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by Premasara Epasinghe

Sri Lanka national cricket team have recorded five straight Test wins. This has never been achieved in the annals of 19 years as a Test playing nation. Recently, they whitewashed the West Indians. Then, in the recently concluded tri-nation contest between West Indies, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, again, the Sri Lankans showed their prowess in the shorter version of the game too, by beating the West Indians by 36 runs in the finals and annexed the trophy.

First class games and Test matches still represent the ultimate in the game. But, today the future of the game is limited-overs cricket. It has become the game's promotional area.

All credit should go to the Sri Lankan national cricketers in recording these creditable victories in the recent past. Any sustained success has to be based on the combined efforts of the team - today, the team-spirit of the SL cricket team have reached the Himalayan heights. This is no doubt, the secret behind their success.

Leadership is more significant in cricket than in any other sport. The captain must know how to deploy whatever skill his players have at their disposal. Briefly, the captain must get the best out of his team by helping them to play together, without suppressing their flair and uniqueness. A good and a dynamic captain can transform an average team into a formidable combination. In contrast, poor captaincy can lead to disaster.

A good leader will get the very best out of his players. This is what Sanath Jayasuriya had been doing. All credit should go to him and his fine, astute leadership which moulded the Sri Lanka team into a champion outfit. Further, Sanath is a gutty fighter, who always leads from the front. He has some indefinable quality called Charisma or the power to inspire devotion and enthusiasm. His charming personality coupled with his fighting spirit have paid good dividends to him as well as to his team.

Discipline is essential in every walk of life. Cricket is no exception. The type of discipline he imposes will vary with his character and that of the players under his command. The best results will come from loyalty to and confidence in the captain himself. Well of course, that "Genius" Dav Whatmore was undoubtedly the wind behind Sanath's wings. Sri Lanka is very fortunate to have a man like Dav to guide the future of our cricket. He is committed to his job. Unassuming Dav, is one of the nicest gentlemen that I have met. He is a great motivator and a good disciplinarian.

Jayasuriya, who hails from Matara, was born on 30th June 1969. He learnt his basics from St. Servatius College Matara and came to Colombo to play club cricket. He played for Colombo Cricket Club and Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club. He got his first break in playing in the 'A' team and his baptism to Sri Lanka big cricket was in Pakistan, when he became a 'batting machine' scoring twin centuries on two occasions. The manager of this tour was Leo Wijesinghe, that fine-gentleman and cricket administrator.

In 1990, against New Zealand, Sanath Jayasuriya made his Test debut. But, he really burst in to the international cricketing scene during the 1996 World Cup, when he was named "The Player of the Tournament and the Most Valuable Player".

The most memorable and explosive innings that I have seen in my commentating career took place on 9th March 1996 at the Iqbal stadium, Faisalabad, Pakistan, when Sri Lanka met England in the World Cup quarter finals encounter. I was very fortunate to commentate ball by ball live through the air-waves of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation about the epic innings of Jayasuriya. He was in such a hectic form, he scored 82 runs in 44 balls with 13 boundaries and 3 towering sixers. He collected only 12 runs, by running between the wickets. I can still remember one 'sixer' nearly landed on our commentary box, which was constructed at a height of about 80 feet.

Massacre of the innocents

I presume, that never is the history of English cricket that Englishmen were thrashed in this fashion. De Freitas (3.4-0-38-0), Illingworth (10-1-72-1), Martin (9-0-41-0), Hick (4-0-34-1), Gough (10-1-36-1). These figures prove my point.

Skipper Mike Atherton must have thought for a moment, why on earth that their ancestors and forefathers left cricket in Sri Lanka as one of their lasting influences, for Athertons team to be whipped in this fashion. Overnight Jayasuriya became one of the world's most feared batsmen. He later in 1997/98 recorded the highest individual Test score for Sri Lanka when he scored 340 runs in Colombo against India. To complement his match winning batting, he bowls left arm spin and he is a match-winning bowler too. Briefly, Jayasuriya is a 'complete cricketer'.

In the recently concluded tri-nation tournament (Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, West Indies) Jayasuriya was selected as the 'Man of the Series'.

Sanath is a person of great humility. He always puts country before self. I am sure, that his next target will be to extend that run of Test victories to eight (8) in a row. His team is such a formidable one that they might whitewash Zimbabwe in the up-coming three Test series.

The emergence of Jayasuriya in Sri Lanka cricket, opened new vistas for outstation cricketers. His appointment as the national cricket captain was a real revolution in the cricketing history of Sri Lanka. For the past four or five decades, it was the Royalists, Thomians, Nalandians and Anandians that held this prestigious position and it was Sanath, a lad from outstation, down south Matara, who broke this tradition. I personally feel that the promotion of outstation talented cricketers to such positions augurs well for Sri Lanka cricket. With the 1999 World Cup debacle many changes took place in the cricket circle and Jayasuriya was bestowed with the national captaincy. From then on with great determination and commitment he marshalled his troops very well and today he is considered as an astute leader and a fine winning captain in the world of cricket.

Well done Sanath!

Keep it up!

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