Selectors must ask Mahela to rethink

Mahela Jayawardena, who was in a hurry to relinquish his captaincy from all versions of the game - Test, One-day and Twenty20 cricket showed that he has a lot more to offer the game when he banged a stylish 240 runs.

The Double Hundred came in the First of Two tests against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi on day two.

While scoring his first double ton away from home and his first against Pakistan, Jayawardena was involved in a world record partnership of 437 for the fourth wicket with Thilan Samaraweera who also made his best Test score and went out for 231.

In putting on 437 for the fourth wicket they lowered the record that stood to the names of England Captain Peter May and Colin Cowdrey in 1957 against the West Indies. May and Cowdrey put on 411.

May and Cowdrey put on that big stand after Sonny Ramadin mesmerised the England batting in the first innings. May and Cowdrey got together to blunt the spin of Ramadin and Alfred Valentine and take them to safety.

At the time of writing which is the second day of the Test in Karachi, it must be said that Jayawardena when he walked to the middle was struggling for batting form.

That thing that is called luck, had cruelly deserted him and it was his inability to make runs in the one-day series against India that made him throw in the towel and say enough is enough and quit the captaincy.

I still feel and I am convinced that Jayawardena was in undue hurry to quit the captaincy. Obviously in defeat everyone would have been blaming him and with no one to share the disappointment and sorrow with him, he quit it too early.

It will do Sri Lanka cricket a world of good if Jayawardena could do a rethink.

The selectors led by that former fast bowling allrounder Asantha de Mel must not think it infradig, but have a chat with Jayawardena and hit it into him that his decision was not the right one and coax him into sporting his captaincy cap again.

Jayawardena was determined to form a winning combination which could win the next World Cup. With teams caring a damn for Test Cricket, which what cricket is all about, all countries focussed on the one-day game and the World Cup.

On the topic of captaincy we still hope that Jayawardena will have a change of heart and in case he does not, then we are not trying to teach the selectors their job, but they would not be faulted if in addition to Kumar Sangakkara, they also have Muttiah Muralitheran, Chaminda Vaas and Thilan Samaraweera in their radar when deciding on the next captain.

Muralitheran has done enough and more to warrant a look in for captaincy. Excuses must not be made that he is a bowler and would not fit in as captain.

Easy way out

If the selectors think that way then that is the easy way out. Muralitheran deserves to lead his country.

Back to the Test match in Karachi and it warmed the cockles to watch Jayawardene’s eye-catching double ton. All the strokes that Jayawardena is renowned for was show cased as he along with Samaraweera buried the hapless Pakistani bowlers in the Karachi dust.

His signature shots, the cut, the drives through point and cover, mid off and straight were on show and the timing that he is famous for was all there for everyone to see.

His concentration was unwavering. He showed the correct temperament and not only did he play himself into form, but what was more important was that he has given his bowlers especially Vaas, Muralitheran and Ajantha Mendis a total to put their winning bowling ways on show.

Like in life luck plays a vital role even in sport. In the game against India, he did not have that thing called luck and every stroke he the made went to hand.

But in this game his luck returned as was shown when Misbah Ul Haq put him down when on 43 off the hard working debutant Sohail Khan. He made the Pakistanis pay dearly for that lapse.

A rethink is what cricket fans are asking Mahela Jayawardena to do.

Even the Pakistani TV Commentators, two of their former greats and captains Rameez Raja and Waqar Younis were asking their Sri Lankan counterparts Ranjit Fernando and Ranil Abeynaike, also two former Sri Lankan players:

Why did Jayawardena relinquish the captaincy?

Fernando and Abeynaike in their answers too said that Jayawardena had a lot more to offer Sri Lanka cricket.

Great of Samaraweera

Right hander Thilan Samaraweera has now turned out into being a mature and reliable batsman for Sri Lanka in Test Cricket. Why he is not being given a go in the limited over game will always be a debatable point.

He has the strokes and the temperament to fit into any style of the game. What he requires is to be given a go and I am sure he will deliver.

During his big score of 231, which was his first double hundred, he too showed good judgement, picked the correct ball to hit and showed that he has strokes all round the wicket.

This double hundred should put him in the picture when the selectors sit to pick a new captain, if the need arises and Jayawardena cannot be convinced to continue.

Tharanga unfortunate

Tharanga Paranavitharane need not be disappointed that he was out for a first ball duck in his debut. Many other batsmen have debuted with ducks and gone on to rewrite the record books. His future depends on the selectors and we are sure they will not dump him, but persist with him.