Iqbal Khan
September 09 2008 at 11:08AM
Sanath Jayasuriya, the explosive Sri Lankan left-handed all-rounder, has signed an estimated R1,5-million two-year deal to play for the Nashua Dolphins, starting in November.
Jayasuriya confirmed early on Tuesday that he had signed for the Dolphins, but was tight-lipped about the financial side of the contract.
"I'm bound by my contract not to make any statements about the financial side of the deal," the star player said. "All I can say is that I will play for the Dolphins and help change things around over the next two seasons."
Jayasuriya, who played in the recent Sri-Lanka-India one-day series, will arrive in Durban at the end of October with his wife, Sandra, and three children, and will play for the Dolphins in the one-day MTN Championship as well as the Standard Bank Pro20 series.
But the 39-year-old, who played outstandingly for the Mumbai Indians in the lucrative Indian Premier League, is not a washed-up international player coming to soak up the Durban sunshine.
"I'm coming - that's a given," he said from Colombo early. "I still have a lot of cricket in me.
"I'm still part of the Sri Lankan one-day and the Twenty20 squads, hence I am coming to Durban with a goal: I want to transform the Dolphins into a trophy-winning team. That's my aim."
In the Indian Premier League Jayasuriya was a huge hit. He scored 514 runs with a highest score of 114 not out (9x4s and 11x6s off 48 balls) against Chennai Super Kings. He averaged 42.83 in the competition and his strike-rate was a massive 166.34.
He struck a total of 57 fours and 31 sixes in the 14 matches.
The former Sri Lankan captain has played a record 421 one-day internationals for his country, 110 Tests and 28 Twenty20 Internationals.
A delighted Yashin Ebrahim, the Dolphins coach responsible for negotiating the deal, said: "It's a dream come true for us at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead.
"He is still one of the best players of the shortened form of the game and he will no doubt add value to the Dolphins this season.
"The fact that we have not won a trophy for a few years motivated Sanath to make the trip to Durban.
"He said he loves challenges and would do his best to bring back the glory days and crowds to Sahara Stadium Kingsmead."
When asked how much the signature cost KwaZulu-Natal Cricket, the coach responded: "I'm not allowed to divulge the figure but I can tell you it cost us a lot of money.
"But I believe we have spent money in the right direction."
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