‘It brings out the best in cricketers’

by Ranjan ANANDAPPA

Sri Lanka cricket captain Mahela Jayawardene, commending the Sunday Observer – Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year contest said that it was a much look forward to the event during his school cricket career at Nalanda College and it is a contest which has benefited many cricketers. It’s a show that acknowledges school cricketers efforts and brings out the best in them.

It is a great event as we all enjoyed going for that awards night as schoolboys and I am sure, still those young schoolboys would love to go for that kind of event, where they get the opportunity to see the glamour as well as recognition for their good work.

Jayawardene had a terrific school cricket season, captaining Nalanda College and his efforts were duly recognized when he was chosen to play for the Sri Lanka Under-19 team against the England Under-19. Thereafter, Jayawardene was selected to play in the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team against the South African ‘A’ team where he really stamped his class as a future player of quality. He struck a century against their counterparts which included players of calibre of Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Nicky Boje, Lance Klusener and Clive Ekstein to name a few.

His sincere advice to the young schoolboy cricketers is to enjoy the game while at school and enhancing their place. “The good thing is we shouldn’t be under pressure or put into pressure situations. At school, everyone should play one’s game and have fun with that opportunity. The only advise that I can give them is to work hard and try to improve, as one day we all have the dream of representing the country and hopefully for those young cricketers, to make that dream a reality, is going to be all hard work” the Sri Lanka skipper said.

Jayawardene won the Best Batsman’s award in 1994, the year which Thilan Samaraweera won the Schoolboy Cricketer of The Year Award. In fact Samaraweera won it in the following year as well in 1995. Both these players are well established as top batsmen in the Sri Lanka side today.

Mahela was the 2007 World Cup captain in the West Indies prior to handing over the reigns to his deputy Kumar Sangakkara who carried on till the 2011 World Cup held in the sub-continent. Tillekeratne Dilshan had a short stint as captain, but Jayawardene was reinstated as the captain early this year for his astute leadership qualities. He has proved that his captaincy quality is beyond doubt.

Jayawardene made his Test debut scoring 66 against India at the R. Premadasa Stadium in August under Arjuna Ranatunga in 1997 in the Test where Sanath Jayasuriya struck his triple hundred (340) with Roshan Mahanama scoring a double hundred (225) as Sri Lanka went on to score the highest Test total in an innings 952/4. All these players have won awards at the Schoolboy Cricketer contests. In 1998, made his first ODI appearance against Zimbabawe at the R. Premadasa Stadium. He has featured in 378 ODI’s and has scored 10,692 runs with 15 centuries, topping the 10,000 runs mark in Test and ODI’s.

The 35-year-old Jayawardene has played in 131 Test matches and has scored over 10,500 runs with 31 centuries. His highest Test score has been 374 against South Africa at the SSC. While compiling a triple hundred (374), Jayawardene was involved in a world record partnership of 624 for any wicket with Kumar Sangakkara (287). Jayawardene missed the highest individual Test score set by Brian Lara (400) by 26 runs when he was bowled off a delivery which cut and kept low.