Kumar's decision to stick to retirement is testament to himself

Ajit Vijaykumar 21:37 08/03/2015
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  • Run machine: Sangakkara scored more than a 1,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs in 2014.

    Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara has announced that he will play his last Test match by the end of August. He has already declared he will play his final one-dayer in the ongoing World Cup. For a 37-year-old who has played international cricket for 15 years, that would seem like a straightforward decision. But his prolific form with the bat has added a new dimension to the situation.

    Hardly anyone bats an eyelid when an ageing superstar decides to call it a day as the decision is generally preceded by a slump in form or at least the absence of any big performances. 

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    The average cricket fan generally gets used to seeing his or her favourite team perform without relying too heavily on the star, making the transition process a lot smoother and the act of bidding goodbye that much easier.

    But Sangakkara’s is a different situation. He just can’t stop scoring runs, in Tests or ODIs. In 2014, the Sri Lankan scored 1,438 runs from 11 Tests at an average of 71.90 with four centuries and eight fifties. That included a triple century against Bangladesh as well. OK, it was Bangladesh, but a triple ton is a triple ton. Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Sunil Gavaskar, Steve Waugh… none of them managed it, which says a lot about Sanga’s ability.

    In ODIs, he had an equally fruitful last year. In 28 matches, he amassed 1,256 runs at an average of 46.51 with four tons and twice as many half centuries. In fact, he has now accumulated more than a 1,000 runs in ODIs in a calendar year for a fourth straight time.

    This year hasn’t been too bad either. He has played one Test in 2015 and scored a double hundred against New Zealand. In ODIs, he has once again been on fire, cracking four centuries from 12 games. After a brief slump at the start of the World Cup, the southpaw has been churning out the runs as if his life depended on it. Three World Cup tons on the trot is no mean feat.

    Which is what makes his decision to call it a day and stick to it remarkable. We can only imagine what it must feel like to be at the absolute peak of one’s game and still walk away from it all. Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews hailed Sangakkara’s age-defying form while Lahiru Thirimanne called Sanga the best one-day batsman in history. Sachin Tendulkar fans might think otherwise but looking at the impact Sangakkara has had on Sri Lankan cricket and the achievements under his belt, it’s not too far fetched an idea.

    The left-handed batsman has taken part in two 50-over World Cup finals, helped Sri Lanka to the title clash in three World T20s, that included a win in 2014. Tendulkar has two World Cup finals and a title. Add to it 12,203 Test runs to go with his 14,065 ODI runs and 60 international centuries, and Sangakkara rises above many batsmen who are routinely placed ahead of him in the list of all-time greats. And don’t forget, he has affected 499 ODI dismissals, 198 in Tests and 45 in T20s – mostly as a wicketkeeper.

    But his contribution to the game goes beyond the field. Sangakkara formed a strong working relationship with Mahela Jayawardene and the two have been instrumental in keeping the team together.

    Sri Lanka’s cricketers were not paid for months after the 2011 World Cup and a pay dispute with their cricket board erupted once again in 2013 with players refusing to sign their contracts. 

    The Sri Lankan board’s record of paying its players on time has been poor at best and the fact the players somehow manage to excel at every ICC event is nothing short of a miracle. 

    You only have to look at the West Indies and their never ending fight with the board to see what such issues do to a player’s psyche and will to win.

    Sangakkara has stood tall through all of it. He has been at the forefront of the fight to protect players’ right. He has publicly expressed his anger at the way the board and its officials have functioned at various times, especially during the 2013 Champions League when his loyalty was questioned. 

    Sangakkara and Jayawardene have marshalled the players during some uncertain financial times and managed to get the best out of them. Even though Angelo Mathews is the leader of the side, the calming presence of Sangakkara is invaluable.

    When Tendulkar retired, he took two decades of run-scoring with him. His dedication to run-scoring was second to none and it helped many batsmen raise the level of their game. 

    But when Sangakkara goes, Sri Lanka will lose a lot more than a player. They will lose an institution who always took the first hit in times of difficulty.

    So is Sangakkara a greater ODI batsman than Tendulkar? Maybe, maybe not. But just as Sangakkara hasn’t inspired a billion or more cricket fans like the Mumbai legend has, Sachin hasn’t managed to do as much for his players or the team like the Sri Lankan. Like Tendulkar, Sangakkara is truly in a league of his own.

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