Tuesday 24th March, 2009 15 The Changing of Guards fight back to save the match. His second life, I can find no substitute for my time good. In just five Test matches, innings knock of 119 will remain as one at Trinity. Here I drank somewhat Sangakkara scored over 900 runs with of his best innings. Sri Lanka squared reluctantly and sparingly from the cup a stunning average of 250 with two cen- the series by winning the third Test in of education. I conquered all and lost turies and two double hundreds. Three Trent Bridge. Then came the biggest all on her playing fields and, more centuries in the 2008 Asia Cup not only blow to England’s pride as he led Sri importantly, I forged lasting human assured his place at the top of the rank- Lanka to a 5-0 whitewash in the ODI relationships ings but ensured that Sri Lanka ended series. “Trinity prepared me for my final as champions. Mahela Jayawardene was only the quest; my quest for knowledge. To me, He had by now earned a reputation stand-in captain until Marvan Atapattu Trinity lies, not in the walls that sur- as a sharp tongued sledger, with a dif- recovered from his injuries. But the round us or the buildings that housed ference. However, his honest opinion is selectors could not ignore the perform- us or in the ground we stand on. To find that sledging doesn’t belong on the ances of Jayawardene both as a bats- her true resting place you have to close cricket field. His sledging is generally man and a leader during Atapattu’s your eyes for a moment, look within confined to apparently innocuous one- absence. While his batting form you into your heart and soul and mind liners that gets into the skin of his slumped after he was appointed vice for Trinity lives within you and she opponents much more sharply than captain, the elevation to the captaincy lives within me. She nurtures you, for- any abusive language. He admires resulted in a complete transformation. tifies you and when you are ready, Arjuna Ranatunga for his fighting Runs cascaded from his bat as he led unleashes you to make your own mark qualities and states that it was from the front. The result was that the upon the world for it is a life you forge Ranatunga who inspired the Sri selectors persisted with Jayawardene for yourself in society. Lankan team to believe in themselves. and it was he who led the side in the ”That, in the final analysis, defines, While some opponents hated 2007 World Cup. Jayawardene guided the true essence of Trinity.So, I tell you Ranatunga for his tactics Sangakkara Sri Lanka to the final of the World Cup all students today,‘Do not go gentle into earned grudging respect from his oppo- with some brilliant performances with the good night’ but strengthen your nents for his aggressive style. He the bat and earned the admiration of hearts to become beacons of hope and became the television producers’ first the entire cricket world for his role in inspiration so as to ensure that Trinity choice for post match sound bites. salvaging the final of the world’s pre- continues to produce leaders and cham- Sangakkara, seemed a natural succes- mier cricketing event from ending in a pions, but above all, good human sor capable of taking on the modern farce. His role as the captain who saved beings that you and I will call brother”. day game head On. this World Cup from ending in chaos This speech will tell you a lot about His highest score in Test cricket is caused by the bungling incompetence the man who will lead Sri Lanka in the 287 against South Africa when he was of seasoned officials went a long way in involved in that world record partner- Sri Lanka winning the ICC award for ship of 624 with his friend Mahela ‘Spirit of Cricket’. Ricky Ponting may Jayawardene. He followed it up with have won the World Cup but Mahela Letter back to back hundreds against New Jayawardene was the captain of the Zealand and then came that glorious World Cup. He was named as one of the field of international cricket. At the knock of 192 against Australia at The two captains. Kumar Sangakkara the newly appointed and Mahela Jayawardene, Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year. time he burst into the international Hobart. He was cruising to his seventh his predecessor. The highlight of his career has to be scene he was not able to make a mark double hundred when umpire Rudi that memorable 374 against South in the way that Mahela Jayawardene Koertzen erroneously declared him by M. A. Cyril There was no doubt that even his worst Africa which is the highest Test score did. He was tried as a wicketkeeper out. The way Sangakkara was batting it critics would acknowledge him as one by a Sri Lankan and the fourth highest batsman but he had to compete against appeared that there were hopes of his- hen Mahela Jayawardene of the best batsmen, in today and a score in the history of the game. It a very popular player like Romesh tory being made at the Bellerive Oval. decided to step down as Sri player with exceptional leadership remains the highest score by any right- Kaluwitharana to take up the wicket- Anyone would have been angry with WLanka’s captain at the end of qualities which won him the ICC award hander in the history of Test cricket. keeper’s job. His batting was not that the umpire for giving such a wrong the recent ODI series against India, the as the Captain of the Year in 2006 ahead In 102 Tests Jayawardene has scored impressive to win a place as a spe- decision but Sangakkara was magnani- national selectors had no cause for of Australian captain Ricky Ponting, 8251 runs at an average of 53.23 easily cialised batsman in a strong batting mous when he said that it was a nice panic as Sri Lanka had a ready made Michael Vaughan, England’s Ashes- the highest by any Sri Lankan bats- line-up. Sangakkara did not take long gesture on the part of the umpire to captain in waiting. There was no doubt winning skipper and India’s Rahul man. In 299 ODIs he has aggregated to absorb the scene. come and have a chat after the match. in anyone’s mind that the eloquent Dravid. 8042 runs at an average of 32.03. Sangakkara was studying to become This wrong decision denied Kumar Sangakkara would succeed as When the 20-year old former Statistically he is Sri Lanka’s most suc- a lawyer. He gave up his law studies Sangakkara his third successive double the 12th captain of Sri Lanka. Nalandian first appeared in the inter- cessful captain. temporarily to study the intricacies of hundred in Test cricket. Jayawardene’s decision to relin- national scene he was hailed as a future While Mahela Jayawardene had an the art of batting and also the more Sangakkara has played in 80 Tests quish the captaincy came as a surprise star worthy of fitting into the shoes of outstanding career as a batsman in alien craft of wicketkeeping. He had scoring 6764 runs at an average of 54.99. even to most of his teammates. The rea- the great Aravinda de Silva. The school cricket the same cannot be said the capacity to learn the finer points in In 246 ODIs he has scored 7408 runs at sons he has given are that this is the authorities were so taken up by his of his successor Kumara Sangakkara. the game and soon rose to be the best an average of 36.31 with 138 n.o. as his ideal time to step down as his successor potential that he was prematurely ele- As a school boy he was more interested batsman of the side. highest score. should have time to have his way ahead vated to the post of vice-captain ahead in Tennis and went on to play at the In the first Test against England in With Jayawardene and Sangakkara of the 2011 World Cup and also his poor of several senior players. The addition- national level but Tennis’ loss has been December, 2007, played in his home being of the same age and with form in the shorter version of the al burden may have been the cause for cricket’s gain. ground, Sangakkara made 152, his first Jayawardene going great guns as an game. his batting slump and his batting form However in 2004, he was awarded the hundred against England, to become outstanding captain, many would have The selectors had tried to persuade in the 2003 World Cup was the worst Trinity prize for Sports, which is the the ninth player to score Test hundreds been wondering whether Sangakkara him to stay on even as the Test captain point in his career. In the face of wide highest tribute paid by the OBA every against all Test playing countries. He would ever get the opportunity of lead- but Jayawardene was adamant. Now public criticism he was dropped from four years to old boys who have also became the youngest player to ing his country.Now that it has come in that his very close friend has taken the team for the first time when Sri achieved the pinnacle of success in a have achieved this feat.