Mahela Jayawardene, a pantheon of Sri Lankan cricket in a 17-year long career, will have his last fling in Test cricket at the conclusion of the series against Pakistan in August.
If getting one’s first Test cap is a cricketer’s first dream come true, the option of deciding when to quit when still on song, is something like a midsummer night’s dream – finally arrived at with mixed feelings; Reflected by Jayawardene’s words announcing his retirement through Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), “It was not an easy decision to make given that it has been a great privilege and honor representing my country during the past 18 years. But I believe this is the right time.”
By Srian Obeyesekere
He will however, extend his international cricketing career in the ODI lane in all probability until after the 2015 World Cup. He also retired from T20 internationals in April this year.
The 37-year old veteran’s 11493 Test runs having debuted in 1997 against India and currently joint-highest by Sri Lanka batsman alongside Kumar Sangakkara, along with his 374 runs against South Africa making him the highest individual Test scorer for his country are the best manifestations of Mahela Jayawardene’s epoch ‘innings’ for Sri Lanka enriched by 33 centuries and 48 fifties in 244 innings.
He will finish on 149 Test matches in the series against Pakistan commencing at the P Sara Oval on August 14. Jayawardene’s present average of 75.77 in his six last matches underscore hos much in top fettle the little right-hander is still in.
Jayawardene will be remembered not only for his huge contribution to Sri lanka cricket as a batsman at that level, but also as an accomplished captain in the format – won 15 of 28 matches with only 7 losses – who reshaped the country’s destinies when he wore the mantle from2006 to 2009 and coming back again on the insistence of the hierarchy for one-year to steady the ship from early 2012 to 2013 when the team hit the doldrums.
A technically perfect batsman, Jayawardene follows a string of Nalanda College products such as Bandula Warnapura, Roshan Mahanama. Lalith Kaluperuma and Kumar Dharmasena who have worn the Sri Lanka cap with distinction; an added perfection of his batting artistry being the improvisation such as scooping the ball over the wicket-keeper which he brought to Test cricket acquired from instant cricket’s rollercoaster type of batting. Centuries against every Test country are another illuminating brilliance around which his Test career has been woven while being a specialist slip fielder with 197 catches.
These records are only one odyssey of the Mahela Jayawardene cricketing journey; his ODI and T 20 careers having being equally mountainous, his century against India in the 2007 world cup final in a lost cause yet standing out in a golden path of individual victory in entering a rare elite 5-man band who have scored centuries in instant cricket’s showpiece event, the others being West Indians Clive Lloyd in 1975 and Vivian Richards in 1979, compatriot Aravinda de Silva in 1996 and Ricky Ponting in 2003. This makes puts Jayawardene in to another piece of elite history as only the second Sri Lankan batsman after Aravinda de Silva to have made a ton in a world cup final.
If getting one’s first Test cap is a cricketer’s first dream come true, the option of deciding when to quit when still on song, is something like a midsummer night’s dream – finally arrived at with mixed feelings; Reflected by Jayawardene’s words announcing his retirement through Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), “It was not an easy decision to make given that it has been a great privilege and honor representing my country during the past 18 years. But I believe this is the right time.”By Srian Obeyesekere
He will however, extend his international cricketing career in the ODI lane in all probability until after the 2015 World Cup. He also retired from T20 internationals in April this year.
The 37-year old veteran’s 11493 Test runs having debuted in 1997 against India and currently joint-highest by Sri Lanka batsman alongside Kumar Sangakkara, along with his 374 runs against South Africa making him the highest individual Test scorer for his country are the best manifestations of Mahela Jayawardene’s epoch ‘innings’ for Sri Lanka enriched by 33 centuries and 48 fifties in 244 innings.
He will finish on 149 Test matches in the series against Pakistan commencing at the P Sara Oval on August 14. Jayawardene’s present average of 75.77 in his six last matches underscore hos much in top fettle the little right-hander is still in.
Jayawardene will be remembered not only for his huge contribution to Sri lanka cricket as a batsman at that level, but also as an accomplished captain in the format – won 15 of 28 matches with only 7 losses – who reshaped the country’s destinies when he wore the mantle from2006 to 2009 and coming back again on the insistence of the hierarchy for one-year to steady the ship from early 2012 to 2013 when the team hit the doldrums.
A technically perfect batsman, Jayawardene follows a string of Nalanda College products such as Bandula Warnapura, Roshan Mahanama. Lalith Kaluperuma and Kumar Dharmasena who have worn the Sri Lanka cap with distinction; an added perfection of his batting artistry being the improvisation such as scooping the ball over the wicket-keeper which he brought to Test cricket acquired from instant cricket’s rollercoaster type of batting. Centuries against every Test country are another illuminating brilliance around which his Test career has been woven while being a specialist slip fielder with 197 catches.
These records are only one odyssey of the Mahela Jayawardene cricketing journey; his ODI and T 20 careers having being equally mountainous, his century against India in the 2007 world cup final in a lost cause yet standing out in a golden path of individual victory in entering a rare elite 5-man band who have scored centuries in instant cricket’s showpiece event, the others being West Indians Clive Lloyd in 1975 and Vivian Richards in 1979, compatriot Aravinda de Silva in 1996 and Ricky Ponting in 2003. This makes puts Jayawardene in to another piece of elite history as only the second Sri Lankan batsman after Aravinda de Silva to have made a ton in a world cup final.
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