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Not long ago, Jayasuriya announced his retirement from test cricket. Usually that means, ‘I’m trying to extend my limited overs’ career’. Chaminda Vaas retired from test cricket recently but wasn’t picked for the shorter version. Muralitharan announced a retirement plan. Flintoff, let’s not get started on him.
Look around, it’s tough to keep tabs on who’s retired from what form. Jayasuriya still plays IPL, ODIs, T20 internationals. He was dropped from his Mumbai Indians team, not that it helped them much. He just played two T20s for Lanka, not that it helped them much.
The twin single digit scores aside, why is he still playing – to bowl his four overs, pick a couple of wickets. Is his re-emergence planned on the lines of Shahid Afridi? In that case should he become a bowling all-rounder who bats in the middle order? Who knows, by next year’s T20 World Cup he could be set like Shahid.
Clearly Jaysuriya is jaded, just as we’re jaded watching him play. The sole purpose of this prolonged career could be 1) marvel at a forty-year-olds fitness 2) live in the golden era of the 90s. 3) Keep new talent on hold
Jayasuriya’s career can go on forever. He could still make another comeback in the ODIs, there’s old favourites India, after all. While they’re at it, they can reunite him with a not-so young Kalu. And then Kalu can retire as Kambli did - and we’ll say, but how did he retire if he wasn’t playing? Who knows, maybe Kalu has already retired.
But not Sanath. His retirement can wait, while the Warnapuras of Sri Lankan cricket are told to hang on – and ultimately hang themselves waiting for that illusive break.
We announce Sanath Jayasuriya’s retirement.
From Jayasuriya to Warnapura
Warnapura scored 243 runs, (one century, two fifties) vs. India in five innings last July. From what I recall, he had a bit of Jayasuriya in him. He batted left-handed, opened the innings, and went for everything, and your mother too!
Then the Lankans didn’t pick him for the first three ODIs when he was on song. Instead they had Sanath and Sanga open, Warnapura came in for the 4th and 5th ODIs. Back then I thought it was stupid not to pick a form opener. Little exclusions like that can break a player - if I'm not picked now, when will they, when I'm 60 years' old?, to warp a Sachinism.
Here at Bored, Damith (our Lankan Bored Member) along with the rest of them, love taking the Mickey outta Malinda (Warnapura). Today, he came in all AK47s blazing, shooting at will, like the madcap I remember from that forgettable series.
Anyway, whether Sanath can play ODIs well into his 40s is not the question – is it time for Lanka to break the umbilical cord with their favourite son?
Could mean more faith in guys like Warnapura, who aren’t exactly in their teens. FYI he’s 30 plus. That should mean another ten years in Lankan cricket, right?
