Sanath keen to do well for the team

The left-handed Sri Lankan powerhouse is well past his 42nd birthday, but that hasn’t dimmed his passion, desire or competitive instincts. At an age where men with lesser accomplishments have justifiably put their feet up and reflected on their journeys, the Matara Marauder is still going strong, and will be the star attraction for Sri Lankan T20 champions Ruhunu in the qualifying phase of the Champions League.

“We are underdogs,” Jayasuriya said in his lilting sing-song on Sunday afternoon. “We have a young team but we have been playing good cricket in domestic tournaments.  They have got the opportunity now to play on a bigger stage, and are keen to do well.
“I have been playing T20 cricket domestically,” said the Member of Parliament, who made it clear that he wouldn’t entertain any questions on politics. “My experience will help this young team; I want to share my experience with the youngsters. I have been practising hard and working with the team, and I want to do well for the team.”

Press him on what motivates him at this grand old age to keep raising the bar, and back comes the reply, “If you are playing well and getting runs and enjoying yourself, why not? The team is happy and so is the management, so why not continue? Yes, it is a tough game. But whenever you play Twenty20 cricket, you never know what will happen.”

Jayasuriya had nothing but sympathy for India’s plight in England. “It is part of the game,” he pointed out. “You play well but sometimes, you still can’t perform. It is a circle. Sometimes you are on top, sometimes you go down. India tried their best in England but it’s not always possible to perform to the high standards they have maintained in the last one or two years. They have been playing a lot of cricket and they work very hard but sometimes things don’t go your way. The trick lies in keeping on working hard and persisting in your desire to do well.”

Sri Lanka themselves have been struggling in Test cricket, winless since Muttiah Muralitharan retired last July. “It takes time,” Jayasuriya philosophised. “You can’t produce Muralis or Chaminda Vaas’ overnight. We need to give the youngsters some time to prove themselves. Sri Lanka has been trying out a few bowlers, we need to have faith in them. It is a process every country goes through, it’s the same with India.”

A politician, a part-time player and a commentator, Jayasuriya doesn’t play an administrative role in his country’s cricketing matters. “I’m not involved with anything in Sri Lanka Cricket,” he observed.