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Thunderous applause awaits them:
Jayawardene, Sangakkara out to go in a blaze of glory
Winning 2015 World Cup the bottom line:
by Elmo Rodrigopulle
A cricketing chapter that will be written in letters of gold will
come to a sad and emotional end when the TWO KINGS of Sri Lanka cricket
renounce their One-Day cricket thrones after the 2015 World Cup
co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia beginning on February 14.
The two great cricketing kings are: MAHELA JAYAWARDENE and KUMAR
SANGAKKARA. The duo will quit the one-day game, but SANGAKARA has agreed
to stay awhile longer and prolong his Test career that has been
illustrious from the time he took his stance at the wicket. The twosome
must be yearning and will want to go out in a blaze of glory by winning
for Sri Lanka the all-important 2015 World Cup. There will no doubt be a
deep chasm in the Sri Lankan game once they bow out.
Right hand stylist
They have been household names and are famous all over the cricketing
world for their magic with the willow.
They have lit up the cricket fields wherever they have played and
provided moments of sheer joy, excitement and entertainment with their
batting and exemplary behaviour on and off the field.
Right hand stylist Jayawardene was first into the Sri Lanka team and
after apprenticing under ‘Captain Cool’ Arjuna Ranatunga’s team and
immediately began to serve notice of his immense prowess.
His batting and the shipload of runs he has made in all forms of the
game is amazing but what stands out is the record breaking 374 he made
against South Africa at the SSC Ground in a Test match.
In doing so he went past Sanath Jayasuriya’s 340 against India.
Jayawardene has the rare honour of captaining the country twice.
After excelling as the Test captain and steering Sri Lanka to many a
victory, he was saddled with the one-day leadership and his crowning
moment was when he took the country to the 2007 World Cup final in the
Caribbean against Australia.
Sri Lanka could have won a World Cup for the second time, but were
deprived of this rare honour by a brilliant 149 made by Australian
opening batsman Adam Gilchrist batting with a squash ball in his glove.
Quit one-day captaincy
He quit the one-day captaincy having had enough. With his quitting
the game was on the skids and when Sri Lanka continued to lose
regularly, was offered the captaincy again and was reluctant to accept
but he put game and country before self and obliged.
He is only the second Sri Lankan after Aravinda de Silva to score a
century in a World Cup final. He did it in the 2011 final against India
in Calcutta which final Sri Lanka lost for no accountable reason.
After putting the game back on the winning trail, he handed it over
to his dear friend Kumar Sangakkara who took over in all formats and
continued the good work.
Left handed batsman Kumar Sangakkara is a run churning out machine.
He is a glutton for work and is dedicated to the game and when he takes
strike, he bats and scores runs for the game and country.
Thirst for runs
He is a stylist and in the mould of a Garfield Sobers and a Brian
Lara. He has a thirst for making runs and it is shown by the number of
centuries and double centuries scored.
When he is in form and motoring there is no bowler who could breach
his defence or lure him to a false stroke.
His concentration is such that he can bat for days and not easily
succumb.
He Captained and led the national team with great aplomb and success
and it was just one of those things that he could not lead Sri Lanka to
win the 2011 World Cup, being pushed out by India in the final.
When these two batting gladiators walk out onto the fields in New
Zealand and Australia, the spectators who will throng the venues will
give them thunderous ovations in recognition and appreciation of their
fabulous contribution to the game.
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