Sporting Life - Sri Lanka Cricket | Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka News, Sri Lanka Scores, Sri Lanka Profiles, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan.

SRI LANKA PROFILES

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Mahela Jayawardene (c)

Born: 27.05.1977
ODIs: 239
Role: Batsman
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 31.93
Strike-Rate: 75.44
Bowl: Rt-arm med
Average: 77.00
Economy: 5.69

Now the permanent skipper after holding the post temporarily while Marvan Attapatu was injured, Jayawardene was named one-day captain of the year at the 2006 ICC Awards. A batting average in the early thirties and a strike rate in the mid-seventies will hardly set the tournament alight, but while he doesn't often chalk up massive scores, he rarely fails either.

Kumar Sangakkara

Born: 27.10.1977
ODIs: 192
Role: Keeper-batsman
Bat: Left-hand
Average: 36.51
Strike-Rate: 74.69
Bowl: n/a
Average: n/a
Economy: n/a

Sangakkara is one of the few top-class wicketkeeper-batsmen worthy of the name. A one-day average of around 36 is dwarfed by a figure north of 50 in the five-day game, and his aggressive style occasionally goes too far in terms of both shot selection and attitude. As a committed sledger, Sangakkara prefers the psychological route rather than crude innuendo and insults.

Sanath Jayasuriya

Born: 30.06.1969
ODIs: 382
Role: Opening batsman
Bat: Left-hand
Average: 32.98
Strike-Rate: 90.57
Bowl: Left-arm slow
Average: 36.94
Economy: 4.75

Jayasuriya has barely missed a one-dayer since his belated arrival on the world scene in Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup win, where he shocked and dazzled in equal measures with his fearless hitting. A genuine all-rounder in the short form of the game, Jayasuriya's left-arm spin proves surprisingly effective with variations in pace and flight causing problems for most.

Upal Tharanga

Born: 02.02.1985
ODIs: 46
Role: Opening batsman
Bat: Left-hand
Average: 35.72
Strike-Rate: 74.38
Bowl: n/a
Average: n/a
Economy: n/a

A youngster amongst a number of experienced heads, Tharanga has proved a revelation. Notching up a century in just his fifth ODI, Tharanga went on to take England to the cleaners in the NatWest Series of 2006, scoring brilliant hundreds at both Lords and Headingley. When not spectacular almost always chips in with a handy contribution, and can also keep wicket.

Marvan Atapattu

Born: 22.11.1970
ODIs: 268
Role: Batsman
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 37.57
Strike-Rate: 67.72
Bowl: Right-arm legspin
Average: n/a
Economy: 4.82

One of the golden generation that claimed the 1996 World Cup, Atattpatu's recent play has been severely hampered by a back injury that ultimately cost him the captaincy. For years Jayasuriya's more cautious foil at the top of the order, Atapattu shifted around the line-up to suit other players - now slotting in at five - and tends to chip in with solid, if not spectacular scores.

Tillakaratne Dilshan

Born: 14.10.1976
ODIs: 112
Role: Batsman
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 28.94
Strike-Rate: 77.89
Bowl: Right-arm offspin
Average: 41.21
Economy: 4.76

Never quite holding down a regular place in the side, Dilshan is nevertheless a useful man to have around. Pretty much a complete cricketer, he is a steady if unspectacular batsman, bowls useful off-breaks and is lightning fast in the field. In and out of the side since his debut in 1999, Dilshan seems finally to have nailed down a spot as the resident Sri Lankan jack-of-all-trades.

Russel Arnold

Born: 25.10.1973
ODIs: 172
Role: All-rounder
Bat: Left-hand
Average: 35.72
Strike-Rate: 72.54
Bowl: Right-arm offspin
Average: 45.00
Economy: 4.85

A left-hander who can adapt his game to different situations, Arnold is capable of scoring quickly or accumulating steadily. One of a number of Sri Lankan's who contributes in all-aspects of the game, he is also a fine fielder and bowls useful off-spin. Arnold has perhaps suffered from the fact that he can bat in a number of positions, but hasn't held down a regular spot in any of them.

Chaminda Vaas

Born: 27.01.1974
ODIs: 293
Role: All-rounder
Bat: Left-hand
Average: 14.14
Strike-Rate: 73.96
Bowl: Left-arm fast-med
Average: 26.83
Economy: 4.19

One of Sri Lanka's most dependable performers, Vaas may have lost a yard of pace, but he remains a great new ball threat. With his signature in-dipper, Vaas keeps a heroically tight line and remains perhaps the most under-rated bowler in international cricket. A genuine all-rounder in ODIs, Vaas is more than useful down the order with a handy strike rate in the seventies.

Chamara Silva

Born: 14.12.1979
ODIs: 17
Role: Batsman
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 40.18
Strike-Rate: 78.50
Bowl: Right-arm legspin
Average: n/a
Economy: n/a

Silva's call-up to the national side in 1999 was thought by many to be long overdue after heavy scoring in domestic cricket, but since then he has not managed to hold down a regular place in the side, despite a cracking start to his Test career. Returned to the ODI side in 2006 after a four year gap, and notched up his maiden ODI century against India in February.

Malinga Bandara

Born: 31.12.1979
ODIs: 23
Role: Bowler
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 11.87
Strike-Rate: 76.00
Bowl: Right-arm legspin
Average: 31.61
Economy: 4.82

One of the more unfortunate Sri Lankan cricketers around, Bandara was ear-marked as a potentially top-class leg-spinner from an early age. However, the presence of one Muttiah Muralithuran has limited his appearances greatly. Has recently managed to claim a slightly more regular spot in the one-day side due to his versatility with the bat and expertise in the field.

Muttiah Muralitharan

Born: 17.04.1972
ODIs: 290
Role: Bowler
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 5.80
Strike-Rate: 70.62
Bowl: Right-arm legspin
Average: 22.95
Economy: 3.83

Some will argue that Murali is the greatest of all time, but what is clear as day is that he is the best cricketer Sri Lanka has ever produced. The question of whether he chucks his doosra has been debated long and hard and still most people (Darrel Hair apart) can't agree, but even without that ball he would still be a bewitching bowler, and one of the most dangerous in the World Cup.

Farveez Maharoof

Born: 07.09.1984
ODIs: 62
Role: Bowler
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 19.10
Strike-Rate: 83.04
Bowl: Rt-arm fast-med
Average: 25.07
Economy: 4.75

An exciting young quick, Maharoof has cemented his place in the Sri Lankan side with a decent economy rate but more importantly with regular wickets, including a match-winning 6-14 against the West Indies in the Champions Trophy. Has the potential to be a genuine all-rounder, but his batting has been disappointing, although he does score quickly and has an ODI fifty.

Lasith Malinga

Born: 28.08.1983
ODIs: 31
Role: Bowler
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 8.80
Strike-Rate: 58.66
Bowl: Right-arm fast
Average: 24.52
Economy: 4.72

The 'Slinger's' action is so low that it's almost horizontal, perhaps the reason why Malinga has proved so successful in his brief career. He generally bowls an uncomplicated straight and very, very fast line that is tricky to get away even if you are lucky enough to spot it. The shallow angle of his deliveries mean that he is nigh on impossible to hit over the top, making him an ideal death bowler.

Dilhara Fernando

Born: 19.07.1979
ODIs: 106
Role: Bowler
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 9.85
Strike-Rate: 57.26
Bowl: Rt-arm fast-med
Average: 31.14
Economy: 5.30

A good bowler who could potentially be excellent by now but for a career blighted by injury. Suffered two stress fractures of the back in a year, but forced his way back in to the side both times. Offers genuine pace, but can too often be erratic and sometimes leaks runs at an alarming rate. Fought off competition from Nuwan Zoysa for his place in the World Cup squad.

Nuwan Kulasekara

Born: 22.07.1982
ODIs: 17
Role: Bowler
Bat: Right-hand
Average: 8.00
Strike-Rate: 35.55
Bowl: Rt-arm fast-med
Average: 55.30
Economy: 4.48

A chest-on fast-medium bowler with a quick, whippy action, Kulasekara has been on the fringes of the Sri Lankan side since his debut in 2003. Was selected for the national team after winning bowler of the year in the Sri Lankan domestic season in 2002-3. Can hit cleanly down the order, but more importantly has the valuable weapon of reverse swing in his bowling armoury.