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Full Name: Sanath Teran Jayasuriya
Whilst there will always be the occasional New Zealander championing the cause of Mark Greatbatch as the ODI revolutionary, Jayasuriya and partner-in-crime Romesh Kaluwitharana transformed the psychology of opening batsmen forever. Epitomised by Jayasuriya's 82 off only 44 balls against a shell-shocked England side, the no-holds-barred approach of the Sri Lankan batting order shattered the mould of fifty-over cricket. Pinch-hitting had arrived. On his day, Jayasuriya can be one of the most devastating batsmen in the world - and when set, near-impossible to dismiss. With his trademark flat-batted and square-driven sixes, he has registered some memorable moments: his highest ODI innings - an exceptional 189 against India in Sharjah in 2000 - standing alongside a seventeen-ball fifty in Singapore in the weeks after the World Cup, to name just a couple. In the match in Singapore, Sri Lanka's first wicket fell at 70 - Kaluwitharana, bowled Aaqib Javed, 0. When Jayasuriya followed for 76 off only 28 balls, he had struck four boundaries and five maximums, peppering the streats and gardens outside the Padang Ground. Like any explosive batsman, his achilles heel has always been inconsistency - and this has equally manifested itself in the Test arena. Accompanying his fourteen centuries are fourteen ducks, yet his high point of 340 against India on a lifeless RPS track in Colombo will always be scarred by the missed opportunity to set a mark standing worldwide - rather than merely for Sri Lanka. Allied to his batting skills, he led his country for three and a half years, including the majority of their record run of nine consecutive victories over the 2001/02 season. His slow left-arm darts have recorded close to 100 Test wickets and over 250 scalps in the shorter version of the game, including ten four-wicket hauls. Despite illuminating the VB series with a century in his first game back from injury, Jayasuriya is now in the twilight of his career. Having recently reversed a decision to retire from Test cricket, with rumours of presidential involvement in the background, it's clear just how much Sri Lankan and world game will be poorer for his departure. Let's hope he has one more World Cup left in him.
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