Jayawardene to quit T20Is after World T20

	Mahela Jayawardene is one of only six batsmen to have scored a century in all three formats © AFP  Enlarge
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Mahela Jayawardene, the former Sri Lanka captain, will retire from Twenty20 internationals at the end of the World T20. The news came a day after his team-mate, Kumar Sangakkara, announced the tournament will be his last in the format as well.

"The rationale behind retirement is pretty much the same as Sanga's," Jayawardene told Wisden India. "When it is clear that I can't see myself playing in the next ICC World T20, there wasn't much point in me occupying a spot. It makes more sense for a youngster to come into the mix and establish himself."

Jayawardene, 36, has played 49 T20Is to date, and is his nation's leading run-scorer in the format, having hit 1335 runs at 31.78, with a strike rate of 134.17. A technical purist for much of his career, Jayawardene introduced new strokes and an innovative outlook to his game to become arguably Sri Lanka's best T20 batsman. He had not played the reverse sweep for the first 10 years of his international career, but the shot is now among his most productive in limited-overs cricket.

"While I enjoy all formats of the game, and Test cricket is certainly the pinnacle for any player, the journey in Twenty20 cricket has been fascinating," Jayawardene said. "In many ways it helped me get back to my roots, to bat like I used to when I was a schoolboy, for the sheer love of playing attacking shots and expressing myself with full freedom."

Jayawardene is also revered among Sri Lanka's finest captains, and his record at the helm of the T20 side lays out his tactical prowess. In 19 matches under Jayawardene, Sri Lanka won 12, lost six and tied one. He had the reins during Sri Lanka's march to the 2012 World T20 final, having hit a crucial 42 on a Premadasa dustbowl in the semi-final, to propel his team there.

That his retirement came 18 years to the day since Sri Lanka won the World Cup, did not escape Jayawardene. Having lost two World T20 finals, he hoped his swansong would capture something of that 1996 spirit. "That was a big day for Sri Lankan cricket and no one at home will ever forget it. Every year we look back on that date with joy," he said. "Hopefully we can do something special here in this tournament as well. We always come into big tournaments such as this one with a view to showing the world what Sri Lanka is capable of. We take great pride in our performances and it's no different here in Bangladesh."

Jayawardene has taken more catches in international cricket than any other fielder, with 14 of those having come in T20s. He has one T20 century against Zimbabwe in Guyana, making him one of six batsmen to have hit a hundred in all three formats.

Jayawardene also shares a second-wicket partnership record with Sangakkara, having made 166 together against West Indies in 2010. Like Sangakkara, Jayawardene is expected to continue playing franchise-based domestic T20. While T20 retirement is the first step toward winding down his international career, he has indicated the 2015 ODI World Cup remains a goal, and that he will play Tests as long as form, fitness and motivation allow.

SL hope for advantage in familiar conditions

	Sri Lanka capped off a productive six weeks in Bangladesh by capturing the Asia Cup last week © AFP  Enlarge
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Sri Lanka coach Paul Farbrace believes the experience of having played in Bangladesh over the past six weeks could work in favour of his team during the World T20.

Sri Lanka have been in Bangladesh since the last week of January, winning across all three formats in a bilateral series with the hosts, before claiming the Asia Cup title there this month. That victory was the result of many players putting in good performances and being on top of their game, going into the World T20.

"The advantage we have is we play our four group matches in Chittagong, where we played our two T20 matches against Bangladesh," Farbrace said. "We know the conditions and we got good balance in our squad, that's a great thing. We give ourselves a good chance if we are focussed and we practice properly"

However, it was important to not let complacency set in, given the team's recent record, Farbrace said. "The key is we don't get too overly carried away by the success we had on that Bangladesh tour. When we get back to Bangladesh we just need to make sure we are switched on and we are ready."

Having turned it around from some difficult positions of late, Sri Lanka go into the tournament with a good amount of self-belief, Fabrace said. "We would have to say that we are one of the teams going there thinking that we have got a good chance of doing well in the competition. The belief within the squad is such that we can win games from any position."

Sri Lanka recovered from 50 for 6, chasing 121, in the second T20 against Bangladesh, and then went from 67 for 8 to a match-winning 180 in the first ODI.

"One thing that Sri Lanka cricket has never been in doubt about is the fight which the players have," Farbrace said. "If we had thrown in the towel [in those matches] and said we are not going to win, that could have happened. But it never happened at any stage because the boys genuinely believed they could win. That's where the confidence grew and grew."

Farbrace believes to be successful at T20 cricket, fielding is a vital component. That is one aspect the team has been working a lot on, he said. "That's an area which can make or break a team in T20s. We've made a conscious effort to really work hard on our fielding and to make sure our fitness levels allow our fielding to be as good as it can be. Ruwan Kalpage [the fielding coach] has done a great job over the last three-four weeks.

"We sat down and said that we had to really work hard on our fielding and that's something we focused a lot - not just the techniques but our awareness in the field, understanding fielding positions, understanding what we need to be there for and really thinking about the game as best we can whilst we are fielding."

Sri Lanka open their campaign against South Africa on March 22. England, New Zealand and one other qualifying team will make up their group.

Dilshan's World T20 participation in doubt

	Tillakaratne Dilshan is chasing a March 19 deadline to be fit for World T20 © AFP  Enlarge
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Tillakaratne Dilshan has until March 19 to recover sufficiently from a thumb fracture or risk being recalled from the World Twenty20, chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya has said. Dilshan sustained a blow to his right thumb while batting during the second ODI against Bangladesh on February 20, and had since been recovering in Sri Lanka.

Dilshan will travel with the World Twenty20 squad to Bangladesh on Sunday, but the selectors will be forced to name a replacement if he cannot play the March 19 warm-up against West Indies, Jayasuriya said.

"If Dilshan can't play that practice match, I think he is out, unfortunately," he said. "That's what we have discussed with physio. The cut-off date for him will be the 19th [March] practice match. He is bowling and fielding. But while batting he seems to be struggling a bit.

"Generally, as a cricketer, you're always carrying a niggle. If you take the current squad of 15 players, about ten of them have some niggles. But you should at least be able to play through the pain."

Jayasuriya said the selectors did not have a replacement on standby if Dilshan was to be recalled, but suggested Sri Lanka had sufficient cover. Mahela Jayawardene had opened the batting successfully during 2012's World Twenty20 and Lahiru Thirimanne was the top-scoring batsman during the recently-concluded Asia Cup, when he opened in Dilshan's stead.

"We have the options in the team to replace him at opener, since Thirimanne has been in good form," he said. "We have other seniors also. That won't be a problem.

"We have a few ideas about who can replace him in the squad as well. We had Chaturanga de Silva as the standby for Rangana Herath, who was injured, but now Herath is ready to play. If Dilshan is not coming we'll have to assess whether we need an allrounder or an opener."

Jayasuriya affirmed Dinesh Chandimal's Twenty20 captaincy, despite Chandimal's mediocre record in the format, and poor run in limited-overs cricket over the past few months. Chandimal had been dropped for the last two matches of the Asia Cup.

"Chandimal as a captain in T20s has done well and has won tournaments," Jayasuriya said. "He wasn't among the runs recently, and during the one-day tournament, the selectors took a decision to leave him out and go with Ashan Priyanjan. We sent the message that he needs to correct his mistakes, improve mentally and come out of the bad trot - that's why we left him out. But as a captain I know he has done well in T20s and he has got lot of support from Lasith Malinga. He's a good player and as selectors we have to really back him 100% as the team's captain."

Significant contributions from Sri Lanka's young players during the Asia Cup campaign were particularly encouraging, Jayasuriya said, but he was also pleased with the versatility of several players in the squad. Thisara Perera, Angelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulasekara all bowl reliable seam and are also capable of closing out an innings with the bat, while Dilshan, Sachithra Senanayake and Priyanjan can deliver spin, as wells as score runs.

"We have to use our allrounders wisely, according to the game," he said. "I feel the ball might keep low in Bangladesh - in Chittagong will keep it even lower. We have to take a decision whether we are going into the game with more spinners or seaming allrounders. When we have won competitions, in the past, our style is that we create pressure by squeezing the runs. That has been our strength.

"I'm very happy as a selector to see the players performing. We have a strong team."

Sri Lanka full-strength but contracts unsigned

Sri Lanka contracts issue timeline 2003 SLC agrees to share a percentage of ICC event fees with players 2010-11 SLC runs up debts of almost $70 million as it constructs stadiums for the 2011 World Cup Feb-Sept 2011 Crippled by debt, SLC is unable to pay cricketers salaries for eight months March 2012 Players refuse to sign fresh contracts due to a number of contentious clauses July 2012 The issues are resolved, and the players sign March 2013 SLC strike the players' share (25%) of the ICC events fees from the new contracts, which the players refuse to sign. After a 24-hour lockout, chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya mediates negotiations and gets the players to sign on the understanding that the players' share of the ICC event fees may be reintroduced in future years January 24, 2014 Players give Jayasuriya a letter demanding 20% of the gross sum paid by the ICC to SLC for global events. Jayasuriya conveys this to the board, which is drawing up the new national contracts February 27 The contracts list is announced and the contracts are sent to the players in Bangladesh. Upon noting that SLC has not reintroduced any clause that would give the players a cut of the ICC events payment, the players refuse to sign the contracts March 12 The players meet with SLC to negotiate. The board promises to take the players' concerns back to the executive committee March 13 The executive committee proposes an incentive-driven payment system for global events, as a partial sop to player demands March 14-15 The players maintain their refusal to sign contracts, insisting on a percentage cut from the ICC payment March 16 The players leave for the World T20, although the contracts remain unsigned

Sri Lanka's top team departed for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh on Sunday morning, but the standoff over player contracts persisted, and will now likely only be resolved when the team returns. A board official had offered players an opportunity to sign when the team assembled at SLC's Maitland Place offices at 4am on Sunday, but the players had refused.*

The players had met late on Saturday to discuss their position, but although SLC had issued threats of sending a second-string team to the World T20 earlier in the day, the players maintained their opposition to a contract that does not feature a percentage cut of the payment SLC receives for the team's participation in global tournaments.

On Saturday night, SLC CEO Ashley de Silva indicated the board was content to defer contract negotiations. "If they don't sign it before they leave, I suppose we will look at it again when they come back," he said.

SLC stands to gain most from its cricketers playing in the tournament unsigned. The board is no longer bound to pay the $500,000 flat fee, nor the two-tiered incentive payments it had offered as part of itsrevised offer, which was a partial sop to the players' demand for 20% of the gross sum received by SLC for tournament participation.

As had happened in 2012, when contracts were not signed until mid-July, the players may not even receive match fees or regular salaries as long as the contracts remain unsigned. These funds are likely to be retroactively credited when the contracts are agreed to, however.

The players had softened their demands by the eve of their departure, asking for 12% of the tournament fee. The ICC is expected to pay SLC approximately $8.9 million for the World T20, meaning the figure the players had held out for, was about $1.07 million. The difference between the guaranteed flat fee the board offered and the percentage sought by the players amounts to about $570,000 for the tournament. But beyond those sums, the players' objection to SLC's proposal is largely driven by the belief they are due a percentage of the ICC payment, primarily as compensation for the use of their images in promotional material for global tournaments.

Sri Lanka's players had received a cut of the ICC event fee from 2003 to 2012, until the board struck that payment from player contracts last year. The players' grievances are also fueled by the complaint that they are being penalised for the administrators' misuse of finances. The board had run up debts of almost $70 million when they built two new stadia and renovated a third for the 2011 World Cup. Player payment has caused strife at the beginning of every 12-month contracts cycle since then.

The present standoff is also believed to have caused conflict within the board. President Jayantha Dharmadasa had been sympathetic to the players' concerns, but was outmuscled in the board room by an opposing faction.

Sangakkara to quit T20Is after World T20

	Kumar Sangakkara - "The day the motivation goes and you are just trying to hold on to your place in the side, that's the time that you have to decide that the time is right to go" © AFP  Enlarge
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Kumar Sangakkara has announced he will retire from Twenty20 internationals following the World T20 in Bangladesh. Sangakkara, 36, has played 50 T20Is for Sri Lanka, hitting 1311 runs at an average of 32.77 and a strike rate of 120.

"Definitely, without a doubt, this is my last World T20. I won't be playing any T20 internationals after this," he told Sunday Island. "It's sad, but that's the truth. It's not the end of my T20 career, though. I would like to play franchise based T20s. Once your World Cup prospects are over, you should give the next crop of players an opportunity. It's a natural progression."

A patient, accumulative batsman for much of his career, Sangakkara has been a considerably improved limited-overs batsman over the past 18 months. Though a more belligerent outlook has paid most obvious dividends in ODIs, he has also contributed heavily to Sri Lanka's consistency in T20s.

"Improving is the whole purpose of playing. When you reach a goal you lift that goal and try to achieve something new. Whether you are young or older, the motivation has to be there. The day that motivation goes and you are just trying to hold on to your place in the side, that's the time that you have to decide that the time is right to go. When you play for a team, the main thing is to win. If you can do it there is a huge feeling of satisfaction. Those are the things that really motivate me."

Sangakkara captained his team to the final of the 2009 World Twenty20, and had also been integral to Sri Lanka's charge to the 2012 final - both of which were lost. Now top-ranked in the shortest format, Sangakkara hoped his team would omit the mistakes that scuppered them in previous tournaments.

"We had a fine opportunity in 2009. We won the toss and it was a beautiful wicket to bat on. We were 64 for five and ended up making 138. If we had got to 150, we would have won.

"In the 2012 final, we could have restricted the West Indies to 110 or so. But we gave away too many runs towards the end and it was a tough wicket to chase. I don't think we played to our capabilities. The Pakistan side was a good side against spin, and we played well in the semi-final against them. We knew going into the final that anything over 140 was going to be tough. You may go into a final with an unbeaten record, but unfortunately, you can be beaten and that's the reality."

Mahela Jayawardene has not announced his retirement, but the World T20 is likely to see the last of him in the format as well. Sangakkara also said he would reevaluate his place in the ODI team after the 2015 World Cup, as long as his form and fitness held out until then.