Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka's skipper in the 2007 World Cup, made way for Kumar Sangakkara to assume leadership and mould the team his way. The former looks back at how the 1996 World Cup victory under Arjuna Ranatunga's inspired captaincy infused self-belief in future generations, as a confident Lankan squad confronts India in the 2011 WC decider at the Wankhede stadium.
He points out that Sri Lanka's strength in world cricket is its variation.
Excerpts :
On any new hero likely to emerge in this final:
A : I think big-game players take it upon as a challenge and enjoy the atmosphere to do something special. Both teams have that kind of a quality, so why not. Something of that magnitude might happen, you never know.
On the excitement of playing a WC final:
A : For a lot of players, it was a dream to play for Sri Lanka. Now they are on the verge of winning a World Cup. The feelings after the semifinals were fantastic. The fans enjoyed, we sat down and let the guys enjoy. We had a very good chat on how we are going to approach the final. A lot of individual players want to be achievers, so it is fascinating to see how they approach a tournament like this.
On Sri Lanka in 2007 WC final and this group:
A : Comparing the teams, I think they are two different sets of players. Every time you go to the final, you try to find the right combination, the right individuals to fit into those roles. It is difficult to compare. Everyone had their uniqueness in 2007 and now each one have different roles to play. For example, what Tillekaratne Dilshan did in 2007 and what he is doing now, there is a big difference.
On impact of 1996 win on Lankan cricket:
A : What we have realised after 1996 is that we have a lot of talent coming through the system. The credit should go to the 1996 bunch, especially Arjuna Ranatunga and the senior group. They have shown us the meaning of belief in ourselves, using their natural talent and playing our normal natural game. The focus was on winning and finishing games, being brutal and aggressive against good opposition.
On benefits from the 1996 World Cup win:
A : We have done the same with our younger generation as well. Guys like Lasith (Malinga), Ajantha (Mendis), Angelo (Matthews), we let them express themselves, allowed them to play the natural way at the national level and achieve their goals. We realised the variation we have and the approach is different. A lot of opponents find it difficult to analyse a team like Lanka and cannot have a set game plan as we can be unpredictable.
On an all-Asian WC final for the first time:
A : I would have been disappointed if Asian teams hadn't done well in our conditions. We are playing in the sub-continent, the wickets suit us. There was a lot of pressure on sub-continent teams. Pakistan lost in the semifinals, but everyone has done really well in these conditions, purely because all three teams are much better.
Our challenge would be going forward; the next World Cup is going to be held somewhere else. If two or three sub-continent teams qualify next time, then we might call it a power shift. Still, it is good we have played some effective cricket.
On Kumar Sangakkara and his captaincy:
A : Regarding Sangakkara, he is fantastic. He has set goals for himself like with his batting and everything over the last five or six years. He is very determined to be a better player. Seeing him at practice sessions, the way he works, is remarkable. He had a vision, exactly whom he wanted on the team and how he wanted to prepare, especially the younger guys he had earmarked. He got them ready for this.
On Murali's last WC match:
A : I think we started the World Cup thinking that we would win it. As a team and even Murali individually shares that sentiment as well. He wants to win for Sri Lanka. So we are not going to change from that.
On Muralitharan relishing one last chance bowling to Sachin Tendulkar:
A : I think what he has achieved on the field everyone has seen it. He is a remarkable personality, sometimes a pain in the dressing room. He tends to think he is a better batsman than Sachin sometimes. We will truly miss him in the dressing room when he says goodbye.
