Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Teran Jayasuriya (born 30 June 1969 in Matara) a superb allrounder has been a member of the Sri Lankan cricket team since 1989. Son of Sri Lankan kabaddi great, Tanath Om Panath Jayasuriya, he is powerfully-built, and one of the finest cricketers to emerge from the island. One of the most fearsome strikers, his aggressive attacking approach, coupled with consistency is what has distinguished him as one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket. He efficiently spearheads the Sri Lankan batting at the top of the order.

He is a mild mannered man, consensual leader and a gloriously uninhibited strokeplayer, is cricket’s most famous Buddhist and Sri Lanka’s most successful captain. Since taking charge in 1999 and harmonising the dressing room with his egalitarian leadership style, Sri Lanka has won 18 out of the 39 Tests and 59 of the 101 ODIs they have played. But Jayasuriya, when he eventually lays down his smoking Kookuburra blade, will be most fondly remembered for his destructive batting. He made his Test debut against New Zealand in 1990-91 before blasting his fame in the 1996 World Cup with a series of audacious early over assaults. He proved he was more than a one-day specialist with 340 against India in 1997-98, but lost form and confidence after becoming captain. However, in the past 18 months he’s worked assiduously on his game.

He cuts and pulls with awesome power, the brutal smash over point being his trademark shot (invented by himself). Jayasuriya’s greatest contribution to ODIs came during the 1995-96 tour of Australia after he was promoted to the top of the batting order and developed the aggressive batting approach in the first fifteen overs revolutionising the mindset of opening batsmen in ODIs, makin the batsmen much more conscious of exploiting the fielding restrictions early on.
He was names one fo the Wisden Cricketers of the Year 1997 and captained the Sri Lankan team in 28 Test matches from 1999 to 2003. He posseses good batting average in both One-day Internationalsand Test cricket, and an excellent batting strike rate in One-day Internationals.

As a left-arm orthodox spin bowler, reflects a reasonable bowling average and economy rate. He has taken over 350 international wickets and helps to decrease the workloads and keep pressure of the strike bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.

He holds the world’s second highest ODI score, a blazing 189 runs against India. India lost the match by a landslide, 245 runs, which as of February 2007, is the second highest margin of defeat by runs in a One-Day International match. As of February 2007 he held the four highest individual scores by a Sri Lankan, and seven of the top nine.

He currently holds the record for the fastest fifty in ODIs, scored off just 17 balls. Jayasuria was also the previous record-holder for the fastest century (off 48 balls), before losing that claim to Shahid Afridi of Pakistan. Having hit over 200 sixes in one day internationals (ODIs), currently holds the world record for most ODI sixes. He has become the fourth batsman to score more than 10,000 runs in ODIs. On 20 September 2005, during the Second Test of the home series against Bangladesh, Jayasuriya became the first Sri Lankan to play 100 Tests, and the 33rd Test cricketer to achieve this feat. He also holds the record of scoring most the highest runs in an ODI over (30; he has achieved this feat twice).

Jayasuriya is also married and has two children, Nadira and Dimitri.