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| February 2, 2003 | Sunday | Ziqa’ad 29, 1423 |
Pen-sketches of Sri Lanka squad
COLOMBO, Feb 1: Following are pen-sketches of Sri Lanka squad:
SANATH JAYASURIYA
Born: June 30 1969. Captain, opening left-hand bat, very useful left-arm orthodox spin. Holds record for fastest ODI 50 and most runs off a single ODI over.
ODI debut: v Australia, Melbourne, Dec 1989. 287 matches, 8,645 runs, 32.13 average, 15 hundreds, 234 wkts at 35.88.
Career took off in 1996 World Cup, when named player of tournament. Credited with having changed one-day game with ‘pinch-hitting’ assaults in opening 15 overs.
Succeeded Arjuna Rantunga as captain after 1999 World Cup.
MARVAN ATAPATTU
Born: Nov 22 1970. Vice-captain, opening right-hand bat. More naturally suited to longer game — one of only four players to have scored five Test double centuries.
ODI debut: v India, Nagpur, Dec 1990. 180 matches, 5,964 runs, 37.98 av, 8 hundreds.
Started Test career with five ducks and a single in six innings. Dropped for three years. Returned 1996-97 to cement place in both teams.
RUSSEL ARNOLD
Born: Oct 25 1973. Left-hand batsman, occasional off-spin.
ODI debut: v South Africa, Lahore, Nov 1997. 109 matches, 2,705 runs at 38.09, on hundred and 19 fifties, 32 wkts at 44.25.
A Tamil and a Christian. Loves rugby, plays the guitar. Began as an opener, now seen as a reliable number six with a good batting average and strike rate of 73.40.
ARAVINDA DE SILVA
Born: Oct 17 1965. Right-hand bat, useful off-breaks, ponderous fielder. One of cricket’s greats. Third highest ODI run-scorer in history behind Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin. Playing his fifth World Cup.
ODI debut: v New Zealand, Moratuwa, March 1984. 298 matches, 9,017 runs, 34.94 av, 11 hundreds. 97 wkts at 40.21.
Has already retired from Tests and will quit completely at end of World Cup after an international career spanning almost two decades. Highest Sri Lankan run scorer in both Tests and ODIs. Won four Man-of-the-Match awards at 1996 World Cup including unbeaten match-winning hundred in final v Australia.
Axed after 1999 tournament, he returned to ODI team only seven months before World Cup after year-and-a-half in the wilderness. Lost 12kg on selectors’ orders. Had all but given up playing in 2001.
BUDDHIKA FERNANDO
Born: Aug 22 1980. Right-arm fast medium bowler, right-hand batsman.
ODI debut: v Zimbabwe, Sharjah, Oct 2001. 14 matches, 14 wickets at 36.28.
Skiddy seam bowler, can swing the ball away and gets bounce. Promising lower-order bat.
Missed chance to play in U-19 World Cup in Jan 2000 because he was eight days too old.
DILHARA FERNANDO
Born: July 19 1979. Right-arm fast medium bowler, right hand batsman. Comfortably Sri Lanka’s quickest bowler.
ODI debut: v South Africa, Paarl, Jan 2001. 45 matches, 64 wickets at 27.28.
Tends to move the ball into right-handers and off the seam, with a good slower ball.
First love at school was basketball. Produced ODI career best of 4-48 v England in Dec in Perth.
PULASTHI GUNARATNE
Born: Sept 27 1973. Right-arm fast medium bowler, right-hand batsman. Struggled to break into national side, his problems including having to work on his action after being no-balled for throwing.
ODI debut: v Bangladesh, Colombo, Aug 2002. 17 matches, 23 wkts at 29.47.
Late developer. Played eight years of first-class cricket before international debut.
AVISHKA GUNAWARDENE
Born: May 26 1977. Left-hand opening batsman. Poor fielder. Similar batting approach to Jayasuriya but without the success.
ODI debut: v Zimbabwe, Colombo, Jan 1998. 40 matches, 1,180 runs, one hundred, 29.50 average.
Hard-hitting opening batsman. Very powerful square of the wicket on the off-side. Son of high-ranking policeman.
Controversial choice for World Cup squad, having last played in July 2002.
MAHELA JAYAWARDENE
Born: May 27 197. Middle-order right-handed bat, good slip.
ODI debut: v Zimbabwe, Colombo, Jan 1998. 131 matches, 3,586 runs, 32.01 average, six centuries.
Huge natural talent. Played for Sri Lanka under-19s aged 13. Strong off back and front foot. Technically correct. Small man, he loves to hook. Concentration lapses marred early part of career. Struggled for form after made vice-captain after 1999 World Cup.
Childhood scarred by death of younger brother from cancer. Helps to raise funds for cancer hospital.
JEHAN MUBARAK
Born: Jan 10 1981. Left-hand bat, useful right-arm off-break, good fielder.
ODI debut: v Bangladesh, Colombo, Aug 2002. 5 matches, 48 runs, 9.60 average. 2 tests, av 29.50.
Superb fielder. Selected after impressed for under-19 side despite poor first-class record. Born in Washington, son of eminent scientist who was a former Cambridge Blue. Brilliant billiards player and swimmer.
MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN
Born: April 17 1972. Right-arm off-spinnerm right-hand batsman. Wisden’s greatest bowler of all time but whose unique bowling action continues to court controversy.
ODI debut: v India, Colombo, Aug 1993. 203 matches, 304 wickets at 23.10, 3.83 economy rate, best 7-30.
Sri Lanka’s bowling match-winner. A prodigious spinner, producing part finger-spin, part wrist rotation and a permanently bent arm. Unbridled aggression of fast bowler, incessant talker and very popular.
Called for throwing during tours to Australia in 1995-96 and 1998-99. Later cleared by ICC.
PRABATH NISSANKA
Born: Oct 25 1980. Right-arm fast medium.
ODI debut: v Pakistan, Sharjah, Oct 2001. 11 matches, 12 wickets at 43.00, 6.17 economy.
Injury-plagued and raw. Tall and blessed with natural pace, can be handful on quick pitches.
KUMAR SANGAKKARA
Born: Oct 27 1977. Elegant left-hand batsman, converted wicket-keeper — has worn a helmet keeping to Muralitharan because he could not read him. Studying to become a lawyer.
ODI debut: v Pakistan, Galle, July 2000. 75 matches, 1,651 runs, 27.06 av, 53 catches and 17 stumpings.
Exceptional sports career at school level — all-island champion in badminton and tennis. Sister was a national tennis champion. Law scholar. Passion for English and Russian literature.
HASHAN TILLEKERATNE
Born: July 14 1967. Left-hand batsman, reserve wicket-keeper. Fourth World Cup. Recalled three months before the tournament after being axed for being too old in 1999.
ODI debut: v India, Sharjah, Nov 1986. 188 matches, 3,526 runs, 29.38 average.
Axed after 1999 World Cup from both Test and ODI sides. Refused to retire. Fought way back into Test team in July 2001.
Recalled to ODI side in December after more than three years absence (last innings was a 12-ball duck v England in 1999 World Cup) following Test century in South Africa.
CHAMINDA VAAS
Born: Jan 27 1974. Left-arm fast-medium bowler, hard-hitting lower-order bat. Holder of best one-day bowling figures in history, the only man to take eight wickets in an innings.
ODI debut: v India, Rajkot, Feb 1994. 210 matches, 255 wkts, 28.28 av, best 8-19.
Sri Lanka’s most successful fast bowler and Muttiah Muralitharan’s sidekick. Swings ball both ways. Not been as effective in last couple of seasons but should like South African conditions.
World record ODI figures of 8-3-19-8 v Zimbabwe in Dec 2001 in Colombo, removing top eight (including a hat trick) as Zimbabwe were dismissed for 38, the lowest ever.
Also had a big part in the biggest-ever ODI victory in Oct 2000, taking 5-14 v India as Sri Lanka won by 245 runs in a triangular tournament final.
Devout catholic who once considered becoming a priest.—Reuters
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