Today is Sanath Jayasuriya 39th Birthday.So Say Happy Birth day to Jayasuriya.(Post Your comments) Happy Bithday Sanath
Sanath Jayasuriya turned 39 today © TRockz
Sanath Jayasuriya celebrates a hundred on his 39th birthday, Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, Super Four, Asia Cup
Best thing For Birth Day
Jayasuriya races to 55-ball century
ST Jayasuriya: 100 off 55 balls (14 x 4, 5 x 6)
Sri Lankan veteran Sanath Jayasuriya insists he still has some cricket left in him as he approaches his 39th birthday.
Many thought the exciting left-hander's career was over when he was dropped for the one-day series against the West Indies in April after retiring from Test cricket in December.
Jayasuriya says that decision was the right one after he failed to hit a 50 in 20 innings, but he responded with some fine displays in the Indian Premier League last month.
His Tweny20 form has now seen him recalled by the Sri Lankan selectors and the former skipper will now play in the Asia Cup in Pakistan.
As he prepares for the one-day tournament, Jayasuriya insists that his age will not stop him from playing top level cricket, with his 39th birthday coming up at the end of June.
"I realise I still have cricket left in me, but the thing is to perform," Jayasuriya told Reuters.
"When you perform, age does not come into question.
"I accept I did not play well during the last six months. Getting 30s and 40s wasn't helping the team (and) they dropped me, which was quite alright."
A veteran of 411 one day internationals, Jayasuriya was happy he returned to the side after quitting because of a row with selectors in 2006, but insisted he got the timing of his Test retirement spot on.
"I proved them (detractors) wrong, playing good cricket when I came back again," he added.
"Then I decided during the (2007) England test series that I should retire and make way.
I'm happy I did that on my own terms."
One of just seven men to pas 10,000 runs in international one day cricket, Jayasuriya hit 467 runs to help Sri Lanka to the 2007 World Cup final.
The 1996 World Cup winner could even equal Javed Miandad's record of six appearances at the tournament, but he insists he is not looking that far ahead.
With still three years until the 2011 World Cup, Jayasuriya knows that as soon as his performances drop, then his age will be mentioned as a negative factor.
"I am not thinking that far as yet," he said. "At the moment I am taking it series by series and let's see how it goes.
"You need a lot more training and dedication when you come to this stage. I'm working hard, I'll see what I do in the next few series and see how it goes.
"I need to keep my performance high all the time.
"When you are 38-39, you need to perform on all the tours, otherwise age will be spoken as a factor."
Profile:
Sanath Jayasuriya brings to the Sri lankan team an all round ability which any captain would willingly have under his command. The fact that he has achieved both the highest score by a Sri lankan in one day cricket (140 vs New Zealand), and the best bowling analysis (6 for 29) is ample testament to his contribution to the side. An agressive opening batsman, who relishes the challenge of hitting out over the top, and is in posession of the range of strokes to do it effectively, he can give his side very welcome impetus early in the innings. Coupled with his gentle but reliable left-arm orthodox bowling, and his outstanding ability at any position in the field, his importance to the side cannot be underestimated.
Test Debut:
Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Hamilton, 2nd Test, 1990/91
ODI Debut:
Sri Lanka v Australia at Melbourne, World Series, 1989/90
Born: 30 June 1969, Matara
Major Teams: Sri Lanka, Colombo Cricket Club.
Known As: Sanath Jayasuriya
Pronounced: Sanath Jayasuriya
Batting Style: Left Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Slow Left Arm Orthodox
Full Name : Sanath Teran Jayasuriya
A Brilliant Entertainer
He is a dynamite it himself. Probably one of the strongest cricketers in the game he is also a thinking captain. Under his captaincy Sri-Lanka has found their winning mantra and they have combined well. On their trip to Australia in 1995 he found his real form and did not look back after that. One of the biggest reasons for Sri-Lanka lifting the 96 World Cup, Jayasuriya has broken records after records and has risen to the top. He is a good bowler as well and the best man to lead the team as he always sets an example for others. He has made runs in both versions of the game and he is the highest wicket taker for Sri-Lanka. A few months ago he went through a lean patch but he is back in form at the right time and this is bad news for other teams because once he gets going than there is no stopping. He just goes on and on hitting every bowler to the fence with such power that fielders seldom try putting their hand in between. Totally non-controversial he Sanath is a well-respected cricketer and he is a sight to watch when in full flow. .
He is a very important part of World Cricket as it was his performance in the World Cup, which brought so much excitement to this game and the game has never been the same again
Here is what these big names in cricket said about this hero
His Captain Arjuna Ranathunga- When he won the world cup Most valuable player award
"He has batted well, fielded brilliantly, and when given the ball, has come up with crucial wickets. What else can I ask of a player?``
England captain Mike Atherton about Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana:-After his 82 off 44 balls in the world cup quarter finals
"They play the first 15 overs as if they were the last 15. I think Sri Lanka have taken the game to new levels. It`s so difficult to bowl at them.``
Former Australian Captain Chappell
"Sanath Jayasuriya has been an important player in the Sri Lankan rise to the top. He is very exciting. I had the good fortune to see his two good innings in Singapore and, I haven't seen anything that is more exciting than that on the cricket field,''
Hindustan times editorial
The laws of gravitation took a holiday when Sanath Jayasuriya was at the crease
CricInfo in their top ten cricket stories of 1996
For years considered a run-of-the-mill batsman who could bowl some useful left-arm spin in one-dayers, Jayasuriya was promoted to the top of the batting order during the 1995-96 tour of Australia and, with Kaluwitharana, gave birth to an aggressive batting approach to the first fifteen overs. In the World Cup he clubbed the ball to all parts of the ground (and the grandstands) as he contributed to his country's finest sporting achievement. And in Singapore he brutalised the Pakistani attack to smash an array of one-day international batting records. A new startegy was born, but few were as capable as Jaya of carrying it through.
The Bible of Cricket, Wisden, when he reached the Number one Position in the ranking
''It was a phenomenal performance, Jayasuriya banished any notion that he is just a one-day player, batting for over 13 hours without giving a chance. He certainly deserves his high position.''
The Indian Captain Tendulkar After His 340 against India
''I have not seen Don Bradman bat, but I have seen Sanath Jayasuriya. I have not seen a better batsman in my cricketing career, as a player for India and much before that, than Jayasuriya. He is exceptional...has the skill to play shots on both sides of the wicket. He plays out of the book shots and it becomes difficult to set a field for him. Sometimes he has the luck, but a batsman of his skill, ability and capacity and option to play tremendous shots allround the wicket does not need luck. He was simply brilliant. Indeed, I have not seen any one superior to Jayasuriya,''
Clinical Sri Lanka decimate Bangladesh
Sanath Jayasuriya helped himself to a century on his 39th birthday © AFP
As birthday bashes go, this was pretty special, with Sanath Jayasuriya bludgeoning Bangladesh into submission as Sri Lanka sauntered into the Asia Cup final. Kumar Sangakkara's elegant 121, just 24 hours after a century against Pakistan, was the supporting act, and with Muttiah Muralitharan at his supple-wristed best with the ball, Bangladesh were brushed aside by a massive 158 runs. Nazimuddin and Raqibul Hasan showed some defiance, but even against an attack missing Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof, 333 was never on.
Some of the Bangladesh players were still in diapers when Jayasuriya made his debut, and they must have felt as helpless as babies when he celebrated his 39th birthday with the fluent shot-making and power-hitting that typified his halcyon years. He raced to a century off only 55 balls, and though it turned out to be a two-man show, Sri Lanka still had enough to pull off their fourth successive win of the tournament.
Having added 201 with Sangakkara in only 27.5 overs, Jayasuriya finally ran out of puff in the Karachi heat. A poor delivery from Alok Kapali was lofted to deep cover where Tamim Iqbal took the catch. There was scarcely any joy from the fielders though because, by then, Jayasuriya had pounded 130 off only 88 balls, with a heady rhythm of cuts, pulls and drives.
Sangakkara carried on though, having been reprieved by Alok Kapali off his own bowling on 51. He drove beautifully down the ground and made good use of both the orthodox sweep and the slogged version. Occasionally, he would also come down the track and loft the ball over the infield, and Bangladesh appeared bereft of options.
When Jayasuriya lashed Mashrafe Mortaza's opening delivery past point for four, it appeared to be a sign of things to come, but with Shahadat Hossain bowling a maiden first-up, Bangladesh conceded only 20 in the first five overs. The trouble started after that, with Jayasuriya dusting off his pull stroke and also driving over the infield with immense power.
Sangakkara wasn't to be left behind, piercing the packed off-side field cleverly on occasion, but after a while he gave up trying to keep pace. Jayasuriya was unstoppable. When the bowlers dropped short, he would pull over midwicket. If they were too full, the disdainful flick was unveiled. Too much width and the hoardings behind the point boundary were battered with short-arm cuts. And if all that wasn't punishment enough, he would also jump down the pitch before lashing the ball over the covers.
The half-century took only 31 balls, and when Abdur Razzak came on, he was taken for 19 runs in his second over. Two crisp fours off Farhad Reza and a single to long leg later, he had a century, the 26th of an illustrious career. Sangakkara, who had caressed some lovely drives himself, was the perfect foil, and Bangladesh's cause wasn't helped when Mushfiqur Rahim fluffed a catch behind the stumps off Razzak right after Jayasuriya had got his hundred.
His eventual departure, after slamming 16 fours and a mere six sixes, did stem the tide though, with the other batsmen unable to support Sangakkara. Mahela Jayawardene eased to 20 before pulling a long hop from Kapali to midwicket and neither Chamara, Kapugedera or Silva, could get going. Tillakaratne Dilshan was run out by a direct hit from Raqibul, and when Razzak finally sneaked one under Sangakkara's defence, Bangladesh had managed a comeback of sorts. But thanks to their openers becoming only the 18th pair to score centuries in the same game, Sri Lanka were nearly out of sight by then.
Bangladesh were notionally in the contest till the halfway stage of their innings, with Nazimuddin and Raqibul playing some fine strokes in the face of an imposing asking-rate. Nazimuddin took his time to settle, but then launched into some delightful cuts and drives once he was settled. Ajantha Mendis, who had bamboozled the Pakistanis, was thumped for a four and a six by Nazimuddin, and only a miscommunication with Raqibul saw him run out when in sight of a half-century.
By then, he had already seen Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful, the side's leading lights, depart. With Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Kulasekara giving nothing away early on, Tamim quickly became restless, and a tame nibble at a Vaas delivery was easily taken by Tillakaratne Dilshan, deputising for Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps.
Ashraful came in and took three fours off a Vaas over, but then had one of those brain-fades that he's become prone to. He was in no sort of position to try and pull Thilan Thushara, and the top-edge came down into Dilshan's hands.
But with Raqibul starting in strokeful fashion and Nazimuddin determined to tilt at windmills, the run-rate quickly soared, with Thushara coming in for harsh treatment. Nazimuddin's dismissal, halted the charge though, and after that it was all about Murali.
Rahim edged one to slip and Kapali was trapped in front by a doosra. Raqibul's brave innings was curtained by another that went the wrong way, and Razzaq cleaned up going for the sweep. When Mortaza top-edged a sweep he had five wickets for the ninth time in ODIs. It may sometimes be a young man's game, but it was the old hands that blew the candles out on Bangladesh.
© TRockz
@TRockz [email protected]
There have any error or wrong data please post it.
Last edited:
