Sanath at ease amid dispute

Former Sri Lanka batsman Sanath Jayasuriya watches the three-day match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Development Emerging Team at his home ground of Matara yesterday.Photo: STAR

Sri Lanka's cricketing great and local Matara hero Sanath Jayasuriya hogged the spotlight on the opening day of the three-day warm-up match between the touring Bangladesh team and the Sri Lanka Development Emerging Team at the Uyanwatte Stadium yesterday. The 43-year-old star of the 1996 World Cup-winning Sri Lankan team returned from Kuwait yesterday to grace the ceremony held before the start of the match commemorating the occasion of the beach town hosting an international team after a long break.
There were however more reasons for the 'Matara Hurricane' to take centre stage after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) told its selectors not to consider 23 top cricketers for international cricket, including the Bangladesh series, until they agree to their new contract terms. As the situation stands, even players from the Emerging XI can make a breakthrough to the national side if the deadlock between the board and players continues. Therefore Jayasuriya, who took over as chairman of the new selection panel on February 1, is now faced with a difficult first assignment -- naming a Test side for the first Test against Bangladesh at Galle starting from March 8.
But the ever-smiling man in charge looked undaunted by the major crisis, and was hopeful that the crisis would be resolved in time. “No matter what the team is, the Sri Lanka team will play the first Test,” he responded when asked about which team will play the match -- a makeshift one or the full-strength team.
“This kind of situation never happened before but I'm hopeful that it will be solved in time and the full-strength team will play the match,” added a diplomatic Jayasuriya, who is also a member of parliament, where he represents the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance of President Mahinda Rajapakse.
Bangladesh players have displayed a lot of confidence ahead of the series, despite their poor record in the country, as Sri Lanka are considered a weaker team since the retirement of their spin colossus Muttiah Muralidaran, but Jayasuriya has confidence in the young guys. “You can't match Murali with any other bowler but we have some young talents. I have no prediction about the series but I hope young players will take the challenge and work hard,” said the former Lankan skipper.
There had been rumours about the fate of senior players after Jayasuriya's ascension to the chief selector's role, but he has his own principles about playing the role of selector.
“Broadmindedness is very important when you play this role. You don't think against any particular player. We should not mix politics and cricket and you have to be right and straight in your approach,” he asserted.
When asked about which of his two avatars -- as a member of parliament and as chairman of the selection panel -- he prefers, he said: “I got a different label after joining politics. Both cricket and politics is tough. I'm new in the game of politics but I am enjoying it. I am enjoying all the roles and I think every role is challenging but definitely I like to be known as Sanath Jayasuriya.”
The cricketing hero dreams of making a positive impact on the development of his country as a politician, and specifically to contribute to the development of his hometown. He was a people's hero as a cricketer, but in politics people are always divided. Jayasuriya however is aware of the fact and accepts it sportingly.