Mahela, Sanga, Dilshan essential for Test team - Jayasuriya

Sri Lankan cricket icon Sanath Jayasuriya who was appointed the new chairman of National Selectors said yesterday that senior players including former Sri Lanka captains Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekaratne Dilshan were very much a major part of his plans for the next few years for the Sri Lanka national team.


“Seniors like Mahela, Kumar and Dilshan are the players who kept the Sri Lanka team competitive and lifted it up during the difficult period. We absolutely need their hundred per cent support to build and prepare the team for the next phase. Three or four key seniors are likely to retire from the game in the next few years, and we need the support of these stalwarts to groom the next generation who will fill their shoes. At the moment, all these seniors form an integral part of our plans as all of them are still at the top of their game. We simply require their experience to add strength to the team,” Jayasuriya said.
Jayasuriya who retired from the game in 2011 has played alongside most of the current seniors of the team for years.

Jayasuriya said that he did not meet with the fellow selectors and claimed it was too early to discuss any of the plans or changes they are going to do.
“I was appointed only this evening and I couldn’t meet the rest of my team so far. I have to talk with them first and formulate a working plan. Both SLC President and Secretary are also overseas. I have to talk to them also when they come back,” said Jayasuriya.

He also said that he did not know who would be appointed the two full-time selectors out of the five members named. Along with Jayasuriya, Pramodya Wickremasinghe, Hemantha Wickramaratne, Chaminda Mendis and Eric Upashantha were named as the new national selection panel by the Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage yesterday.

Jayasuriya was also overjoyed with the big choice he has at the national level and said that the availability of talented youngsters such as Dilshan Munaweera, Angelo Perera and Sachith Pathirana were a real blessing for any selector. Jayasuriya also heaped praise on the youngsters who excelled during the current tour of Australia by the national team.

“We are blessed to have such a talented crop of youngsters coming through the ranks and making their mark. They have proved that they are more than capable of filling the boots of their illustrious seniors who did the country proud with their skills. There is no shortage of talent. The issue is tapping them correctly,” added Jayasuriya.

The former Sri Lanka captain also saw little merit in the attempts to classify him as a politician holding the selection job.

“I became a cricketer before I became a politician. I have represented the country at the highest level for two decades playing more than 100 Tests and 400 ODIs. I did not parachute here by chance thanks to some political influence. I have played the game and I have enough reason to believe that I am more than qualified to hold this post. It is obvious to everyone that this is not a political appointment. But if someone is keen to find some issue to discredit me or the government, then only they will see it that way,” Jayasuriya said. 

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