Sri Lanka Cricket

'I'm a little disappointed not to obtain that Test average as much as 50':Mahela Jayawardene

Interview by Gaurav Kalra


"There was no Sri Lankan who had scored 10,000
 runs in Test cricket. I wanted to push myself to get there, which I achieved"
Offers there been a minute since you retired if you have questioned your choice?
Not really, in no way. I think that's the best thing because then I understand I made the best call. It's always a difficult decision to help to make. You never know when may be the right time. But I've always felt which i would get the actual hint from inside me, and i quickly just needed to ask the best questions of personally.

A few things I'd to process, one being which I'd had an excellent year with the bat in most formats, especially within England, when all of us won. Our following Test series, in addition to the two Tests within New Zealand, is within July-August next 12 months, so we have no Test cricket for nearly ten to 12 several weeks. I am likely to get older through another year. Where is the inspiration? Do I possess anything to keep?

The other side from the scale was much more family time, and that's a priority. At the same time frame, I always desired to leave when I was on the top, batting really nicely, contributing to the actual team cause, successful. That's important personally as well. So I felt it had been the right time and I will focus my final four to 5 months purely about the World Cup preparation and make certain I give my personal best because it will likely be my last Globe Cup and my personal last international too.

One of the advantages of your batting was the looks of it. How aware were you to the fact that when you batted everyone was just mesmerised?

That's who I'm. I played simply because I loved the overall game. It wasn't the actual numbers, getting to that particular milestone or busting that record. Personally, it was simply the pure joy of heading out there and taking pleasure in my cricket. What ever came my method, records, achievements, I've taken it during my stride and tried to enhance myself. Other than which i haven't gone from the way I started like a 20-year-old. My method hasn't changed. The approach using formats has changed purely due to the responsibility and role I've been given in the actual team. I am a little disappointed that I haven't had the opportunity to get which average of 50, however after 149 video games, I am quite pleased with 49.

Would you look at your self as someone that accomplished everything you attempted to?


When I started being an 18-19-year-old, I just desired to play for my personal country. After creating myself, I arranged myself certain objectives. Like, there had been no Sri Lankan that had scored 10, 000 operates in Test cricket. I needed to push myself to obtain there, which We achieved. It's simple to say I might have played more, accomplished more, but I didn't desire to be someone else.

Whenever your game is dissected, among the things said is actually: you have an excellent home record although not so great abroad, especially Australia as well as South Africa. Is that the disappointment in your job?
A little little bit. But as the Sri Lankan, we do not get regular tours in order to those places. We made my debut within 1997 but We didn't play the Test match within Australia till 2004. Despite the fact that I toured South Africa last year, I didn't perform a Test complement. I played within 2002-03. For me personally, it took a little bit of time to find out about those conditions.

In England We adapted because every 3 years we go presently there. The conditions grew to become friendlier. My record in England is more preferable. It's not a reason but I might have hoped I had the chance to challenge personally and score much more runs.

My one-day report in Australia as well as South Africa is more preferable because we perform more one-day cricket presently there. But unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to accomplish what I ought to have, I concur. I think I have played six [seven] Assessments in Australia within 18 years associated with international cricket, that is not fair.
How about the domestic framework in Sri Lanka? Is there an excessive amount of a gap in between first-class and worldwide level?
Yes, regrettably. If you appear te
n to 15 many years back, it wasn't a problem. But now worldwide standards have improved a great deal. We haven't had the opportunity to lift the domestic cricket. Fortunately we possess a good schools framework, where kids play lots of good cricket. They develop until 16-17 to an excellent level. But there's a gap with the club cricket. We have to bridge that space. We've given a lot of new ideas however unfortunately nothing may be implemented.

I feel we have to have a provincial set-up in between international and club cricket in which the best cricketers perform. Keep club cricket as it's been but have an additional level. We aren't a big nation, so maximum 5 to six provincial groups. They play good-quality cricket, therefore the standards are greater.

The relationship along with Kumar Sangakkara has been probably the most enduring of your lifetime, and now the actual cricket side of it will end.
It is good to possess someone like which. He's a really intelligent cricketer, an extremely intelligent human becoming. To have someone like this as your best mate off and on the field is actually good. Because we rebound things off one another, decision-making becomes easier. We aren't 2 guys who state yes to every thing. We always dispute, so that we make certain the decisions tend to be good. When I say "we" it certainly is the team, not only Sanga!

There was the conscious effort from the two of you to bridge the actual senior-junior divide within the team.
We made it happen when it found our contracts, obligations, structures, everything. You cannot do that by creating a breeding ground just inside the actual dressing room. We needed to show that there's not much of the difference between the very best guys and the underside guys. As long while you push yourself, if you achieve certain requirements, you can reach those top slabs from the contracts.

There was an enormous disparity between the top and base slabs. We got those much nearer and gave all of them incentives to drive themselves. At the same time frame we opened forums for that younger players who enter into the team to possess a dialogue and provide their inputs in to team decisions, have them into committees, get them involved with fun activities these people organise - they control everything, so it becomes a far greater environment inside the actual dressing room.

Murali accustomed to take younger gamers out for meals even in the '90s
Even towards the day he upon the market, Murali got combined with the juniors. Whoever arrived to the side, he was the very first one to consider him out for any meal. Maybe he experienced younger when he or she spent time using the younger boys! After i joined the group, Murali was the bachelor. Even their wife knows associated with his adventures! All innocent - we'd go out, possess a good night out and return.



"I've always experienced every team should play no less than eight to 10 Test matches each and every year"

It seems he's excellent with batting guidance.
His advice would come should you got out to some spinner. He hates when batsmen escape to spinners. He watches lots of cricket. If there is a Mr Cricket within Australia, there had been a Mr Cricket within Sri Lanka within Murali. He knows everything that's happening and he reads the overall game very well. Whenever he talks, he or she talks sense. It's that he talks a great deal! He was fantastic to possess in the outfitting room.

Do you think Sangakkara will carry on?
They are personal decisions. We do not get too involved in giving suggestions about that. I spoke to him after i made my phone. He wasn't happy but he recognized where it's originating from. Kumar is batting very well, but it's as much as him to select his career. We'd a wonderful 15 many years. It will be good to view him on the actual screen.

What do you consider of the state from the world game at this time?
I think the overall game has evolved. All of the formats have enhanced. With T20s, the level of skill has improved of cricketers and they've taken it in order to one-day and Check cricket. Test cricket is becoming much more appealing - big ratings, quick scores, as well as aggressive cricket. But it is necessary that we preserve a balance, make certain we play high quality cricket, not amount. I've always experienced every team should play no less than eight to 10 Test matches each year. If we may come to that answer, that would end up being great. You possess the iconic series, that is traditional, so those nations might play a little more, but try as well as keep that increased exposure of playing no less than eight to ten Tests for every country. Otherwise, the countries which play less Test cricket will discover it tough to maintain their standards upward.

What are your plans following the World Cup?
I haven't made a lot of plans. I will still play a little bit of cricket. It is going to be tough to leave the overall game completely, but I don't desire to be a permanent light fixture. So if I will have my own schedule and become involved, I'd become more than happy in order to. But if not really, there's a large amount of other things happening during my life with companies and family.

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