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| April 13, 2006 | Thursday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 14, 1427 |
Jayasuriya targets World Cup glory
COLOMBO, April 12: Sanath Jayasuriya may have experienced only pain and disappointment in his farewell Test, but he hopes the cricketing gods will smile on him at the World Cup next year.
The former Sri Lankan captain says his retirement from Test cricket will help him focus on one-dayers and he will do his best to help the 1996 champions regain the World Cup in the West Indies.
“That's what everyone wants to win,” said the 36-year-old, who quit Test cricket after the second Test against Pakistan at Kandy early this month.
It was a forgettable match for the aggressive left-hander, who suffered a thumb injury while taking a catch and then saw his team crash to an eight-wicket defeat.
“Obviously it's hard to think that I won't be playing any more Tests which are more challenging,” he said. “I enjoyed them, but the positive side of it is that now I can concentrate on one-dayers.”
Jayasuriya, who redefined batting in the opening 15 overs during his team's 1996 World Cup triumph in the sub-continent, feels the current side can repeat the performance in the Caribbean.
“I feel we've got a good side and we need to peak at the right time,” he said.
“We need to be at least very good in two disciplines in the World Cup. That's what we did in 1996 under Arjuna Ranatunga. We have got an opportunity this time also with several experienced players in the side.”
Jayasuriya is his country's highest scorer and most capped player in both forms of the game with 6,613 runs in 102 Tests and 10,625 in 357 one-dayers.
He turned the coaching manuals of one-day cricket upside-down in 1996 with his consistent over-the-top hitting at the start when only two fielders were placed outside the 30-yard circle.
He maintained his reputation as a hard and clean striker of the ball in the next 10 years and became only the fourth batsman in the shorter version of the game to complete 10,000 runs last season.
India's Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, and Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq are the others in the 10,000-club.
Jayasuriya said he had had his moments in Test cricket and it was time to quit and give youngsters a chance.
“I have enjoyed my cricket, but you have got to draw a line at some point. I thought about it a lot and there are several young players knocking on the door and it's time they got a chance,” he said. —AFP
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