I have always been his harshest critic. And he knows about it all too well. For the world, Kumar was this venerated technician. But in my opinion, he never reached that level. He could have done so much better with the skills he had. Everybody speaks about his average being in the same league of Graeme Pollock and Garry Sobers, but Kumar could have done better. He too often let bowlers dismiss him rather than them having to get him out. For me, Don Bradman was the ultimate batsman. He scored a century once in every three innings. If you truly consider yourself to be a world-class batsman, you should be able to do that.

Kumar did well, don’t get me wrong. But did he achieve his true potential? I don’t think so. I started working on Kumar’s cricket from a very young age. He always had great touch. You could see that from the way he connects his shots. But touch and technique are two totally different concepts. According to me Mahela Jayawardene had a much better technique, and a much tighter defence. Kumar’s temperament and grit is what ensured he scored more runs and averaged more than Mahela. But I still believe the likes of Mahela, Marvan (Atapattu) and Aravinda de Silva were more in control of their game in the middle.

There is hardly a shot Kumar plays that I haven’t mentored him or harangued him about. He was always very competent against the short-ball. He had a very good back-foot technique. The pitches in Kandy always have had more bounce and carry than those in the south. Kumar grew up batting on them. Mahela was lucky in the sense he faced a lot of spin in his early years. Kumar never used his feet to the spinners though, and he wasn’t comfortable against them early in his career. He did get better at it. But he took too long to get there. It also took a lot of pestering from me, often to his chagrin. Even now at times, I feel he gets too leaden-footed. For me, the one batsman I admired a lot was Sunil Gavaskar. He was someone who tired the bowlers out first with his temperament, and then put them to the sword with his array of strokes. But never did he succumb to their relentless pursuit to raid his citadel. A successful batsman is a lot like a boxer. You have to last till the 12th round to win the battle. And I ensured that Kumar grew up watching a lot of Bradman and Gavaskar, and reading about them too. I wouldn’t call Kumar a natural talent.

He has always had very skilful hands. Not many know this, but he was a very good tennis player. Tennis was his first sport. His sister, Saranga, was a more accomplished player than him. She won the senior national title when she was just 15. I think she’s still the only up-country girl to have done so. She went to the US and did really well too, and had a great future ahead of her, but she suffered a shoulder injury that killed her career. She had a forehand that most male tennis players in Sri Lanka would have struggled against. But Kumar was more talented on the tennis-court. One day Saranga beat him though in an inter-family battle of the sexes. That’s it. He never played tennis very seriously again. Cricket became his primary passion right after that defeat.

I’m sure he won’t agree with me though. Kumar and I have always had our debates, on cricket mostly. He has a very modern view of politics and general life in Sri Lanka, unlike mine. He has travelled the globe and got great exposure. And he certainly has an opinion about everything. But in most cases, in my opinion I get the bet ter of him in our healthy discussions. My wife always feels he’s a lot like me, and that we both are equally stubborn over our respective views on everything. There are some of Kumar’s innings that I remember fondly, though not all of them. His 192 in a losing cause against Australia in Hobart always gets talked about a lot. It was my favourite knock. It was alright. His four centuries in four matches in the World Cup was a good achievement too. There are many batsmen who have been tagged as great. But I consider those who really come into their own after they turn 35 and their reflexes start slowing as the true legends. I do agree that Kumar has scored plenty of runs after turning 35.

Some say he has hit a purple patch. But I wish he had hit that purple patch earlier, he could have easily scored many more runs and tons then. My son might be a cricketer, but cricket is not close to my heart. It has brought too much of malice into sport. It is no longer the gentleman’s game even if my son played it with great integrity. The corrupt practices we hear about from the IPL and T20 leagues have marred the image of the sport, quite indelibly. I didn’t have a problem with Kumar playing in the IPL, but I think he never got going there. His was a game built to be successful across all formats, but he never reached a great level in T20 cricket-even if he was there in the middle when Sri Lanka won the World T20 last year. There wasn’t much sorrow or anguish when he informed me about his decision to retire. We both agreed that his time was up, and that there was no point hanging around for much longer. These days I travel to Colombo a lot to meet my daughter, Thushari, and her kids. I am very confident about my grandson Methvan. He is a combination of Kumar and Saranga, and I see him becoming an excellent tennis player. I am not sure what Kumar has planned for his future. I don’t see him taking up law seriously at this stage. I wouldn’t advice it.

He’s 37 now. By the time he finishes his law studies, it will be another five years and by the time he establishes himself he will be well over 50. There’s no point then. I do have a new challenge for him, and I hope he accepts it. I want him to take up golf very seriously. It’s a sport where his touch and skilful hands will hold him in good stead. He’s been a professional sportsman for two decades now. That competitive spirit will never die. Golf will provide him that opportunity, and at the same time it’s a sport that he can pursue for another 30 years. Age doesn’t really matter as we have seen. And I can assure you this: I will not be half as nervous watching him on a golf course.

Ravichnadran Ashwin masterminded the visitors win, capturing 5 wickets in an inspired spell of bowling ably assisted by right arm leg spinner Amith Mishra who shared eight wickets between them to inflict the defeat and give the Indian captain the first Test win captaining a full Test series for the first time. The Sri Lankan batsmen gave a totally spineless and careless batting display while countering a world class spin attack. The Test would have finished before the lunch interval, but a downpour about fifteen minutes prior to the lunch interval delayed the inevitable loss for Sri Lanka as it was just a matter of time as to when would the curtain come down.

At the start of the final day there was much speculation whether Sri Lanka could make the 341 which they had to get after reducing the 413 by scoring 72 for 2 on the previous day. And could the Indian spinners use the turning pitch to mystify the batsmen. A lot depended on the Sri Lanka skipper Mathews who was unbeaten on 23 overnight and Dimuth Karunaratne 25 n.o. But the hosts got off to a dreadful start in the morning losing Mathews in the very first ball of the day sent by Umesh Yadav. He bowled a good first ball on the off stump and Mathews hung his bat to give the make-shift wicket keeper Wriddhiman Saha to snap the catch and Mathews went without adding to his overnight score. This ushered in a crisis situation for the Lankans which they never recovered. Chandimal promoted in the batting may be to keep the left-right batting combination made his intentions clear that he is going to live by the sword and paid the penalty.

He struck a boundary and hooked Ishant Sharma over deep fine leg for a six and while going for an ambitious sweep exposing his leg stump to Amith Mishra in his first over was bowled around his legs.
In a post match press briefing, skipper Angelo Mathews said that ‘We lost the game in the first innings. We did not play our best cricket. The wicket was pretty good to bat on and we gave a big lead and chasing a total of 400 runs plus was not easy. We just wanted to bat positively putting our negative thoughts away. It was not a really stiff target and we wanted to bat on some where around tea and see how it goes. But unfortunately I was out in the very first ball .We’ll try and get some positives out of the loss and go for the next Test. We knew that the Indians are going to come back hard on us and they played better cricket than us. Even in the first Test we came back late to win the game.’ Said the Sri Lankan captain.

He further said that he was sad that the team was unable to give Sangakkara a fitting finale and spoke highly on Ravichandran Ashwin’s efforts. ‘He was very accurate and you need to concentrate a lot while facing him.’ Indian captain Virat Kohli said that the win was pretty satisfying as they came twice, once in Adelaide and then in Galle of winning a Test. It is commendable as the boys regrouped themselves to win the Test.

He was full of praise of Ashwin’s efforts as he has been among the wickets where ever he bowled. In his mindset he is bowling in an aggressive manner. He is bowling beautifully right now even confusing the right handers. A spinner of that quality is an asset to have in any team. A weapon that any captain to have in his team.

The left-hander, who is Test cricket’s leading run-getter among those still playing, said looking at the young teams in Sri Lanka and his English county Surrey made him realize it was time to go.
Sangakkara said 37-year-old Rangana Herath in the Sri Lankan team and Surrey team-mate Gareth Batty, also 37, were the only ones who matched him in age.
“The rest are mostly 26,” he said. “I feel like a dinosaur in their company. It convinced me this was the right time to go.”
Sangakkara, who is fifth in the all-time scorers list headed by India’s Sachin Tendulkar, is head and shoulders above other current Test batsmen.

His 12,305 runs and 38 centuries far exceed second-placed Alastair Cook of England, who has 9,223 runs and 27 hundreds.
Sangakkara won’t catch up with Tendulkar’s tally of 15,921 Test runs and 51 hundreds, but his 11 scores of 200-plus are just one short of Australian legend Don Bradman’s record of 12.
Defying age, Sangakkara has been at his best over the past year. He hammered 203 against New Zealand in January, after making 221 against Pakistan and 319 against Bangladesh last year.
He became the first batsman to hammer four consecutive one-day centuries in the World Cup in Australia in February-March where Sri Lanka entered into the quarter-finals.

Sangakkara, however, looked below-par in the recent home series against Pakistan in June, with scores of 50 and 18 in the first Test, and 34 and a first-ball duck in the second.
He begins the final leg of a remarkable career at one of his favourite venues in Galle, where he made his Test debut in 2000 and also scored the first of his 38 Test centuries — against India in August, 2001.
Sangakkara justified his decision to play in only two Tests against India, just as he had done against Pakistan in June.
“The reason for the two and two split, even though it is not ideal, was the agreement I had with the previous selection committee when I was discussing my future,” he said.

“I had plans to retire immediately after the World Cup, but they wanted me to try and play a bit more Test cricket. Four Tests was all I could offer them and they were okay with that.”
Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews laughed when asked if he will persuade Sangakkara to play the third Test and also whether the series will be locked at 1-1.
“If I had my way, I would want him to play for two more years,” Mathews said. “But we have to respect his decision and it is now up to the younger players to make a name for themselves.”
In a recent interview with Cricinfo website’s online Cricket Monthly, Sangakkara argued the team is better off rebuilding without him.

“I think in Sri Lanka we have real trouble letting go,” he told the website.
“If they want senior players to assist the team, to come and spend some time at training or in the dressing room, all that can be arranged. We are all willing to do that,” he added.
“But my taking up a place for another few months is just delaying the future for someone else.”

Sri Lanka’s batting icon Kumar Sangakkara said that he was shocked when a couple of years back his father asked him whether he had not started thinking about retiring from cricket.

“I thought, “What are you trying to tell me? That I’m not good enough?” But then speaking to my mind, it actually made some sense,” said Sangakkara speaking to a packed media audience at the end of the third day of the second Test against Pakistan at the P Sara Oval where he made an official announcement about his retirement plans.

“It was back in 2012 or 2013 when he asked me that, and it struck home. Maybe it was time I paid attention to what’s happening. Then when I had my back injury against India and I came back, I realised this was going to be my last World Cup, it just kind of felt right.

“It’s a funny thing. Everyone knows that the time is right. The real thing is to decide whether to listen to that voice in your head, or you’re going to ignore it. It’s very easy to ignore.

“I’m going to finish because for 15 years, this is all I’ve known, and this is all I’ve done. It’s a bit scary as well to think of a time when you’re not playing for Sri Lanka. What are you going to do?”

Sangakkara revealed that he had thought of retiring from international even before his close friend Mahela Jayawardene.

“It was strange because I had decided before him to start writing a letter, when he called me and told me that he was retiring. I said, “OK, that’s fine. We can’t have two people going at the same time.” But that voice was telling me that, and I decided to listen to it.

“I spoke to my father, and I spoke to my family. My wife told me that playing for Sri Lanka would be great for us as a family, because that meant I’d be spending a year at home. But even she felt that it was time for me to call it a day. When I heard that, I realised it was absolutely the right decision for me to make.”

Sangakkara will play his final Test in the second Test of the Indian series which is scheduled to be played at the P Sara Oval starting August 26.

“I have decided to call it a day on my international career during the second Test of the Indian series. This was the commitment I had made with the previous selection committee. I had originally planned to retire after the World Cup, but following discussions with the previous selectors I gave the commitment that I will be available for these two series,” said Sangakkara.

“At the same time I said that I would be unable to play six Test matches, but I could do four and if that was okay and I would give 100 percent of my commitment to these four Tests. Once they said this was okay, I decided that I would extend. I am keeping my word by playing the four Test matches and deciding to call it an end after the second Test against India.”

Sangakkara who has two-year contract with English county Surrey said that he would not completely stop playing cricket after he retires from the international scene.

“I don’t think I can just completely stop playing cricket. I’ll be playing a bit of cricket for the next 2 1/2 to 3 years. It’s tough. I’m going to miss playing for Sri Lanka a hell of a lot, without a doubt. But at the same time, the high pressure is gone, the whole pressure cooker atmosphere of playing a one-day match and a Test match – all of that is gone,” said Sangakkara.

“There is a little bit of a sense of relief when you walk out playing for a county or playing for a franchise, where the intensity is different. My plans are to play a bit of cricket, keep in touch for a while, and then find a real job after a while.”

When asked about his plans when he has finally hung up his boots Sangakkara said, “I think I’d make a bad coach. It’s a tough job and it takes a special kind of person. It’s never about what you really know it’s about how you handle a lot of players. I don’t know if I’ll have the players to deal with individuals in that manner.

“Every cricketer who has gone from Sri Lanka is always available to be of service at any time – to give whatever they can back to the sport. I’ll be available at any time, if there’s anything ever needed of me. Cricket’s given me so much. Sri Lankan cricket has given me everything that I have right now. I owe it a very deep debt of gratitude, and I’ll be available at any time to serve it when and if they see fit to call on me.

“I have enjoyed my time playing for Sri Lanka. It’s the greatest honour apart from my family and my friends. I have enjoyed all formats of the game, but donning the whites for Sri Lanka has a special place. I have had the best of times, I have had disappointments and regrets and all that.

“At the end of the day I can walk away very happy knowing the disappointments outnumber the good things by far. I wish I could keep on playing,. But I know when the time comes you have to go and this is my time.

London (AFP) – Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara has been named as the Leading Cricketer in the World in the 2015 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

Australia’s Meg Lanning has been chosen as the cricket ‘bible’s’ inaugural Leading Woman Cricketer in the World — the first time the England-based annual has bestowed such an award in 152 editions of continuous publication dating back to 1864.

But editor Lawrence Booth was stinging in his criticism of the England and Wales Cricket Board for their “mishandling” of the Kevin Pietersen affair that saw the star batsman axed from the England set-up.

Sangakkara joined India’s Virender Sehwag as the only two players to be named as Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World for a second occasion.

The 37-year-old left-handed batsman and wicketkeeper won the award after a stellar 2014 that saw Sangakkara score an all-time record 2,868 international runs in the calendar year, including a triple century.

His feats, which added to an already brilliant career, included a man-of-the-match performance in Sri Lanka’s World Twenty20 final win over India last year.

Sangakkara also scored his first Test hundred at Lord’s last season, a century which came during Sri Lanka’s Test series win over England.

He later confirmed Wisden’s judgment by scoring a record four successive hundreds at the recent World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

In a tribute to Sangakkara, set to retire from all international cricket later this year, Booth said: “Choosing (him) just felt natural. And his four consecutive hundreds at the World Cup confirmed we’d chosen the right man.

“We’ll miss him when he’s gone.”

Lanning, who at the age of 21 became the youngest person ever to captain Australia, led her side to the World Twenty20 title and finished 2014 at the top of both the women’s one-day international and Twenty20 batting rankings.

Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year is an award dating back to 1889 and is generally based on a player’s performances in the preceding English season.

By tradition, it can only be won once in a career and the 2015 list included Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, England rising stars Moeen Ali and Gary Ballance and two notable county players in Adam Lyth and Jeetan Patel.

Booth’s critique of the ECB was broad and scathing, the Wisden editor writing: “A few wins might have deflected attention from a charge sheet that would include the mishandling of the Kevin Pietersen affair, worrying Test attendances outside London, a head-in-the-sand attitude to the one-day team, and — not yet a decade after the 2005 Ashes had presented English cricket with a golden chance to attract a new generation to the sport — a fall in the number of recreational players.

“National selector James Whitaker had called (Alastair) Cook ‘our exceptional leader'; Paul Downton, the ECB’s new managing director, hailed [Peter] Moores as the ‘outstanding coach of his generation'; chairman Giles Clarke trumpeted Downton as a ‘man of great judgment’. It was a nexus of self-preservation — yet, as the wagons circled, the wheels kept threatening to come off.”