Jayasuriya’s exclusion may prove costly for Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan all rounder, Sanath Jayasuriya has been dropped from the squad.  He was not one of the twenty players who were offered new central contracts by Sri Lanka Cricket for the upcoming season. Jayasuriya who is now 41 years old, has been playing since 1989 and played an essential role in Sri Lanka winning the 1996 World Cup. Despite Jayasuriya’s public wishes to play until the 2011 World Cup before retiring, he was not amongst the twenty players who were offered contracts, which could be blamed on his recent poor performance.

Jayasuriya held the record for the highest Test score by a Sri Lankan, 340 against India, and the longest partnership in a Test match, with Roshan Mahanama, where they managed 576 runs in 1997. However, almost 10 years later, the records were broken by fellow Sri Lankans, Mahela Jayawardene with partner Kumar Sangakkara.  Jayasuriya also holds the honour of being the first Sri Lankan and the 33^rdcricketer in history to reach the 100 Test mark.

Jayasuriya also has an impressive record in his One Day International career, he holds the fourth highest One Day International score with Viv Richards, and also boasts one of the four highest individual Sri Lankan scores. He is the current holder of the record for the fastest fifty in ODI’s, which he scored just off of 17 balls. He was the record-holder for the fastest century and the world record for most ODI sixes, both of which he lost to Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi.

He became the fourth batsman in the world to score more than 10,000 runs and the second batsman to score more than 12,000 and 13,000 runs in the history of the One Day Internationals. He also holds the third highest number of centuries in One Day Internationals, with an impressive 28 centuries. In addition to that he heads the most international ODI caps, 444, closely followed by Sachin Tendulkar of India.

Jayasuriya made his mark in Twenty20 cricket as well, in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, he impressed by scoring two centuries in the group stages.

His form started declining and he didn’t impress too much in the One Day International series against England after the World Cup, which Sri Lanka lost 3-2. In 2007, he signed for Warwickshire in the Twenty20 Cup, but only a year later he signed with the Mumbai Indians to play in the Indian Premier League. He now plays with Worcestershire Royals in their Twenty20 cup campaign.

Glenn McGrath said, Jayasuriya was in his list of XI toughest batsmen, “it is always a massive compliment to someone to say they changed the game, and his storming innings in the 1996 World Cup changed everyone's thinking about how to start an innings.” Jayasuriya whose trademark shot is a lofted cut over point, can diversify with both cuts and pulls. Sri Lanka Cricket’s decision to leave Jayasuriya out may prove costly, because despite his age and recent poor form, the Sri Lankan star still has a lot to offer.

Contract snub doesn’t bother Jayasuriya

Sri Lanka's 41-year-old all rounder, Sanath Jayasuriya has no regrets over missing the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) annual contract. He has been a permanent fixture in the Sri Lanka side after playing a key role in the 1996 World Cup, but found himself dropped from the list.

Speaking exclusively over his mobile from Worcestershire, he said, "I have no regrets. Those who perform well, get contracts. I can not make comments on who have made this decision, but even without contract, I can play for the nation".

In January 2009, during the first ODI against India, he became the second man to cross 13,000 runs in ODIs', and at the age of 39 years and 212 days, he became the oldest man to score an ODI century.

The contracts to the 20 players have been worked out on previous year's performances and found no place for him. Interestingly, Muthiah Muralidharan, who is set to retire from Test cricket after the Galle Test against India, has been retained in the list.

Sanath Jayasuriya will not be able to witness Murali's farewell Test from the VIP enclosure. "I am returning (to Sri Lanka) only by the end of this month and will miss watching him play the last Test. However, I have already sent him a good-luck message for his last Test. He is a great player, who has done lot for the country and not only we, as team mates, but the entire nation will miss him", Jayasuriya further added.

Jayasuriya is likely to be appointed as a guest studio commentator by Ten Sports to air his views on the Sri Lanka-India matches, along with Arun Lal and Dean Jones. He may not play for Worcestershire's final two matches.

Jayasuriya left out of SLC Contract list

Finally it is curtains for 41-year-old Member of Parliament Sanath Teran Jayasuriya as far Sri Lanka cricket is concerned. The Panel of selectors led by Aravinda de Silva has decided upon the contracts for the 2010/11 season and requested the Lankan cricket hierarchy to omit the Lankan cricketing veteran from the list of contracted players for the coming season.

Jayasuriya who played 110 Tests for Sri Lanka and scored 6973 runs with an average of 40.07 making 14 centuries and 31 half centuries. Jayasuriya made his Test debut for Sri Lanka against New Zealand at Hamilton on February 22, 1991. He is also one of the triple centurions for Sri Lanka making a highest score of 340 against India at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

The left hand opening batsman who was more prolific as a ODI player turned out for Sri Lanka in 444 One-day Internationals and scored 13,428 runs at and average of 32.43. The Contracts for the Lankan players expired at the end of March this year and was delayed owing to logistical reasons. SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga explaining the situation to the Sunday Times said “Now we have ironed out the few creases on the sheet and are ready to sign them up before the first Test against India at Galle on the 18th of July.” He also added that there would be some more names added to the list after the Sri Lanka A tour of Australia.

In category 1 comes the incumbent national cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara along with former skipper Mahela Jayawardena, vice captain Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera and T.M. Dilshan. However as Muralitharan has retired from Test cricket he will be paid only 40% of his contract, but, still will remain with the top five contracted players.

With Muralitharan calling it a day in Test cricket, the next hurdle for the selectors would be to select a vice captain from the second Test against India which will begin on the 26th of July at the Sinhalese Sports Club Grounds. On the head to head count it would be a toss up between the next most senior player T.M. Dilshan and consistent Thilan Samaraweera, but one could not leave out promising all rounder Angelo Mathews for the job if they are looking for Lankan cricketing fortunes beyond 2011. It is noteworthy that the 23-year-old allrounder had been placed on the category III contract over several other seniors.


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