Sachin will be tempted to play Jayasuriya

With the semi-final line up ready, it boils down to have one bad game to crash out of the tournament and the team that overcomes the fear of failure, will end on the winning side. Bangalore and Mumbai have had chequered fortunes leading into the semi-finals. While Mumbai have been consistent and surging ahead riding on the supreme form of Sachin Tendulkar with the bat, same does apply in case of others From a Mumbai Indian standpoint, the inexperience in the middle order and the fickle form of JP Duminy and Keiron Pollard will give aggravate the anxiety of skipper Tendulkar, while Shikhar Dhawan has thorn his wicket after getting decent starts.

Skipper Tendulkar might just be tempted to unleash Sanath Jayasuriya, apart from winning the match single-handedly on his day; he also offers slow left arm spin to make scoring difficult for the batsman. A good tight spell in the middle overs might just be the difference between winning and loosing, given his vast experience at the international level.

Jayasuriya, Sachin, Afridi, Lara to play in Canada Cup T20 this summer

Here's some exciting news for Canadian cricket fans !

You might be watching the likes of legendary players like Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar , Brian Lara, Shahid Afridi, Graeme Smith & Mike Hussey playing alongside local cricketers and representing their respective home countries in the Canada Cup T20 this summer.

According to the tournament Canada Cup T20's Official Website, plans are underway to include 2 international players to represent each team. This provides a wonderful opportunity for those aspiring cricketers who have always dreamt of representing their home country in T20's.

In March 2008 after a very important meeting between the Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket Hon. Arjuna Ranatunga M. P. and the Canadian Cricket Association officials which in turn paved the way for much needed funding to the Canadian National Cricket Side and more importantly Canada’s biggest cricket tournament worth $2 million dollars in October, 2008. The relationship that the Canadian Cricket Association built with Sri Lanka Cricket also saw the Canadian Cricketers arrive in Colombo, Sri Lanka for a high performance coaching camp and more of these training programs will take wing in the coming years.

Venue :

The matches will be held in Toronto and King City to entertain scores of South Asians, Caribbeans and all other Canadian cricket fans in July 2010.

Star players such as Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar, Shahid Afridi, Brian Lara, Graeme Smith, Mike Hussey etc are likely to take part in it. 

Speaking to SAF, Romesh Malcolm, the cup organizer said - "It will be a dream come true and a lot of encouragement for our local talent to play in a team with world famous players, maybe we'll find another Rizwan Cheema in this cup," said Malcolm.

He said participation from international players still needed to be confirmed.

Teams :

Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, England, West Indies, Bangladesh and World IX.

[VIDEO] Jayasuriya speaks about his Future, IPL 3 & Kieron Pollard

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In an exclusive Interview to Star group while playing IAT20 Olam Cup in Singapore, Sanath Jayasuriya speaks about his future plans & IPL 3.

Jayasuriya is pleased to see the addition of Kieron Pollard into Mumbai Indians squad. He said MI's primary goal this IPL would be to reach the semi-finals.

When asked about life after retirement, he did say he's not that keen on coaching at the higher level even though he has been coaching youngsters.

Jayasuriya said, he's happy to have been an employee of a bank in Sri Lanka and managing his business.

Jayasuriya features in ODI XI of the decade picked by Cricinfo's jury

This is delicate business, the kind that requires careful attention to statistics, quality and overall impact on the game. A decade is a long time, long enough for a sportsperson's career to run its entire course, and while the result of putting together world XIs for the 2000s may result in lists of 11 each, plenty of factors need to be taken into account to determine them.

ODI XI :

Forget the fact that if they were to walk out together to open an innings today, the combined age of Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya, the openers in this XI, would be over 77 years. More pertinent is that they have a mind-boggling 30,822 ODI runs between themselves (over 17,000 of those scored this decade).

Ponting claims the one-drop spot here as well, having racked up over 9000 runs, with 23 centuries. He posted what was then the highest score in a World Cup final in 2003, and led his side to successive World Cup and Champions Trophy wins as captain.

The middle order has a combined career tally of a touch under 25,000 runs. Kallis, who got seven votes, can nudge and wallop in equal measure, and there's his bowling to consider as well. Andrew Symonds was similarly hard to overlook, having averaged 44.52 at a strike rate of 91.87 over 96 innings at No. 5 this decade, to go with 126 wickets and 79 catches. Yuvraj Singh (7249 runs at 37.36) and an erratic Shahid Afridi (3761 runs at 22.79 and 213 wickets at 30.30 this decade) were Symonds' nearest competitors.

At No. 6 is big Andrew Flintoff, who when fit was an irresistible force, as much for his hard-to-get-away bowling as his ability to clear the fence. Since 2000 he has scored 3294 runs at a strike-rate of 89.29 and taken 162 wickets, and just having him on the field is enough to lift a side.

No surprise who gets the wicketkeeper's spot. MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara got six votes between them, but with twice as many, Gilchrist it is who takes the gloves (even if a few of the jurors who picked him had him down as a specialist opener). The vast majority of his innings this decade were as opener, but here he moves down to the lower middle-order territory he occupied with devastating effect in the longer game, so Jayasuriya can open.

As in the Test team, Pollock grabs the No. 8 spot, with eight votes, testament to the value of his containment skills with the ball. The third most successful ODI bowler this decade, his miserly economy rate of 3.62 from 220 ODIs was outstanding. Pollock was one of South Africa's most consistent players and key to their claiming the No. 1 spot from Australia before the 2007 World Cup.

The opening bowlers are an Australian pair with 705 ODI wickets between them: Brett Lee offers raw pace and hostility, and yet an average of 23.01; not to mention handy skills with the bat. And McGrath was parsimonious and successful with an average of 20.28 and economy rate of 3.78. Lee's 324 ODI wickets since 2000 have been crucial to Australia's domination, while the lasting memory of McGrath is the 2007 World Cup, when he took 26 wickets and was named Man of the Tournament.

There's room for only one spinner and Murali it is, with 10 votes. The leading ODI wicket-taker of the decade, he took his 335 wickets at a sub-4 economy rate. That spells shoo-in.

ODI XI :

Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Flintoff, Shaun Pollock, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan

12th man: Shane Warne

The jury :

Sambit Bal, editor, Cricinfo; Harsha Bhogle, sports presenter and writer; Ian Chappell, commentator, writer, former Australia captain; Peter English, Australasia editor, Cricinfo; Jayaditya Gupta, executive editor, Cricinfo; Gideon Haigh, cricket historian, writer; Sanjay Manjrekar, sports presenter, former India batsman; Andrew Miller, UK editor, Cricinfo; Dileep Premachandran, associate editor, Cricinfo; S Rajesh, stats editor, Cricinfo; Christian Ryan, writer; Rob Steen, writer; Telford Vice, writer

(Source)

Jayasuriya likely to play Kolkata One-dayer

Sanath Jayasuriya during a practice session prior to the 4th ODI match against India at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday

After being dropped in the last two matches, veteran Sanath Jayasuriya may return to the Sri Lankan playing XI in the do-or-die fourth One-dayer against India at Eden Gardens on Thursday.

In the absence of in-from all-rounder Angleo Mathews, Sri Lanka struggled in Cuttack in the third One-dayer and the visitors might be forced to bring in the once explosive opening batsman.

The team management gave a lot of focus on the 40-year-old left-hander in the practice session on Wednesday and he spent a considerable amount of time batting at the nets.

Team coach Trevor Bayliss was, however, non-committal when asked whether a Sachin (Tendulkar) vs Sanath Jayasuriya battle is on the cards on Thursday.

"There is always a chance. But, we have not finalised the team yet. In the last two games, we wanted to play with two genuine spinners. Unfortunately, that meant Sanath missing the spot there," he said.

"The pitch seems to be a very good batting wicket, promising plenty of runs," Bayliss said.

Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and in-form Tillakaratne Dilshan did not attend the optional practice on Wednesday.

With Dilshan effectively doing the job Jayasuriya had been doing earlier -- giving Sri Lanka an explosive start, the latter could be used in the middle order once again after the first ODI at Rajkot.

But Jayasuriya, it seemed, is yet to relish the role of a middle-order batsman.

Jayasuriya has some good memories at the Eden with the left-hander scoring a breezy 63 not out before rain washed out the match against India that the stadium hosted last on February 8, 2007.

And not to mention his 1996 World Cup semifinal outing when he foxed the Indian batsmen with his left-arm spin taking three for 12 to reduce the home team to 120/8 before unruly crowd behaviour handed Sri Lanka the match and final berth.

(Source)

Future tense for Sanath Jayasuriya ?

TROUBLED TIMES : Sanath Jayasuriya is attended to by a doctor in Cuttack on Sunday

Cuttack: The last time Sri Lanka faced India in an ODI at the Barabati Stadium here was on December 28, 1990. Nineteen years on, cricket may have undergone a sea-change, but two characters remain constant: Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar. 

Both featured in that game which Lanka won by 36 runs, and are still part of the two squads — ready to do battle with rivals some of who are half their age. There is a difference in status, though. 

While the 40-year-old Jayasuriya cut a forlorn figure sitting quietly on one side, not even getting a bat, 36-year-old Sachin was the first to get a knock with the bat at nets in the afternoon.
Sachin is still an important member of Team India and will open the batting. Jayasuriya, dropped in the Nagpur ODI, may not get back his berth in the XI. 

Is it the end of the road for one of Lankan cricket’s longest-serving and most efficient soldiers? Was that the message Kumar Sangakkara and the team were trying to convey to the senior citizen? 

“It’s always tough to drop a senior player like Sanath. But whatever decisions are taken are in the best interests of the team. We have to get the combination right. I also believe its important to communicate something like this directly,” said the Lankan skipper. 

Is there any chance of Jayasuriya being in the XI on Monday? “Every player in the squad has a chanced to be there,” he said a trifle curtly. Jayasuriya’s runs have dried up, his utility as a bowler has diminished as well. He took a decision to retire from Tests two years ago, saying that he was still good enough to play the two shorter formats. 

The time may have come for the Matara Marauder to review that decision.

World Record for Sanath Jayasuriya – Most runs against a specific opposition

Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya has a world record to his credit – he now has most runs against a specific opposition in the history of one day games. He had an aggregate of 2714 runs prior to the start of the third game between Sri Lanka and India in the ongoing Compaq series.

When he was on 17 during the course of his knock of 98 in this game, his aggregate of runs against India stood at 2731 which was a world record for most runs by a batsman against a specific opposition in the history of one day games. At the end of this game, ST Jayasuriya’s run aggregate against India stood at 2812. The previous record was held by SR Tendulkar of India who had amassed 2730 runs against Australia.

ST Jayasuriya and SR Tendulkar are the only two batsmen in the world to aggregate 2500 plus runs against two specific oppositions. At the end of this game, ST Jayasuriya has an aggregate of 2812 runs against India and 2517 runs against Pakistan. SR Tendulkar on his part, has an aggregate of 2730 runs against Australia and 2611 runs against Sri Lanka. He scored 27 runs in this game

We want Sachin to bat for a longer period - Sanath Jayasuriya | Interview

The story of Indian Premier League season two has been the phenomenal performances from cricket's old horses. While the retired Matthew Hayden holds the 'orange cap' for most runs in IPL2, Adam Gilchirst has most dismissals as wicket keeper. Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya have smashed bowlers all over the park and just when everyone said Twenty20 cricket is for young guns, these men have proved many wrong.

In what is pitted as the battle for the semi final spot, Mumbai Indians star batsman Sanath Jayasuriya speaks to us.

It is said that T20 is about youth, you think that theory has been proved wrong?

I think all the seniors have proved that IPL is not just for youngsters and they are still performing well. I am very happy to play this format of cricket and perform well. I think experience counts a lot; we have played [a] lot of cricket. The key is to adjust in such conditions. All the senior and experienced players are doing well and because of them [the] younger lot is also trying to do well.

Do you reckon foreign conditions to be the main reason why the seniors are shining in IPL2?

Obviously, it counts a lot when you play cricket away from home. Seniors have toured South Africa over 4 to 5 times and that experience comes in handy [in] such conditions during this time of the year as compared to our part of world. So I think most players who toured South Africa have adjusted themselves earlier than [the] younger lot who find these conditions tough to play.

Seniors are important, but can one deny that T20 is for quick players and fresh legs?

It was proved last year that seniors are important and even this year some old players have played well. But I must admit that youngsters have been impressive this season. Even with the tournament being held in South Africa young guys have chipped in which is good for cricket. You need a good blend of experience and young energy.

Why have we not seen more of Sanath and Sachin at the top of the innings opening together?

Well, it was decided to promote Bravo up the order. He was keen to open the innings and it was a good gamble. He played a brilliant knock first up and helped us win a crucial game. Tendulkar's experience in middle order is needed; it comes handy during chases as he will look to seal the game for us if he gets going.

How do you and Sachin plan your innings when you guys step out together?

We always bat to a plan. Whoever sees the ball early on goes for the big hits. Some days it can be Sachin or other days it could be me going after the bowling. We just try to bat our natural game. We want Sachin to bat for longer period.

You think Mumbai Indians are too dependent on both of you?

Sachin will punish lose deliveries but try to stay till the end. It gives more confidence to the players when Sachin is out there in the middle for 10-12 overs. Duminy can play sheet anchor in the middle order. These two play a crucial role while others can rally around.

It's a big game on Thursday, Rajasthan Royals will also be looking for a win to seal semi final berth, but do you think it is "Advantage Mumbai"?

Well, we have the momentum; the mood is good in the camp. But in Twenty20 cricket all opposition are tough. Rajasthan Royals have been struggling in this tournament and with Warne injured, they have to work hard. I expect it to be a tough battle.

Any targets this season you have set for IPL2?

Last year I had a good IPL, I want to just contribute and keep it same. It is important that Mumbai Indians continue winning at the same time. I want to perform big. We need to try hard and look to achieve the first objective of reaching the semi final stage. We will try and go few steps ahead and put up good show this season surely but semi final is our first target.

Dropping Sanath Jayasuriya was foolish | MI Blunder

It was absolutely shocking when MI announced a squad dropping Sanath Jayasuriya from the playing XI against a formidable Delhi Dare Devils team.

The opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar had only added 48 for the first wicket in their last four matches. The pitch ed encouraging for batting, and with the short boundaries, and then came this news which put me into total disbelief - "Sanath Jayasuriya was dropped".

Well this is what Sachin had to say on Dropping Sanath - "Well I know it is tough. But sometimes you have to take certain calls. For both me and Shaun, it was not a easy call. We know Sanath and he took it sportingly. It was a tough call for us and Luke was picked ahead of him. "

And what did his replacement Luke Ronchi do? God out for a golden duck. Not to blame him though.Mohd. Ashraful would've been a better choice than him. Sanath cant win the games for M all the time. Its the middle order and tail enders who have to step up, except Duminy, and Bravo no on seems like they've played cricket before.Others need to step up and not rely only on openers. Players aren't stepping up. They need to win the next game to even have a chance in the semis.

Jayasuriya who was responsible for Mumbai Indians success last year with both bat and ball and even this year with 2 back to back 50's and some crucial wickets whenever he gets the chance to bowl has been dropped from the side for which he dedicated so much.

This is so impossible to believe Jayasuriya, who is the best limited overs player in the modern era has been dropped from the side in such an important fixture and taking his place in this all important match is a rookie from australia called luke ronchi I mean a huge round of applause for Sachin Tendulkar for swapping Jayasuriya with a rookie in this all important match.

As captain, Tendulkar had let his team down big time. First the decision to drop Jayasuriya for Ronchi, to promote the in-form Duminy as opener and then to bowl the crucial 16th over - all had failed and no wonder Mumbai had gone down so easily.

It will be nice learning lesson for MI, specially Tendulkar so next time when he made a list of playing 11 he'll remember the fact that its Jayasuriya who holds the key to their success.

- Opinions expressed by Sanath community members on Orkut.com

Time to get ruthless | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

MI Will Have To Cut Down On Errors As Contest Hots Up

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON MUMBAI INDIANS’ CHALLENGES

AT the moment the Mumbai Indians are blowing hot and cold. We are doing lots of things right and there have been lots of positives in the first half of the tournament, but with the players and the management team we have, it is naturally disappointing to be in the lower half of the points table.

However, it is crucial that we stay cool and remain focused on each game. Such is the nature of this tournament, with seven teams jockeying for semifinal berths, that every game is like a final. There is no need to panic. We have to back ourselves. We have the talent and the experience.

The turnaround in Bangalore’s fortunes just shows how unpredictable this tournament has become. A week ago after four consecutive defeats, they looked downcast, their hopes just started to fade. However, now, they are right back in the tournament.

Losing against them was a big disappointment, but credit to Jacques Kallis and Robin Uthappa, who batted brilliantly. To share a 126-run partnership in this form of cricket is not easy. They put our bowlers under pressure and in the end they won easily.

Obviously, the day could not have started much worse with Dillon du Preez taking three wickets in eight balls, including two of our main batters, Sachin and JP Duminy. That really put us on the back-foot and I had to be extra cautious, as did Dwayne Bravo when he came to the crease.
However, we did manage to accelerate. I got out after getting my eye in and that was very frustrating. But we were still happy to reach 149 for 4. We managed to add 48 runs in the last three overs and that gave us a chance. Unfortunately, we could not take more than one early wicket. After that defeat, we now have three days to prepare for the next match. It means some extra rest in what has been quite a hectic tournament. However, we also face the challenge of playing our next two matches against Delhi and Hyderabad, the two original frontrunners for semifinal places.

Obviously, both games are going to be tough, so we’ll first focus on Wednesday night’s clash versus Team Hyderabad. They have now lost Fidel Edwards, who did a decent job with the new ball and hence they’ll have to adjust slightly. They are also struggling to get their momentum going again after their winning start.

We will have to hit them hard and fast so we can get on top early. Now that we are at the business end of the tournament, we have to cut down on mistakes and have to be more ruthless. Every game is crucial and we simply must hit top gear this week

Our attack is one of the best | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON THE WIN AGAINST KNIGHT RIDERS

Monday night’s clash with Knight Riders was a big game for us and winning it so convincingly was a welcome confidence boost, lifting us into the top four of the table. Wednesday’s clash against Kings XI Punjab might be a harder test as they are picking up some momentum.

We were lucky to win the toss at Port Elizabeth giving us the chance of putting up a total. As is the case all around the world, chasing is often tough under lights. Fortunately, both Sachin (Tendulkar) and I were able to get-off to a good start. Ishant Sharma was always going to be a key threat and we felt a good start against him would be crucial.

Sachin has been in glorious touch all tournament and he made life easy for me at the beginning of the innings. It is a joy batting at the other end with him. He was the one that launched the attack and after that I just tried to feed him as much of the strike as possible. It was about four overs before I hit my first boundary.

Some days things just fall into place and Monday night was one of those. We are both
experienced and we both looked to play our natural aggressive game. Everything clicked and it was great fun. My only regret was that the 127-run stand did not lead to a total of around 200. We let things slip a bit at the end and that’s an area to work on.

One big difference for us this year is having a fully fit Lasith Malinga. Sitting at the top of the wicket-taker’s list, he’s been penetrative and economical with new and old ball. When you see him charging in, bowling with great pace and control, you realise just how much he’s been missed by Sri Lanka in the past year after his knee injury. He’s a natural wicket-taker.

We always knew that Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum had the capacity to chase down the 188-run target. History was always in our favour under lights, but Gayle especially is such a brutal player. So Lasith having McCullum caught in the gully in his first over was a crucial blow. When Dwayne Bravo snared Gayle, I was confident of a victory.

At the end, Lasith once again illustrated his value at the death of the innings. His ability to bowl at pace into the block hole can be devastating against the lower order. With Lasith, Zaheer, Bravo and Harbhajan we undoubtedly have one of the best attacks in the competition.

However, the performance of Abhishek Nayar should not be forgotten amongst the big names. He did a brilliant job for us taking the wickets of Brad Hodge and Sourav Ganguly.

Duminy not intimidated by Sachin, Sanath | Mumbai Indians Team news

Johannesburg: South Africa batting star JP Duminy is feeling the pressure of playing behind superstars Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya in the elite Mumbai Indians batting line-up in the Indian Premier League (IPL), a Sports24 report has revealed.

“It is an amazing feeling to be in a team with such big reputations. But it is pressurising to come in at three or four and bat behind Jayasuriya and Tendulkar, especially considering their quality and experience,” Duminy told.

However, Duminy insists that the top-quality players do not unnerve him in his new team.

“I have become used to playing with such top cricketers, especially with my series in Australia, so I don’t feel intimidated. We are team-mates, afterall”, Duminy laughed.

Duminy, one of the stars of the historic South African test and one-day series victory in Australia earlier this year, was bagged for a mammoth 950 000 dollars by the Mumbai Indians franchise impressed with the talent he displayed during the Australian tour.

“It was obviously a dream of mine to be part of the IPL. Of course I didn’t expect that price tag, but I am very chuffed to be here, and I am really looking forward to the challenges ahead”, he said.

The Mumbai Indians have emerged as one of the tournament favourites following an emphatic victory over last year’s finalists, the Chennai Super Kings, in the opening game of the IPL in Cape Town.

Their second game, against the Rajasthan Royals, was a non-starter with intermittent rain resulting in the game being abandoned.

Mumbai’s next match in the IPL is against the Deccan Chargers on April 25.

Sanath Jayasuriya & Sachin Tendulkar | Batsmen who have scored centuries in the most countries

Most players would part with an arm and a leg to have 12 ODI centuries, but Sanath Jayasuriya and Tendulkar have scored centuries in that many countries.

Jayasuriya has played ODIs in 15 countries, and the ones in which he hasn't scored a hundred are Kenya, Morocco and Zimbabwe, where he's played six, five and 11 matches respectively.

Tendulkar missed out in Canada, Ireland, Kenya and the West Indies.

Scoring an ODI hundred in the most nations.

Click on the Image to enlarge it

Tendulkar lavishes praise on Sanath Jayasuriya and Abhishek Nayar

They might have made a resounding start to their IPL campaign with a convincing win over last year's runners-up Chennai Super Kings, but Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar is not ready to take things for granted and wants to build on the good start.

Tendulkar, who scored an unbeaten 59 to script his team's victory in the opening match of the second edition of the Twenty20 extravaganza, said, "The start is good but it is still a long way to go. I won't take anything for granted."

Tendulkar, who was adjudged Man of the Match, said the initial overs were difficult for batting and lavished praise on Sanath Jayasuriya and Abhishek Nayar for adjusting well.

"When I lost the toss, I realised there was a dampness in the wicket. The first 6-7 overs were difficult and later on Abhishek Nayar came and played a terrific innings and my job basically was to just be there and play till the end and guys on the other end played their strokes," he said.

On being asked what could be a decent total on the South African wickets, Tendulkar said anything around 150 would make a good fight.

"Looking at about 145-150 would be a decent total. Don't look at 180 plus but if you can get into 150-160 then it could be a good total," he said.

Sanath Jayasuriya | Some Special, Rare photos of Mumbai Indians

Shikhar Dhawan seeks tips from Jayasuriya, Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar, Shikar Dhawan and Sanath Jayasuriya

Far from being disappointed at having to leave his home team Delhi Daredevils, young batsman Shikhar Dhawan says he is excited about playing alongside idols Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya in Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League this year.

The 23-year-old, who was exchanged for Ashish Nehra by Delhi Daredevils, said he is looking forward to getting some batting tips from Tendulkar and Jayasuriya.

"I am excited about playing for Mumbai Indians as I will get an opportunity to learn from Tendulkar and Jayasuriya," Dhawan told.

"Whenever I get an opportunity, I will speak to them. Just being with Tendulkar is enough to inspire a player. Jayasuriya is a left-hander like me and his suggestions would definitely help improve my game," he said.

On the IPL being shifted to South Africa due to general elections in India, Dhawan said although he would miss playing in front of passionate fans in the country, he was excited about playing on the fast tracks in South Africa.

"I have never played in South Africa. I would try my best to do well which will also help me get into the national fold. Ultimately, it's playing for the country that matters," he said.

“We are not here to make Sanath run like a 20-year-old" - Mumbai Indians trainer Ramji Srinivasan

At a time when cricket teams world over be it international or IPL have a penchant to recruit `foreigners’ as coaches, trainers and physios it is heartening to see Chennai’s own ace trainer Ramji Srinivasan make the cut as Mumbai Indians trainer.

Also the fact that he was personally invited to take the job from none other than Sachin Tendulkar himself speaks volumes of the strides Indian trainers have made in a field dominated by `whites’.

“It is a great honour to be asked by Sachin to assist his team. Also the fact that Mumbai Indians is run by one of India’s top most corporate houses gives me lot of joy,” said Ramji.

At the moment Ramji is the only Indian trainer among the eight teams that will play in the IPL II in South Africa. One of the reason’s for this imbalance is lack of confidence in Indian trainers and secondly paucity of experienced trainers with international exposure.

“Indian trainers are no way inferior to any one in the world. The fact that we do not have a National institute to train and grade trainers and physios may be a handicap. But things are changing now. We have the talent and many (trainers) have done courses abroad and are well versed in the modern techniques,” opined Ramji.



Coming to the demands of the shortest version of the game Ramji believes that there is no secret or short cut for fitness.

Mumbai Indians side have a mixture of players both experienced and youngsters in their ranks. Jayasuriya is the oldest touching 40. Is it tough to make veterans fit for T20.

“We are not here to make Sanath run like a 20-year-old. Each player has his own strength and weakness. My job is to see to that a player develops core strength depending on his discipline and importantly focus on injury prevention.

Sachin is a classic case of a player who has defied age. If you look at the number of recoveries he has made after being down due to injury, one will understand the importance of will power and dedication,” reflected Ramji.

Ramji’s association with the MRF Pace Foundation and his stints with the Indian cricket team and A1 GP team has enabled him to learn a lot and importantly travel and upgrade himself with the latest techniques.

“There is no substitute for experience. I have trained all the players right from Sachin, Zaheer to Tamil Nadu’s Balaji at MRF. Therefore I understand the `body’ the system of many cricketers with varied jobs and demands.

This will come in handy at IPL,” stressed Ramji.

Duminy eager to take tips from Jayasuriya & Tendulkar

South Africa's promising youngster Jean-Paul Duminy is eagerly waiting to take tips from champion batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya during his stint with the Mumbai Indians in the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa.

"I am really looking forward to playing with those players, the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya," he has been quoted as saying in the South African media.

"I looked up to them as a young boy and to be playing alongside them is a great honour. I am definitely going to try and learn as much as I can from them and get to know them as well as I can," he added.

Insisting that the youngsters like him were really looking forward to the cash rich Twenty20 tournament despite a heavy schedule, Duminy said, he would have loved to have known the players more closely.

"It will be a big step for the young guys and I am sure it will be a good learning curve for everyone. For a lot of youngsters, their heroes are playing in IPL and to be able to watch them live at some of the venues is going to be a great experience," Duminy said.

"However, It's just such a rush though. We play our last ODI match against Australia on April 17 and the next day I play for Mumbai Indians. It would have been a lot better if there was time to mingle with the guys before, just to know everybody. But unfortunately the circumstances won't allow that, so I have to get into it as soon as possible," he added.

Sanath Jayasuriya reaches 13000 run milestone in ODI's

When he steered Ishant Sharma in the 14th over for his 37th run, he became the second man to reach 13,000 career runs.





Over 13.5 I Sharma to Jayasuriya, 1 run, that'll be 13000 runs for Jayasuriya, he guides a wide ball outside off towards third man

Second man to reach that milestone after Sachin Tendulkar

List of Highest run scorers in ODI - Cricinfo

Sanath Jayasuriya : Sri Lanka's humble cricketing hero | CNN.com

(CNN) -- Growing up in a small Sri Lankan fishing town, cricket changed Sanath Jayasuriya's life. But his association with the game and humanitarian work has also helped transform the lives of many others.

Jayasuriya's stature and shot-making led to comparisons with India's Sachin Tendulkar.

"Without cricket I would have a small job in my home town. My mother is happy to say my name," he told CNN in Hong Kong.

His mother's pride in his success has an extra poignancy as Jayasuriya's fame in some part helped his mother survive the south Asian tsunami on December 26, 2004.

She was swept away by the first wave and only by calling out to get attention, saying she was Jayasuriya's mother, did a rescuer manage to spot her among the debris and destruction and pull her to safety.

Thousands of others, including many of Jayasuriya's friends and neighbors, were not so fortunate, and the impact that the disaster had on Jayasuriya's hometown of Matara and many other parts of Sri Lanka is still felt today.

"Even now when many people hear the word (tsunami), they are still scared. When my mother hears it, she still can't run," he said.

After nearly 20 years of international cricket, the 39-years-old is now just as happy to put bowling attacks to the sword as well as working as a UN Goodwill Ambassador.

"Coming from Sri Lanka you need to do a lot of charity work and help in anyway you can. People love cricket and they look to cricketers, so as a team Sri Lanka also does a lot for charity. It's a personal commitment," he told CNN.

On the pitch he has always been just as committed to helping his team. Making his international Test match debut in 1991 he retired from the five-day version of the game in 2007 having captained the Sri Lankan team for four years until 2003 and hit memorable centuries against every other Test side, bar the West Indies and New Zealand.

However it was in the one day game that the all-rounder has really made his mark.

As part of the Sri Lankan team that won the World Cup in 1996 he played an explosive innings of aggressive shot-making that has been credited with revolutionizing the way in which batsman play the game.

In 2005 he became only the fourth batsman to reach 10,000 runs in one-day matches and his current stats stand at 12785 runs from 421 one-day internationals.

Having made his name in the 50-over version of the game he's still involved in cricket's latest revolution; the even shorter Twenty20 game that is being touted as the future of popularizing the sport.

"Cricket has changed all over the world. For the public to watch this game we need for it to change. You can now enjoy all that in around 3 hours (with Twenty20). The Indian Premier League (IPL) is good for cricket and good for cricketers. The one-day game will be phased down."

Throughout his career he's shown his own resilience adapting to changing circumstances on the cricket pitch as well as off it. Before the 2003 World Cup he took the decision not to sign a contract with the Sri Lankan cricket board, citing the loss of potential earnings it would mean for him and fellow players.

Despite not being a confrontational personality, the tension between himself and the Sri Lankan cricket board led to his resignation from the captaincy in 2003.

With no Test cricket to play this year, Jayasuriya found himself omitted from the Sri Lanka squad for 2008 series one-day series against the West Indies.

However his fine form while playing in the IPL -- he ended its inaugural season as the third highest run scorer with 514 runs and hitting 31 sixes -- convinced the selectors to pick him for the upcoming one-day series between Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

"Looking back I could never have thought I would have come this far. Buddhism helped me a lot. It says that you should take the middle path and you will never go wrong," he said.

"But I've done a lot of hard work and everyone, my family and coaches, have given me support. Without that I wouldn't have got here." When he does finally retire you can expect Jayasuriya to keep giving all he can to the game and causes he loves so much.

• Sri Lankan cricketer recognized as changing the way one-day cricket is played
• The first cricketer to be a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador and campaigns
• Sri Lanka's highest run scorer in Test matches and one-day internationals

Source : CNN.com