the selectors will pick a squad of 15 by January 15 according to the rules of the International Cricket Council.

The Sri Lanka 30-member squad is being put through their paces by the coaches comprising Trevor Bayliss, Stuart Law, Champaka Ramanayake and Ruwan Kalpage.

Bayliss and Law are concentrating on the batting techniques, while Ramanayake and Kalpage are watching the bowling and fielding drills.

The squad is made up of tried and tested players who have been in the constellation of either Test, one-day or Twenty20 cricket. So there is not much to correct in them except the fine tuning of techniques for the Tests and the psychological finesse that goes with the terrain.

Talking situations

No doubt the preparations within the training squad should include discussions on various scenarios that range from the strategies of our teams and those of our opponents, from the type of wickets the curators will prepare and those that they will not prepare, from the quality of bowling to aggression of batting and …of course in these times of the effects of global warming, the vagaries and impacts of the weather.

Having played the game and being involved in writing about the game for over four decades, and having followed the failures and successes of our cricketers, we make bold to hazard a guess of the likely squad of 15 should be for the 2011 World Cup. We do so with all due respect to the selectors led by former batting great Aravinda de Silva, Ranjit Fernando, Amal Silva and Shabir Asgerally who when they sit to pencil the final squad will do so with none to fear.

Their target is to pick the squad that will deliver and bring the big prize in one-day cricket home. They have been in selection game before and are thick skinned enough to receive bouquets or the brickbats that await them after selection with equanimity. These selectors are gentleman of repute and neither fear nor favour affects them.

Arm chair critics

The brickbats will come from arm chair critics many of whom may not have handled a bat or know neither a chuck from legitimate delivery. And so thick skins and a sense of humour is what the Selectors and Sri Lanka Cricket led by D.S. de Silva need.

The selectors have made it known that they will look for the complete team. Translated, this means that they will mix youth with experience. With the World Cup not a pitch for the timid, there is no substitute for experience.

That is where the experience of Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas is essential. The selectors are all men of honesty and great integrity and who knows what it is to play a straight bat. Like in a team where only 11 can play, the ICC rules require that they name only 15. They would love to name more. But it is 15 and that’s it!

So here we go and here’s our 15. Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Matthews, Thisara Perera, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitheran, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ajantha Mendis, Malinga Bandara, Lasith Malinga.

The one player we would have loved to include was Dinesh Chandimal. But with only a squad of 15 allowed, it was with great reluctance that we had to leave him out of our radar.

J and V essential

Jayasuriya and Vaas are essentials in the team. They have been in World Cups and finals before and know the frying pan heat that exists and are the ideal foam and hoses to douse the fire.

Jayasuriya need not allow the political tag that he is carrying worry him. As usual he will have the green-eyeds baying for his ouster. Cricket is a different ball game and he has the all round experience and the talent to prove his worth, value and necessity in the team.

Jayasuriya has been tops at training. He has shown that age has not slowed his reflexes nor dimmed his enthusiasm and hunger. He is performing every drill like he did a decade ago and is looking ferocious like a lion in hunger and waiting to pounce and devour. He must be let loose.

Chaminda Vaas too has shown that he has not lost his ability, although he has slowed in pace. He is now concentrating on line, length and movement and pushing batsmen into the run drought zone. His batting skills have improved tremendously and he has shown an opening batsman’s flair in recent times.

Different stroke

The choosing of the final eleven to take the field we leave that to those who will have to execute a different stroke which will be no easy task, because they will be on a sticky wicket. However the playing eleven will be known, only after a look at the wicket. If it is a green top then it is obvious that Sri Lanka will go in pace heavy. If it is a dry strip, then it will be spin-heavy.

However everything will depend on the winning of the all important toss. What ever the playing eleven, if skipper Sangakkara has luck with the toss everything could be fine. But losing the toss could put us in a tricky situation. Sub continent pitches are notorious for assisting spin. With this in mind Sri Lanka will go in with spin reducing the pace battery. Sri Lanka will be playing most of their matches on home soil. With this being the case, with the home advantage of preparing the wickets, although there is no written law, it is likely that the curators will concentrate on wickets assisting spin. The home team must take advantage when preparing pitches. We have the world’s best spinner in Muttiah Muralitheran and the other spinners in the squad are equally good and the opposing batsmen will not find it easy coping with them.

With final 15-member squad picking time nearing all eyes will be focused on the four-member selection panel waiting to see the squad that they will toss out to carry Sri Lanka’s challenge in winning the biggest one-day cricket prize the 2011 World Cup. We have made our informed guess and prediction, but like all should, we shall take the selectors’ decision with grace as we have confidence in their collective wisdom. We wish them well.

(Source)

Jayasuriya, Murali among greatest - Clive Lloyd

Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd has named two Sri Lankan veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan as candidates to form the greatest One Day International team of all time.

Dashing left hander Jayasuriya and legendary off spinner Muralitharan both members of the 30 members World Cup squad are slotted in the opening and spin category respectively to form the greatest One Day International team of all time.

The other Sri Lankan players who are included in the list of players are Aravinda de Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Chaminda Vaas.

The International Cricket Council's official website is asking supporters from across the globe to select their choice of the greatest One Day International match and team of all-time to mark the 40th anniversary of ODI cricket.

In his Greatest ODI Team of All Time, Lloyd believed quite a few West Indies players would make the cut. "Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, Viv Richards, Brian Lara, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall, would be some of the contenders for sure."

Lloyd named some of the candidates for the team: Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralidaran, Daniel Vettori, Sanath Jayasuriya, Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Javed Miandad, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Adam Gilchrist and Wasim Akram. "I would love to lead a side like this. It will be dream come true. If I cannot lead, then there is no one better than Imran Khan for the job,"

As ODI cricket celebrates its 40th anniversary in January 2011, Lloyd went down memory lane about his side which is rated the best ever in cricket history.

"I think the approach we had, showed the way. We played quite a few shots and enjoyed our cricket. I am sure some of the teams picked it up from there. Sri Lanka certainly did with Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana in 1996.

'It was our thinking that shots must be played and the paying public must be entertained. That is the reason the crowds enjoy watching one-day cricket," said Lloyd.

Lloyd acknowledged that one-day cricket has changed quite a lot since his time at least in terms of batting.

"At least now they are playing a lot more shots. Now they innovate a lot. You have the Dilscooop, the reverse sweep, slog sweep and a lot more. That's what crowds want, entertainment. All this makes one-day cricket exciting," added Lloyd.

Lloyd calls one-day cricket the greatest innovation for the sport.

He was part of the early years of the format in the 1960s in England when it was played on Sunday afternoons between a select side called International Cavaliers and retired and current county cricketers.

"Whoever thought this format up deserves credit. As the craze grew everybody realised it was a bonanza. It started off as a 40-over game, went to 60 overs and we even played 55 overs a side in county cricket. It (ODIs) has improved the standards of fielding, raised tactical awareness and also brought in innovation."

Lloyd was also part of the other key moment in history when World Series Cricket (WSC) brought in new things like day-night cricket, white ball and coloured clothing in the late 1970s. "We have to thank Kerry Packer for these things.

He was instrumental for that. We owe him a great debt of gratitude," said Lloyd.

So dominant was Lloyd's side in that era that it made the final of the first three ICC Cricket World Cups with absolute ease and even won two of those editions (1975, 1979).

All-round fear by evergreen Sana‎th

Penetrative bowling from paceman Nuwan Pradeep and veteran Sanath Jayasuriya helped Bloomfield beat Saracens CC by 51 runs in their SLC Premier limited overs cricket tournament Tier match worked off at Reid Avenue today.

Bloomfield: 209 in 46.3 overs (S. Jayantha 53, P. Jayawardena 27, C. Silva 48, M. Ranasinghe 2 for 28, L. Dias 3 for 32, E. Gangoda 2 for 11.)

Saracens CC: 158 in 38.2 overs (A. Suranga 35, E. Gangoda 19, D. Randhika 48 n.o, N. Pradeep 5 for 30, S. Jayasuriya 3 for 15)

Jayasuriya will be considered as a specialist batsman for WC 2011 - Aravinda

Chairman of National Selectors Aravinda de Silva stated that his committee will weigh more on experience when naming the final squad of 15 players for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.

The national selectors on Monday named a 30 member preliminary squad in preparation for the World Cup and it will be pruned down to 15 by the first week of January next year in keeping with the ICC regulations.

Strong combination

The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup will be worked off from February 19 to April 2 and will be co-hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Aravinda de Silva a member of the 1996 World Cup winning team said that all players in the preliminary 30 member squad have justified themselves to be in this position as they look to form a powerful combination of youth and experience.

Specialist batsman

He said that veteran Sanath Jayasuriya will be considered as a specialist batsman and experienced left arm seamer Chaminda Vaas as an opening bowler. However their selection for the final 15 member squad will depend on how well they could balance the team.

De Silva regretted the fact that they missed out a great opportunity of seeing some of the players in action who were earmarked for the probable final squad following the postponement of the five match one day international series against the West Indies.

As a result they were forced to consider the past performances and the international experience of some of the players before naming them in the preliminary 30 member squad.

De Silva stressed the importance of the players having some exposure at international level ahead of the World Cup and said that Sri Lanka Cricket are exploring the possibilities of playing at least a couple of matches against Bangladesh.

Training sessions

He noted that with no competitive cricket at the moment the players have organized a series of training sessions both at day and night at all World Cup venues namely Hambantota, Pallekele and R Premadasa International Stadium.

No passengers

De Silva further noted that there will be no passengers in the final 15 member squad and each player will need to play a specific role given the occasion.

He recalled an example how Upul Chandana even as 12th man played a decisive role on the field during the 1996 World Cup quarterfinal match against England.

Chairman national selectors also believed that the final 15 member squad should include a variety of players who are capable of turning around the game during different match situations.

(Source: Dailynews.lk)

Jayasuriya, Vaas in list of WC 2011 probables

Sri Lanka has picked veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas in a preliminary squad for next year's World Cup.

Sri Lanka Cricket released a list of 30 players on Monday, of which 15 will be selected for the final squad.

If selected, Jayasuriya will be playing in his sixth succesive World Cup. The dashing opener took the world by storm in the 1996 edition, when he along with Romesh Kaluwitharana took the opposition bowlers to the sword during the field restrictions. Jayasuriya was declared the player of the tournament on that occasion.

Out of favour medium pacer Vaas has been a useful contributor for the Lankans over the years and at 36 will be hoping to feature in yet another World Cup.

List of probables:

T M Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal, Taranga Paranavithana, Lahiru Thirimanna, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardena, Thilan Samaraweera, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedara, Angelo Mathews, Tissara Perera, F. Maharoof, Jeewan Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Hearth, Malinga Bandara, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekera, Dilhara Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Dhammika Prasad, Chaminda Vaas, Chamara Wellagedara, Nuwan Pradeep, Thilan Thushara

Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas included in World Cup final thirty

Sidelined veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas have been included in the World Cup final thirty which the Sri Lanka Cricket has to forward to the ICC by the 10th of this month, the Sunday Times learns.

Vaas, the 36-year-old left arm seam bowler who had a brilliant stint with Worcestershire during the English summer this year, was a strong contender for a comeback with the slacking fast-bowling arsenal in the local stores.

Vaas who has 400 international one-day wickets to his credit played his last ODI against India at the R. Premadasa Stadium on August 8, 2008 and has been overlooked since. Vaas was a member of the 1996 World Cup winning Sri Lankan squad.

He played his first ODI also against India in Rajkot way back in February 1994. The other veteran, Sanath Jayasuriya, is a champion of 444 ODIs and has scored 13,428 runs in 432 innings and was named the Most Valuable Player at the 1996 World Cup which Sri Lanka won.

Jayasuriya made his ODI debut against Australia in Melbourne on December 26, 1989 and played his last ODI against India in New Delhi on December 27 2009. A left arm orthodox spinner, Jayasuriya in his 444 appearances bagged 322 wickets with his best being 6/29 against England. In his last stages with the national team he was used more as a stock left arm spinner and a lower middle order batsman.

The Sunday Times exclusively revealed that both Vaas and Jayasuriya were back at training with the Lankan squad in September 2010. From the very inception both cricketers made it very clear of their intentions of being a part of the 2011 World Cup squad.

Meanwhile, the selectors have named a probe-in-the-dark squad of sixteen for the first two one-day Internationals against the West Indies to christen the Sooriyawewa Stadium on Thursday and Saturday. 
Still trying to get their final combinations ready for the World Cup 2011, the selectors have left out their champion match winner Muttiah Muralitharan, thus depriving the legend some much-needed match practice.

The top heavy Lankan batting line up has been cushioned with the inclusion of dependable Thilan Samaraweera, but the unproven talents of Chamara Kapugedera and Chamara Silva have been persisted with while futuristic Dinesh Chandimal has been sidelined again. However the inclusion of Samaraweera should take a lot of pressure off the shoulders of Dilshan, skipper Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena, a batsman who has been going through a lean patch lately.

Once again, the lower middle order has been beefed up by Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera. One also wonders how leg-spinning batsman Jeewan Mendis could fit into the final XI in these two games with the top seven reading Tharanga, Dilshan, Sangakkara, Mahela, Thilan, Angelo and Thisara Perera who has more than proved his worth with some telling contributions in the recent past.
Jeewan also may not be opted only as a bowler as the selectors have put their faith on Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herat and Suraj Randiv.

The three seamers in the side are Nuwan Kulasekera, Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando. Nevertheless the selectors have left a door open for themselves by naming the squad only for the first two games.

(Source)

Jayasuriya & Namal: Two MPs to bat for ICC Cricket World Cup

MPs, Namal Rajapaksa and Sanath Jayasuriya were present for the opening of the ticket reservations for the ICC Cricket World Cup which was announced at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota yesterday.(Source)

Sanath and Mahela make an appearance at Zig Tech Reebok event

September 29, 2010: It was a celebrity event for footwear giant Reebok when Sri Lankan cricketers Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayewardene made an appearance at the launch of their newest shoe ‘ZIG TECH’ at their flagship Maitland Crescent store on Tuesday.

Unveiling the new shoe and trying it on themselves, the cricketers thanked Reebok for their commitment to enhancing the standards of cricket in Sri Lanka by ensuring the team has the exact requirements necessary for peak performance.

Other cricketing Reebok brand ambassadors in the Asian region are M.S. Dhoni, Rahul Dravid and Shoaib Malik.

Sanath, Vaas off to the Caribbean

Batting maestro Sanath Jayasuriya and veteran all-rounder Chaminda Vaas are among hosts of Sri Lankan ex-cricketers who will represent Sri Lanka at the four-nation CLOBI Cup World Master’s Cricket Tournament to be held in Barbados, West Indies.

The tournament, a brainchild of Cricket Legend’s of Barbados is aimed at brining the legends of cricket together for the purpose of providing a world class, exciting and entertaining tournament to Barbados, the region and the world. All matches will be played at the Kensington Oval, formerly known as Pickwick Cricket Club.

The one-week event will commence on October 30 while the finals is to be played on November 5. 

Sri Lankans legends will be up against the likes of Mohammed Azharuddin and Javagal Srinath from India, Graeme Hick and Graham Thorpe from England and Courtney Walsh, Courtly Ambrose and Carl Hooper from West Indies. Former Sri Lanka skipper Marvan Atapattu will captain Sri Lanka legends team.

Though Sri Lanka is yet to finalize the team, players Romesh Kaluwitharana, Upul Chandana, and Indika de Saram have all confirmed their participation for the tour.

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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.”

Life without Murali, Jayasuriya and Vaas

Sri Lankan cricket is bracing itself for life without three of its greatest ever players.

Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan retired from Test cricket after taking his 800th wicket in a victory over India, while Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas - who have already ended their Test careers - are on the verge of bowing out of international cricket for good.

These three veterans, along with Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva, were responsible for transforming Sri Lankan cricket.

Their collective performance brought an unexpected victory at the 1996 World Cup and persuaded the established powers to arrange extended Test tours in Sri Lanka.
In particular it was Murali, under Ranatunga's captaincy, who led the evolution from underdog to formidable cricketing force.

"I think Sri Lanka will be extremely lucky if it gets another Muralitharan within the next 100 years," Ranatunga told the BBC.

Kent spinner Malinga Bandara agrees, saying: "I think Murali's achievements with bowling are equal to Sir Donald Bradman's remarkable achievements from the bat."

Sanath Jayasurya, meanwhile, has harvested his natural talents with bat and ball.

"I think Jayasuriya is a natural player, both batting and bowling, who actually does not need any coaching," said Champaka Ramanyake, Sri Lanka's bowling coach.

Nicknamed "Master Blaster", Jayasuriya was instrumental in introducing an aggressive batting style - together with Romesh Kaluwitharana - as the opening batsman. His unpredictable batting helped Sri Lanka to win the World Cup and made him player of the tournament.

"There have been occasions that fans left the ground when they learnt that Jayasuriya was not playing," said Ramanyake.

Rating Vaas as the best-ever fast bowler Sri Lanka has produced, Ramanyake believes his contribution has been key to Murali's record success.

"In cricket we talk about pairs. Since 1996, it was Vaas who supported Murali from the other end, while Murali was taking wickets," said the bowling coach.
Vaas also contributed with his patient batting style.

"I think Vaas, with his overall performance, was unlucky not to be appointed as a captain. That is what happens when you are surrounded by a very talented group," said Channaka de Silva, sports editor of the Daily Mirror English.

The trio may yet be re-united, for the last time, at the 2011 World Cup, which will be hosted by Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

Both Murali and Jayasuriya are still members of the national team for the shorter version of the game, while Vaas faces an uphill battle despite his good form for Northamptonshire.

"I have been knocking on the door to get back to the ODI team but the selectors have been coming up with different excuses," Vaas told the BBC Sinhala service.

Beyond that tournament, how will Sri Lanka cope without the presence of three legends in the dressing room?

"I think Sri Lanka won't notice a huge impact in the short term," says de Silva.
"Australia, for example, went through a downward tendency long after the departure of many senior players," he said.

Mahela Jayawardene's 10th Test hundred at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Tuesday may be a clear example of the team's new direction.

"The game won't disappear just because players retire," says Ramanayake. "But of course we may not see similar records and performance in the near future."

While Sangakkara and Jayawardene may feel the absence of three veterans in the dressing room, the younger generation will be assigned with the difficult task of carrying on.

For the moment, though, it seems it is business as usual for the Sri Lanka squad.