Published: Aug 10, 2015, 11:29 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 10, 2015, 11:52 AM (IST)
Kumar Sangakkara will retire from international cricket after the first two tests of the India-Sri Lanka Test series. Sri Lankans wish to give a roaring adieu to Sangakkara, who is widely regarded as the greatest wicket-keeper batsman of all times in Test cricket. Sangakkara is calling it quits after the second Test which will be played in Colombo. It will be played at P Sara Oval ground. Mahela Jayawardene has said that Sangakkara is the ‘greatest batsman’ who has come out from the nation since they entered international cricket. Sangakkara has more than 14000 ODI and 12000 Test runs. He averages close to 58 in Test cricket which is by far the best by any wicket-keeper batsman that the game has ever seen. READ: Sri Lanka predictably stutter without Kumar Sangakkara
Jayawardene was quoted as speaking to rediff.com “Let me put it straight. Kumar Sangakkara is the best batsman that Sri Lanka has ever produced. Aravinda De Silva will always be a sentimental favourite for most of the Sri Lankans including me but numbers alone make Kumar a phenomenal achiever. More than 60 international centuries (38 in Tests and 25 ODIs). Look at those staggering numbers.”
Jayawardene himself has around 25000 international runs. He said that Sangakkara is one of the best technically correct batsman in cricket and he will always be cherished as a role model for the upcoming budding cricketers from the island nation. “Kumar’s greatness was his ability to score runs against any attack in all types of conditions. He really pushed his boundaries and have set some imposing targets for the next generation of cricketers.” ALSO READ: Kumar Sangakkara versus India
“In any international sport, there are only a few who attained greatness in every aspect, whether for your performance on the field or your conduct off it. Kumar was one such player. The void left by him will take some time to fill. I believe Sri Lankan cricket as a whole was blessed to have him. I consider myself lucky to have played alongside a champion performer like Kumar.”
When asked about who is the favourite to win the test series, Jayawardene was very humble to say that the Indians have an ‘upper-hand’. Sangakkara and Jayawardene run a restaurant in Colombo — Ministry of Crabs. “It will be a competitive series but I guess India will have an upper-hand as they have a more or less steady team. The Sri Lanka team on the other hand is going through a transition phase as some of the youngsters are settling down. Hopefully, the team will give Kumar a fitting farewell by winning the series.”
Jayawardene further said that it will take some time to fill in the shoes of Sangakkara and just like India have transitioned after the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman he expects that Sri Lanka too will do the same. “There has been a lot of investment in youth and some good players have come up. If they are fit and consistent, then it augurs well for the future of Sri Lankan cricket.” He also said that Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne can be long-term replacements for Sangakkara. “Jehan Mubarak has had a great domestic season and I am happy that he has been recalled. We have an able leader in Angelo Mathews and Sri Lanka do have a bright future. I have not thought much about future. I am happy playing T20 leagues as it is for a short time. I have a young family and now priority is to spend quality time with them,” said Jayawardene.
Former Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batsman Romesh Kaluwitharna said, “I think it is nice that he is playing his last series with India. We have always played a lot of cricket with our neighbours. Hopefully he can be a great strength for the Lankan team in the first two matches, like he has been throughout his career.” Kaluwitharna said that Sri Lankan cricket will always miss dynamic batsmen like Jayawardene and Sangakkara who are leaving in quick succession.
“We will definitely miss them. They are great players. But Sri Lankan cricket has produced many of them over the years and as such this is a big opportunity for other players to step into their boots. It is someone else’s time now. We might not find two of the same calibre at the same time but with experience, I think we can find some really solid performers for the Test level.” Kaluwitharna was optimistic that Sri Lanka’s bench strength will fill in the gaps pretty well when seniors quit the game.
“Luckily for Sri Lanka, we have always had 3-4 keepers whenever you pick a side. So while they might not have played regularly until now, this is a big opportunity for them to step up. So we don’t really have to blood new players and that is something we are happy with. We have Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella and others who can make up the place. It’s about stepping up for these ready players and I am confident we will find the best player to replace him,” he concluded.
