A cricketing icon Mahela takes a bow!

As a sports columnist and reporter for a bit over fifty years, there are many celebrities I have covered. Its a pleasurable vocation and one can learn a lot about the spirit and character of sports in the process.

In this journey I can unreservedly say that Mahela Jayawardene stands out in a class of his own. Yes, classy, classic and charismatic in the global arena of professional cricket. And in Sri Lanka he epitomizes the spirit of the Lion in our Flag as a true leader, a path breaker and valiant and reliable soldier who has only the county's interest at heart.

And so as Jayewardene waved adieu with his bat to the rapturous cheers and heart warming tears of the crowd, one cannot but get emotional for here is a Man---no, a" Gentleman" --who has been one of the most outstanding cricketers in my generation and that of those who preceded me.

As he returned to the pavilion he does not leave a void. He has left a chasm in Sri Lanka cricket. And it will be generations before it will be filled. I can boldly say that there will never ever be another Jayawardene who would stride the cricket fields the world over with such great grace and aplomb, always playing the game hard and strictly to the rules and straight.

Mahela's loving mother has said that her son's retirement was prompted by the birth of his first born daughter Sansa and he wants to spend more time with the family. We wish that Mahela and his charming wife Christina will be next blessed with a baby boy to continue the Jayawardene cricketing tradition.

Cricketers who played with him in a career that spanned 17 glorious years have nothing but praise for the great man. He not only concentrated on his game, but always proffered advice and showed the youngsters how to play the game and be humble in victory and determined in defeat. In addition he was an icon and a role model.

Test playing countries honour their greats with action monuments at venues. Jayawardene has erected a monument in our hearts as cricket fans.

Yes, we have great captains and leaders, centurions and wicket takers, but what this gentleman cricketer distinguishes himself with is his overall warm and sel-effacing character. His soft style and outstanding professionalism maketh this great cricketer. He stands out as shining example in clubs, schools and everywhere the game is played.

Promise and heroics as a schoolboy

After watching and following his promise and heroics as a schoolboy at Nalanda College,and in his club the Sinhalese Sports Club, I was not surprised when he arrived as a replacement when Arjuna Ranatunga was captain in South Africa. Jayewardene did not play on that tour, but watching him at nets he showed the immense cricket talent in him and having been a cricketer I was able to predict a great future in the game for him. And he has delivered that promise for 17 glorious years.

After his career gathered momentum after playing under two of Sri Lankan cricketing legends such as Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva he watched, listened and learnt and took the cricketing world by storm.

His achievements are too numerous to mention. After the grand farewell by the cricketers who dedicated the series victory against Pakistan to him and the party that was at the SSC after the game, present was also the sports loving President Mahinda Rajapaksa to make a gift in appreciation of his wonders to the game and country and wish him well.

Richly deserved the accolades

Jayewardene richly deserved the accolades, the wishes and the gifts and also present to savour and soak in the emotional scenes were his mother, father, charming wife Christina and lovely daughter Sansa. A carnival atmosphere prevailed with the papare bands beating out the sounds to the lighting of fire crackers to farewell a legend of cricketing legends.

Before he faced the media, Captain courageous Angelo Mathews took the deliveries bowled by the media and paid his former Captain and mentor Jayawardene glowing tributes saying that the team wanted to win the series for Jayawardene.

Let's read what Mathew's who says he will miss Jayawardene's guiding influence had to say: 'The amount of work that he has done over the past 17 years is unbelievable. I just want to thank Mahela for helping me so much up to now. I'm glad that he will be there for six months in the ODI format.

We won the Test match and the series, but it was an emotional day - a sad day for all of us and for Sri Lanka cricket. 'I'm personally thankful to him because he was captain when I first came into the team and he even was there when I've been Captain, he's given me a lot of support.

As a team we're thankful to him for creating the current atmosphere within the side. We play very well in that environment. Mahela has been a huge strength to everyone'.

Always the darling of the press

Jayawardene who has always been the darling of the press here and abroad first thanked the media people who were present in their numbers to ask questions and receive answers to their questions. Initially he gave a brief of his career thanking his Principals at Nalanda College his coaches Lionel Mendis, Leslie Narangoda and Jayantha Seneviratne who helped mould his cricketing career, his parents and his family who he said has always been a tower of strength and then faced the bowling by the media in his inimitable style.

To a question he said that he is a Sri Lankan and that he had a lot of pride in representing the country for 17 long years. He confessed that the most important day was the receiving the Sri Lanka cap from Arjuna Ranatunga.

To a question whether he would like to comeback if requested he said that he had taken the decision to retire after much reflection and revealed that his SSC mate and manager Michael de Zoysa had also been pressing to play for a little while more, but this decision has been final.

Came back a second time as Captain

The question was posed because Jayawardene after a first stint as captain and when he went saying enough is enough as captain he came back when requested. And that was when the game was at the crossroads. He gave it life and brought it to its former glory and made it a team to be feared by opponents.

Jayawardene has quit two forms of the game Twenty20 and Test cricket and in his gracious and humble manner said that if the selectors find him good enough to play in the next World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand next year that after that bash he will quit all forms.

There were many other questions that he answered which have received the best publicity and need not be reiterated here. Before bidding goodbye to the media he took time to autograph the media accreditation cards of most media men which will remain an undying memory for posterity.

To the Sri Lanka game, while victories cover the chinks in the team, it must be said that there are chinks and it is hoped that the selectors and the coaches have taken note of these and will plug the weak points.

Looking for a needle in a hay stack

That the batting will be weakened with the retirement of Jayawardene there is no doubt. Fitting somebody into the number 4 slot will be like looking for a needle in a hay stack. There are batsmen, but they will certainly not turn out to be another Jayawardene. It is in the bowling department, especially the spin that Sri Lanka is lacking bowlers of class. Thanks to Rangana Herath who ran rings around the Pakistani batsmen which greatly helped Sri Lanka win the series with a one man show, the spin cupboard is bare.

When it comes to Test cricket which game cricket is all about, it is paramount that we toss in a classy leg spinner for variety and support for Herath. We have a promising leg spinner in Seekkuge Prasanna who has performed well with the Sri Lanka 'A' team in England. He must be persisted with and taught the tricks of the leg-spinning trade so that he could strengthen the weak spin department.

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