Former Sri Lankan captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene on Tuesday confirmed that they would join their national squad on May 16, two weeks before the IPL final.
Deccan Chargers captain Sangakkara said it was painful to leave the team in the middle of the tournament but this was an issue that the IPL and the International Cricket Council needed to sort out in future.
"It is important that ICC and IPL work together and find a window for all matches (and tournaments) so that a player does not have the predicament of choosing between his country and the club," said Sangakkara at the pre-match media briefing. He felt that Test cricket is the most important part of the game and it needed more attention.
"A player earns the cap for his country through the Test and he values it much more than everything else. In future, T20 and ODIs are going to be franchise-driven and Tests will stand the test of time in a country's cricket priorities," he said.
Mahela Jayawardene seconded his opposite number on the issue and said he would get enough time to get a practice match for Sri Lanka in England. "Kochi's league matches will be over on May 15 and I will be there with the team on May 18," he said. Deccan Chargers have one more match on May 21, which Sangakkara will miss.
Jayawardene said friendship between him and Sanga won't extend to the field on Wednesday. "I am not just playing against Sanga; we are playing against a franchise and all their players," he explained.
Sri Lanka's first Test against England starts on May 26 in Cardiff, Both Sanga and Mahela will be in Colombo on May 16 and leave the island the next day to join the squad for the second warm-up game scheduled for May 19 against England Lions at Derby.
Deccan Chargers captain Sangakkara said it was painful to leave the team in the middle of the tournament but this was an issue that the IPL and the International Cricket Council needed to sort out in future.
"It is important that ICC and IPL work together and find a window for all matches (and tournaments) so that a player does not have the predicament of choosing between his country and the club," said Sangakkara at the pre-match media briefing. He felt that Test cricket is the most important part of the game and it needed more attention.
"A player earns the cap for his country through the Test and he values it much more than everything else. In future, T20 and ODIs are going to be franchise-driven and Tests will stand the test of time in a country's cricket priorities," he said.
Mahela Jayawardene seconded his opposite number on the issue and said he would get enough time to get a practice match for Sri Lanka in England. "Kochi's league matches will be over on May 15 and I will be there with the team on May 18," he said. Deccan Chargers have one more match on May 21, which Sangakkara will miss.
Jayawardene said friendship between him and Sanga won't extend to the field on Wednesday. "I am not just playing against Sanga; we are playing against a franchise and all their players," he explained.
Sri Lanka's first Test against England starts on May 26 in Cardiff, Both Sanga and Mahela will be in Colombo on May 16 and leave the island the next day to join the squad for the second warm-up game scheduled for May 19 against England Lions at Derby.
No comments:
Post a Comment