Jayasuriya will be considered for Tests vs SA

Dinesh Weerawansa

CRICKET: Veteran top order batsman Sanath Jayasuriya will be a strong contender for a slot while Mahela Jayawardena is set to retain the captaincy for Sri Lanka's two-Test home series against South Africa later this month.

Chairman of selectors, Ashantha de Mel said that Jayasuriya would be strongly considered to strengthen Sri Lanka's batting during the forthcoming series. "The selectors are planning to play Jayasuriya until the 2007 World Cup. At the same time, we will consider him for the Test team," he said yesterday.

The former Sri Lanka Test paceman said it is difficult for a batsman to maintain his form purely by playing one day international cricket. "In this instance, it's Jayasuriya. He cannot maintain his form just playing in one dayers. He should play in Tests as well, if he is to be a prolific scorer. That is why we would consider him for a place in the Test team as well," de Mel explained.

After coming out of his Test retirement, Jayasuriya silenced his critics with two explosive centuries during Sri Lanka's recent 5-0 whitewash of England. He was at his brilliant best, showing no mercy to helpless England bowlers.

Despite being at the receiving end after the national selectors decided to send him to England to strengthen Sri Lanka team after losing the first Test, Jayasuriya was given a chance only in the final Test, which Sri Lanka won by 134 runs to square the series one-all.

After being forced to bat low down in the batting order and failing to impress, Jayasuriya rose to the occasion with two vital wickets in the England first innings.

A veteran of a record 103 Tests for Sri Lanka, Jayasuriya has aggregated 6,621 runs at an average of 41.12. He has also scored 11,104 runs in 363 ODIs to become the leading run-getter for Sri Lanka in both forms of the game.

Mahela to continue

Meanwhile, Mahela Jayawardena is tipped to lead Sri Lanka in the home Test series against South Africans, who are due to arrive in Colombo tomorrow (19). Jayawardena will all probability be asked to lead Sri Lanka in next month's Triangular home series which also features neighbouring India.

Following a one-all draw in the three-Test series and a smashing 5-0 win in the ODI series in the recently concluded summer tour of England under his leadership, Jayawardena will have a tough task in leading Sri Lanka once more. An experienced campaigner of 81 Tests and 220 ODIs, Jayawardena has already proved that captaincy is not an extra burden to his batting, scoring two blistering centuries in the ODI series against England.

The chances of Jayawardena leading Sri Lanka in both the Test series as well as the triangular series looked brighter as regular captain Marvan Atapattu is recovering after a back injury, which has kept him out of Test cricket since last year.

The touring South Africans will open their month-long tour of Sri Lanka with a three-day game against Sri Lanka Board President's X1 from Saturday, before they move in to the first Test at SSC grounds, Colombo on July 27. The second and final Test will be played at Saravanamuttu Stadium from August 4 to 8.