Former Sri Lankan cricket greats have paid heartfelt tribute to Sir Garfield Sobers, the legendary West Indies all‑rounder whose passing has left the cricketing world in mourning.

Arjuna Ranatunga recalled how Sobers was instrumental in shaping his career from the very beginning. 

“The passing of Sir Garfield Sobers is such devastating news for the cricketing world. There have been many who have made such a significant impact in cricket, but none who can match the legacy of Sir Gary.  He was, without a doubt, the greatest cricketer of all time. I was very fortunate to have met Sir Gary in my youth. Had it not been for his persistent guidance, I may have not become the cricketer I turned out to be. I was lucky to have attended his 80th birthday celebration, 10 years ago. He would’ve been 90 at the end of this month. A leader of a class of his own, Sir Garfield was a mentor to most, but to me he was a dear friend. Sir Gary saw potential in me when no one else did. My achievements are a reflection of his legacy. The legacy of Sir Gary will live on in our memories,” he said in a post on social media. 

“He brought me from nowhere and cleared all the roads for me. I’m here today because of him,” Ranatunga said in an earlier interview, noting that Sobers had picked him as an 18‑year‑old for his inaugural Test and later ensured his return when he was dropped. 

Ranatunga added that Sir Gary saw potential in him when no one else did and that his achievements are a reflection of the late cricketer’s legacy.

Sanath Jayasuriya described Sobers as a towering figure in cricket who shared a special bond with Sri Lanka. 

“Deeply saddened by the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers, one of the greatest cricketers the game has ever known. His contribution will never be forgotten,” Jayasuriya said, extending condolences to Sobers’ family and the global cricket fraternity.

Angelo Mathews called Sobers “an icon whose talent, humility, and legacy have inspired generations,” adding, “Sir Garfield Sobers wasn’t just one of cricket’s greatest, he set the standard for greatness.”

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) also issued a statement expressing its deepest condolences. It noted that Sobers had served as coach of the national team in the early 1980s, including during the 1983 Cricket World Cup.

 “Sri Lanka Cricket, together with the entire cricketing fraternity of the country, extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family of Sir Garry Sobers during this time of profound loss,” the statement said, adding that his extraordinary legacy will continue to inspire generations worldwide. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s interim head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya has expressed pride in his team’s hard work following their historic ODI series victory over India but has indicated that he is unlikely to take on the role full-time. 

Under Jayasuriya’s guidance, Sri Lanka overcame a confidence crisis after a 3-0 T20I series defeat to India, bouncing back to claim their first bilateral ODI series victory against their neighbours in 27 years.

Jayasuriya, a legendary former Sri Lankan captain, credited intense batting practice and a strategic seven-day coaching program led by Zubin Bharucha of the Rajasthan Royals also for the team’s turnaround. He praised his players for their dedication, which allowed them to perform consistently and build the confidence needed to beat the world’s top-ranked ODI side.

“I got Zubin from Rajasthan Royals and he came and did a seven-day coaching program. We learnt a lot, the players learnt a lot on how to bat long innings, and one batsman was batting for 2-3 hours. That gave the batters a lot of confidence,” Jayasuriya said.

Despite the success, Jayasuriya remains committed to his initial agreement to serve as interim head coach only through the upcoming Test series against England. He hopes Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will soon find a permanent head coach to continue building on the team’s recent achievements.

“Sri Lanka cricket is looking for a coach at the moment. I stepped in for two series: the India series and the England series. They will look for a coach, I’m there as an in-charge for high performance but I will support Sri Lanka cricket,” he added.

As Sri Lanka prepares for the England series, the search for a long-term head coach will be a priority for SLC, with the aim of sustaining the momentum generated by Jayasuriya’s short but impactful tenure. (Newswire)

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Legendary Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya has heaped praise on young cricketer Pathum Nissanka following the latter’s maiden ODI double-century against Afghanistan.

Nissanka broke the record of 189 runs scored by Sanath Jayasuriya against India in Sharjah in 2000, which remained the highest ODI score amassed by a Sri Lankan for over 20 years.

Pathum Nissanka yesterday became the first Sri Lankan player to score a double century in One Day International (ODI) cricket.

He scored 210 off just 139 balls to register the first-ever individual double-century for the Lions and also became the 12th player to hit an ODI double-century in international cricket.

Heaping praise on the young cricketer, Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya called the cricketer’s performance a masterclass in batting, adding that he was privileged to witness it in person. 

Responding to the senior cricketer, Pathum Nissanka thanked Jayasuriya for all the support and guidance offered to him, adding “Your 189 will always be the best ODI innings played by a Sri Lankan.” (NewsWire) 

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Sri Lanka cricketing legend Kumar Sangakkara spoke to the Sri Lanka Under-19 cricket team which will leave for South Africa to participate in the Under-19 World Cup.

During a nearly one-hour meeting, Kumar Sangakkara and Sri Lanka Cricket consultant Sanath Jayasuriya shared their experiences and also motivated the young cricketers, building up their confidence before they depart for the cricket tournament.

The Sri Lanka Under-19 team will leave for South Africa, next week to participate in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held from January to February.

It is reported that either Sri Lanka Cricket consultants Sanath Jayasuriya or Mahela Jayawardena will travel along with the team as a mentor.

Initially, the Under-19 Cricket World Cup was set to be hosted by Sri Lanka. It was, however, moved to South Africa following the ban imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sri Lanka Cricket.

The Sri Lanka Under-19 team also recently suffered humiliating defeats at the Under-19 Asia Cup tournament held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), failing to qualify for the Asia Cup. (NewsWire)

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Former cricketers Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardena will work as cricket consultants for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), but in different capacities, SLC Vice President Ravin Wickramaratne clarified.

Speaking during a television talk show on local media, Wickramaratne explained that Mahela Jayawardena is tasked with discussing and creating strategies for the performance of the national teams.

He further said Mahela Jayawardena will focus on the strategies of the Sri Lankan teams, largely focusing on the national team.

The SLC Vice President said, however, that Sanath Jayasuriya has been tasked with the conditioning of the cricket teams, starting from junior cricket to the national team.

He is tasked with conditioning the players, which includes injuries, mental preparation, and fitness-related strategies, which will be done from the High-Performance Unit.

Ravin Wickramaratne added that Sanath Jayasuriya will work together with the coaches, conditioning and developing the cricketers for international standards. (NewsWire)

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Former Sri Lanka cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya has shared fascinating insights about world-cup-winning Sri Lanka cricketer Aravinda de Silva, who has been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, calling him the best.

Sri Lanka cricket great Aravinda de Silva was inducted into the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Hall of Fame in a ceremonial event in Mumbai on Tuesday (Nov 14).

Aravinda de Silva was officially welcomed into the ICC Hall of Fame alongside other Sri Lanka cricketing greats Muttiah Muralitharan (2017), Kumar Sangakkara (2021) and Mahela Jayawardene (2021) who were earlier awarded the privilege. (NewsWire)

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The much-awaited trailer of the Tamil film ‘800’, a biopic on Sri Lankan bowling legend Muttiah Muralitharan was unveiled in India on Tuesday (Sep 05).

Cricketing legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya participated in the trailer launch, alongside former cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan. 

During the launch, Tendulkar, Jayasuriya, and Muralitharan were seen praising each other and sharing light-hearted moments during their tenures as cricketers. 

‘God of Cricket’ Sachin Tendulkar revealed that India would hold meetings on how to tackle Muralitharan and what are the signals to pick, adding that, however, Muralitharan kept reinventing himself and was difficult to read. 

Chippin in, Muralitharan said Sachin Tendulkar was among the few cricketers who had managed to read him well, adding that other players included India’s Rahul Dravid and West Indies’ Brian Lara.

Sri Lanka great Sanath Jayasuriya also shared some memories of sharing the dressing room with Muralitharan, claiming that one needed earplugs when Murali was in the dressing room screaming away at every ball and wicket. 

The film ‘800’ features Slumdog Millionaire fame actor Madhurr Mittal as Muralitharan. Directed by MS Sripathy, 800 — a reference to the record number of wickets Muralitharan took in test cricket — is scheduled to be released in cinemas in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. (NewsWire)

"Murali is a dangerous bowler, Sanath used to come for batting in boxing mood" Sachin Tendulkar at Murali 800 Biopic trailer launch pic.twitter.com/KT2YzCw17l

— NewsWire (@NewsWireLK) September 6, 2023

Watch full video:

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A Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion event has been organized inUnited Kingdom (UK) on Saturday, the 25th of February 2023 which will be headed by Sri Lanka Tourism Ambassador and former Sri Lanka cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya. 

It has been organized together with the Midlands Ceylonese and Brits Foundation, which was formed with the goal of supporting Sri Lanka through the collective effort of Sri Lankans and British communities in the UK. 

‘#SriLankaCan’ is a project led by the former cricketer to promote tourism in Sri Lanka and reinvigorate the Island nation’s growth plans. 

The event focuses on promoting Sri Lanka as the number 01 tourist destination in the world, gathering Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to support Sri Lanka in its rebuilding process, hosting events targeting niche areas on the island to reinvigorate the growth plans, and using the British communities to actively support Sri Lankan projects. (NewsWire)

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