Sanga’s target: getting players mentally and physically fit

Chris DHAMBARAGE

The newly appointed captain of the Sri Lanka team Kumar Sangakkara said that his prime target is to get his players mentally and physically fit ahead of the important International Cricket Council (ICC) Twenty20 World Cup which will be staged in England in June this year.

The stylish left hand wicket keeper batsman was always the front runner to succeed Mahela Jayawardena who stepped down as skipper after the recent two Test series against Pakistan.

Sangakkara said that they will have a good opportunity of getting back into the playing field after the unfortunate incidents in Lahore with the commencement of the SLC Inter Provincial Twenty20 tournament which begins on March 25.

“My immediate focus is on the ICC World Twenty20 and as we prepare for this and the year ahead I will be stressing to the players the individual responsibility they must take on to improve and develop their games”. Sangakkara who has played a total of 80 Test matches and 246 one day internationals was also injured in the attack and was hospitalised after the 25 member team was flown home last Wednesday.

Sangakkara felt that the Inter Provincial Twenty20 tournament will provide the opportunity for most of the players to fine tune themselves and prove their capabilities for the national selectors.

He also stressed the importance of having a highly competitive domestic first class tournament which will be of great advantage for the up and coming players to make their presence felt.

Sangakkara broke into the limelight at the age of 22 and since then he has been a regular member of the Sri Lanka test and one day teams. He has scored a total of 6764 Test runs with a best effort of 287 runs to average 54.99.

He has also notched up 18 centuries and 30 half centuries. In the shorter version of the game and has accumulated a total of 7408 runs at an average of 36.31 inclusive of ten hundreds and 48 fifties.

Sangakkara put on a record 624 runs for the third wicket along with his captain Mahela Jayawardena in a test match against South Africa at the SSC ground in Maitland Place in July 2006.

He followed up that with back to back centuries in New Zealand and twin unbeaten double centuries against Bangladesh and a magnificent 192 against Australia. He also played a major role in helping Sri Lanka win the Asia Cup by scoring three centuries in Pakistan last year.

Meanwhile Sangakkara will have as his deputy the World’s leading Test and one day wicket taker, 36-year old spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan who is only the second player after Sachin Tendulkar to hold two cricketing World records.

Sangakkara said that Muralitharan’s inspirational leadership and vast experience, coupled with his great integrity and complete trustworthiness, made him the ideal choice as vice captain and is very much pleased that he accepted the responsibility.

Muralitharan who is one of the most successful bowlers and probably the greatest player in history has averaged nearly six wickets per test match and has captured a total of 770 wickets from 127 matches at an average of 22.18.

He has claimed the most number of ten wicket hauls 22 and the most number five wicket hauls 66 and has a best effort of nine wickets for 51 runs.

In 329 one dayers Muralitharan has picked up 505 wickets at an average of 22.74. He has captured five wickets in an innings on ten occasions with a best performance of seven wickets for 30.