Archives

by Dr. Elmo Rodrigopulle

Sanath Teran Jayasuriya's name should be writ in letters of gold. That is not because of his dashing feats with the bat. But because he had the courage to give up the captaincy.

Jayasuriya had a couple of more years to lead if he wished to. But that was not the stuff that he was made of. He realised that he has had a good run and that it was time that he bowed out and let someone else carry the mantle.

To lead one's country in whatever sport is the wish of all sportsmen and women. To continue to lead is the craving of those bestowed with that honour.

Jayasuriya by prematurely giving up the captaincy has no doubt set an excellent example. From the time he was knee high to a bat, it surely would have been his longing to proudly lead his country.

He has achieved that, had a fruitful run, enjoyed probably every moment of it and by quitting he has done it at the right moment.

True he had his faults and shortcomings. That can be expected because he too is human.

During his reign as captain, he earned a lot of plus points, because he was not afraid to take the risks that go, to bring victory for his team and country.

How many would have done what Jayasuriya did? As for us no one. Today once one is installed in any office, the greed is to cling to that office. Jayasuriya from the time he assumed this high and exalted office, began to adorn that it with great pride and aplomb.

He never lost his head. Kept his cool and always led from the front and that was what helped him to enjoy success in the highly and fiercely contested for world of cricket.

As a proud son of the South and a disciplined product of St. Servatius College, he served notice and broke into the world of cricket with two scintillating double hundreds on a tour of Pakistan with the Sri Lanka 'A' team.

Pakistani greats who saw the left hander dazzle with the bat predicted a great future for him. He did not let them down and his numerous records speak for themselves. At one time he was thought of only as a one day player.

On a tour I remember telling a manager, that not to treat Jayasuriya as a one-day basher, but to give him his head in the established game and see how he performs. The manager did just that, and Jayasuriya did not let my belief and confidence in him by making a well compiled score of if I remember right something like 38 and in the process proving that he had the technique and temperament to play the longer version of the game.

Turning out into being a top class allrounder as his career began to unfold, honours in batting, bowling and fielding was not long in coming for this unassuming and likeable willow wielder.

As his fame began to grow, and everytime he walked out to the wicket spectators began to yell for runs from his bat. His batting was exciting, at times it was from out of this world - his marvellous strokeplay.

With wrists of steel, he hit the ball so hard, that once it was hit, it stayed hit. Fours and sixes cascaded from his bat with tremendous power, that at most times had bowlers and fielders just standing and watching in wonderment.

With runs flooding from his bat and his game growing in stature, he also began to show responsibility and signs of turning out into being a more than ordinary captain. He had many dashing knocks in the one-day game. But his most memorable knock was the brilliant 340 he made against the Indians in a Test at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

When that innings began to grow, the whole cricket world had their fingers crossed and every Sri Lankan began to pray, watch with great and excited expectation for him to go past the great Brian Lara's world record score of 375.

But that was not to be as the 'black superman' was out caught Ganguly bowled Chauhan for 340 golden runs. But although the record was not to be his, he joined batting greats of the calibre of Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Gary Sobers and Sir Leonard Hutton as some of the batsmen to have gone over the 300 run mark in Test cricket.

Taking over as captain from 'Captain Cool' Arjuna Ranatunga, he began to show rare captaincy qualities and success was not long in coming. His crowning moment was when he took Sri Lanka into the semi-finals of the recently concluded World Cup in South Africa.

Had the selectors of that time given him the team that he was asking for, he surely would have emulated the feat of Ranatunga and brought home the World Cup for the second time.

However Jayasuriya has done enough for self and country and he leaves when everyone is asking why and not waiting till they say, he should have gone a long time ago.

Jayasuriya has set an example. One hopes it will be followed.

Thank you for the batting music.

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager