Mahela Jayawardena, Sri Lanka's former excellent skipper hit back at his critics with a vengeance blasting a magnificent century against Kolkata Knight Riders in the on going Indian Premier League tournament in India.

Chasing a massive over 200 made by Kolkata Knight Riders, Jayawardena was invited to open the innings and what an innings he played, flaying the opposing bowlers to all corners of the field as well as over it, to bang a three figure score and take his side the Punjab King's X1 to a memorable victory.

Had it not been for the blistering start that Jayawardena gave his side, victory would not have been possible considering that his side was chasing a formidable score by their opponents.

Jayawardena, with this knock proved that he still has a lot of cricket left in him and the thirst and for the fast forward game, as he pummelled the opposing bowlers, playing some copy book strokes and a few slogs when the occasion demanded.

Like Usain Bolt

He scampered between the wickets like Usain Bolt doing the 100 meters, proving that he is supremely fit and in good shape for the up coming Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean.

Jayawardena, like all leading Sri Lankan batsmen in the IPL was not having a lucrative run with the willow which was causing worry not only to himself, his team, but also to his numerous fans.

Pushed in to open the innings, he obliged his skipper Kumar Sangakkara and his team by playing one of his best innings in this style of game. When he walked in after his sterling three-figure score, the full house and his coach and team stood up to him and gave him a resounding cheer.

Jayawardena who was forced to abdicate his captaincy when in the peak of captaincy form, was not at the least worried and although sacrificing the captaincy, continued to play the game, because for him the game was the thing.

In a crisis

When he was in a crisis, not one raised his hand for him. No one asked him to reconsider his decision to quit the captaincy. With even his closest allies at Sri Lanka Cricket refusing to stand by him, he like Sanath Jayasuriya who suffered the same fate,with no one showing gratitude had no other alternative but to throw in the towel. SAD.

However he continued in the game and now free of captaincy burdens is continuing to give of his best to his new captain Kumar Sangakkara and it was great to see Sangakkara hugging and congratulating him after this majestic century. He had 12 fours and two sixes in his 55 ball blast.

With that grand century, Mahela Jayawardena becomes the first Sri Lanka batsman to reach three figurers in this tournament. The other batsmen to plunder centuries in the on going IPL are Yusuf Pathan and Murali Vijaya at the time of writing. Jayasuriya is the only other Sri Lanka batsman to score a century in the history of this game.

Three other maulers

Sri Lanka's other three maulers with the willow Kumar Sangakkara, Tillekeratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya who has a century to his name in this format of the game, have sadly failed to show their prowess, with Dilshan and Jayasuriya being surprisingly dropped from their teams for indifferent form.

The continuous dropping of Jayasuriya is inexplicable. True he failed in the three outings he made. But that does not mean that he should be continuously ignored. The Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar is aware that all good batsmen go through lean run. He himself would have tasted that bitter pill.

True that Tendulkar's team is having a dream run winning most of their games and are now assured of a semi-final fling. Captains would also not want to change a winning combination. But that style of thinking does not always look sensible.

Few entertainers

Tendulkar would not be faulted if he brings back Sri Lanka' master-blaster and keep him in fine fettle for the more arduous games ahead. Jayasuriya is also one of the few entertainers in the game today and how the spectators must be yearning to watch him unwind and play his out of this world strokes. In not playing Jayasuriya in Chennai, one is forced to ask the question whether Tendulkar was asked to drop Jayasuriya so as to please that Tamil Nadu politician who threatened to demonstrate if President Mahinda Rajapaksa's UPFA candidate Jayasuriya was let loose in Chennai. It would be interesting to hear Tendulkar on this.

Assuming that Tendulkar was asked to keep Jayasuriya out of the game in Chennai to satisfy the bloated ego of the TN politician, then it smacks of poor thinking and a black mark on the officials, Tendulkar and the IPL.

Unjust demands

Sports should not be allowed to be made use by politicians to further their ends. If one gives into the unjust demands of politicians, then it would not be long when sport will lose its lofty traditions that it is known for and become a pawn in the hands of poor thinking politicians.

Here in Sri Lanka the inclusion of Sanath Jayasuriya in the squad for the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean, has forced his critics to stir a hornets nest. This is inexplicable. What is further inexplicable is that unfounded allegations, dragging politicians and accusing them of batting for Jayasuriya's inclusion by influencing the efficient team of selectors led by former Sri Lanka bowling all rounder Ashantha de Mel is bandied about

The selectors who are only doing a job of work, have been taken to task and have been forced to weave and duck vicious and vituperative bouncers, bowled by critics more in anger. The selectors must not flinch, but have the courage to stand by their conviction.

Good reasons

When the selectors picked Sanath Jayasuriya they had good reasons. And they are not duty bound to give their reasons for selecting the master-blaster. The selectors have faith in him and are confident that he will deliver when it matters. Our advice to Jayasuriya, who when this is being read would have the Member of Parliament tag with him having won on the UPFA ticket at the Parliamentary Elections held on Thursday, is to ignore his critics and go on being the sport and devastating batsman that he is and go on hitting the ball and his green eyed critics over the ropes as he loves to do. Jayasuriya, who like Mahela Jayawardena gave up the captaincy, when everyone was blaming them, has done wonders for the game and put it on the world scene and deserves better treatment than being unjustly crucified. He is a legend and must be treated that way.