Sanath Jayasuriya the Srilankan master blaster started his international career in his favourite version of the game-One day on 26 th December 1989 in Melbourne, Australia. Born in the remote southern village in Matara he learnt his early lessons of cricket in St. Sylvester's College-Matara.
His first big break came in 1988 when he participated in the Youth World Cup in Australia., then followed the tour of Pakistan with the Sri Lankan B Team. In this tour he scored back to back double centuries.
He played his first test match on 22 Feb 1991 against New Zealand in Hamilton.
Have a look at his Career Records
I believe it would be rather appropriate to look into what these Journalist got to say about Sanath.
(Special thanks toCricInfo for the above collection)
Here is what these big names in cricket said about this hero
His Captain Arjuna Ranathunga- When he won the world cup Most valuable player award
"He has batted well, fielded brilliantly, and when given the ball, has come up with crucial wickets. What else can I ask of a player?``
England captain Mike Atherton about Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana:-After his 82 off 44 balls in the world cup quarter finals
"They play the first 15 overs as if they were the last 15. I think Sri Lanka have taken the game to new levels. It`s so difficult to bowl at them.``
Former Australian Captain Chappell
"Sanath Jayasuriya has been an important player in the Sri Lankan rise to the top. He is very exciting. I had the good fortune to see his two good innings in Singapore and, I haven't seen anything that is more exciting than that on the cricket field,''
Hindustan times editorial
The laws of gravitation took a holiday when Sanath Jayasuriya was at the crease
CricInfo in their top ten cricket stories of 1996
For years considered a run-of-the-mill batsman who could bowl some useful left-arm spin in one-dayers, Jayasuriya was promoted to the top of the batting order during the 1995-96 tour of Australia and, with Kaluwitharana, gave birth to an aggressive batting approach to the first fifteen overs. In the World Cup he clubbed the ball to all parts of the ground (and the grandstands) as he contributed to his country's finest sporting achievement. And in Singapore he brutalised the Pakistani attack to smash an array of one-day international batting records. A new startegy was born, but few were as capable as Jaya of carrying it through.
The Bible of Cricket, Wisden, whwn he reached the Number one Position in there ranking
''It was a phenomenal performance, Jayasuriya banished any notion that he is just a one-day player, batting for over 13 hours without giving a chance. He certainly deserves his high position.''
The Indian Captain Tendulcar After His 340 against India
''I have not seen Don Bradman bat, but I have seen Sanath Jayasuriya. I have not seen a better batsman in my cricketing career, as a player for India and much before that, than Jayasuriya. He is exceptional...has the skill to play shots on both sides of the wicket. He plays out of the book shots and it becomes difficult to set a field for him. Sometimes he has the luck, but a batsman of his skill, ability and capacity and option to play tremendous shots allround the wicket does not need luck. He was simply brilliant. Indeed, I have not seen any one superior to Jayasuriya,''
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