Age cannot wither Jayasuriya by AFP

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Player:	ST Jayasuriya
Event:	ICC World Cup 2006/07

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DateLine: 28th February 2007

 

Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya may be in the twilight of his one-day career, but remains as prolific as ever and this is not good news for bowlers ahead of the World Cup.

 

The 37-year-old opener will be making his last Cup appearance in the Caribbean with his reputation of destroying bowlers' line, length and reputation intact. This was precisely what he did last year.

 

Left-handed Jayasuriya was a key member of his team's successful story in 2006, scoring more than 1,000 runs with five centuries to remind the opposition that age had yet to wither him.

 

"Sanath has discovered a well of youth and he amazed everyone with a graphic display of power-hitting combined with explosive batting," said team-mate Kumar Sangakkara.

 

"He has shown that he has not lost the magic touch of being able to single-handedly win matches. He has been doing that for so many years and going into the World Cup he will once again he our batting asset."

 

Jayasuriya has already set a World Cup on fire. That was in 1996 in the sub-continent when he caught the opposition napping with his consistent over-the-top hitting in early overs.

 

He is credited with redefining batting in initial overs having fielding restrictions. He has always been more of a scientific hitter rather than a pure slogger and his record proves just that.

 

Jayasuriya is the only Sri Lankan to have completed 10,000 overs in the shorter version of the game, a feat that can never be matched by those who believe just in whacking the ball.

 

It is not only power, but also timing which are the main features of his batting. He is quick to spot error in line and length before despatching the ball to various parts of the boundary.

 

Jayasuriya is an entertainer when on song, not afraid to loft the ball in vacant areas in a bid to step up the run-rate. His clean and powerful hitting at the top has been instrumental in providing a blazing start for Sri Lanka.

 

England thought their total of 321-7 was safe at Headingley last year before Jayasuriya played a gem of an innings to steer his team to victory with more than 12 overs to spare.

 

The Sri Lankan went on the rampage, smashing a 99-ball 152 with four sixes and 20 fours. And this was not the first time he had turned the match upside-down with breathtaking strokes.

 

India suffered from Jayasuriya's punishing blade when he cracked a career-best 189 in a tri-series final at Sharjah in 2000, his blitz eventually helping his side set a challenging target and win the match.

 

It was hardly surprising from a batsman who has the fastest half-century to his credit in one-day internationals -- off just 17 balls against Pakistan in a triangular series in Singapore in 1996.

 

Jayasuriya cannot be underestimated either as a left-arm spinner, having grabbed 284 wickets before the four-match series against India in February.

 

Sri Lanka will again rely on Jayasuriya's rich experience to make a strong statement in the World Cup.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)