Star batsman Kumar Sangakkara’s obsession for training is very well known in cricket circles and no one was surprised when he opted to play two First Class games for County Champions Durham as preparation ahead of Sri Lanka’s bilateral series against England.
The prolific left-handed batsman has won many accolades from mates and opponents for his total focus and dedication for the game and yesterday, Roy Dias, who occupied the national cricket team’s number three position two decades before Sanga, paid high praise for the 36-year-old.
During a lengthy interview with ‘The Island’ (to be published shortly), we asked whom Dias rated as the best from the two, Aravinda de Silva and Sangakkara. Dias came up with some interesting thoughts.
“Two different styles I would say,” he said. “Aravinda was a very confident player. He could adjust from one opposition to another and from one bowler to another. He got that fine double-hundred in New Zealand where he just kept pulling. Aravinda from his school days was destined for greatness. But this guy Kumar Sangakkara amazes me. He is a hard worker. Kumar teaches us something and that is despite limited talent you can achieve great things if you only work harder. Today he is world’s best batsman.”
Dias has had a few coaching stints in Malaysia and Nepal and currently coaches Tamil Union.
“Tamil Union were playing a Premier game at NCC. Kumar had just scored a triple hundred and a hundred in the same Test in Bangladesh. That was a Friday and Kithruwan Vithanage came up to me and said that Sanga wanted to have a chat to me. I went down and had a chat with him. Then the team was warming up. I saw Sanga playing shots in the NCC nets and someone throwing the balls at him. Sanga’s father, who was one of his first coaches, was keeping a close eye on the other side of the nets. Kumar’s driver was doing throw downs to him. I just stopped my players and said, ‘listen, had you got a triple hundred and had a fantastic Test and ODI series, would you come two days after that at nine o’clock in the morning to just play a few balls’. I have a lot of respect for Sanga,” Dias said.
“I just couldn’t’ imagine what he was doing that day. If you had got a triple hundred in a Test Match, you would think I am the greatest and just sleep at home. Why Sanga is number one today is because of his commitment,” Dias added.
His going early to England and playing county cricket is seen as a sign to improve his record in England. While Sangakkara has an impeccable career average of 58.07, in England he has managed only half of that, with his average stagnated at 30.58.
“I guess he has realised it. He is a bright bloke and a good student of the game. Maybe he thinks that this is his last tour to England and he wants to leave a mark. I mean, in every country he has kept his mark. He probably wants to improve his record in England too. Into the bargain, I think he would like to see that name K.C. Sangakkara coming up in that Lord’s dressing room honours board,” Dias further said.
While Sangakkara scored his maiden Test hundred in England the last time Sri Lanka toured England in 2011, a Lord’s hundred has eluded him. Not only him, but some of the top names of the game like Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Sunil Gavaskar have failed to score a hundred at The Home of Cricket. Will it happen this time for Sanga?
“It should happen. He should get his name engraved there. Sachin in ten or 15 years time might regret not having his name there. Lara might regret as well. May God help Sanga to get that landmark! You can get a hundred anywhere in the world, but a hundred at Lord’s is the thing. That will be a great thing for him. I pray he gets there,” Dias concluded.
