Sri Lanka’s exit from the Cricket World Cup spelled curtains for Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene’s one-day careers – but what careers they were!
Sangakkara departs the 50-over arena with 25 hundreds and 14,234 runs from his 404 matches, while Jayawardene amassed 19 tons and 12,650 runs from his 448 contests.
But how do the men themselves and four superstar pundits, Jacques Kallis, VVS Laxman, Bob Willis and Mark Butcher, reflect on the Sri Lanka legends’ one-day records? Here’s how…
SUPER SANGA
Kumar Sangakkara: “I’ve always tried to evolve with the game and when something hasn’t worked I’ve changed. I don’t think there is any great secret to being good at something: you just work hard and make the most of your talent. I am pretty at peace with the decision I’ve made to retire from one-day cricket and after my final few Tests I plan to wind down slowly.”
Jacques Kallis: “He is one of the better players ever to play for Sri Lanka, if not the best with his mate Mahela, and was a pleasure to play against. He had the ability be consistent and to take the game away from you and you never felt safe until he was out, while he constantly innovated as well. He is a class act and a few bowlers are happy they won’t have to face him anymore!”
VVS Laxman: “You have to remember that he was a wicketkeeper for much of the time as well as a batsman but he remains one of the fittest players in the Sri Lanka side. He is a role model and ambassador, too, in the way he has carried himself and inspired not only the youngsters in Sri Lanka and Asia, where cricket is a religion and you are expected to perform all the time, but the world over.”
Bob Willis: “There is a case for saying Mahela has been on a downward curve for some while now and an ODI average of under 34 is not heart-stopping from 448 matches, so I have my reservations on calling him great, but Sangakkara is up there with the greatest of all time and right behind Sachin Tendulkar.”
MAJESTIC MAHELA
Mahela Jayawardene: “It’s tough to leave international cricket this way but when I sit down in a few months’ time I will realise what good things I’ve done and what good memories I have. I have just tried to keep things simple and play to my strengths but I enjoyed adapting to modern-day cricket and the shots that need to be played to get big scores, as well as the rule changes.”
Jacques Kallis: “He is a world-class player and one who played the game in the right way. He was always competitive and it is always great to see nice guys succeed and come through in life. I remember first coming across him when I was on a South Africa A tour when I was 18 and he was a couple of years younger. He scored a truckload of runs in Sri Lanka and I knew from that point we’d be talking about this boy for some time!”
VVS Laxman: “You often took it for granted that Mahela was going to get a hundred but I will remember him as one of the best captains I played against. He was an excellent strategist, had a great understanding of angles in the field and always handled his players, including Murali and Lasith Malinga, brilliantly, even when Sanga was captain. He was an exceptional leader and not only fulfilled his potential but bettered it.”
Mark Butcher: “Mahela, and his mate Kumar, held the torch for the guy that wasn’t all about biceps and swinging heavy bats. He was as beautiful to watch as he was annoying and difficult to bowl at. By the end of his career, he was as good 360 degrees around the wicket as anyone without losing his grace.”
