Jayasuriya unable to make sight-gifting stop-over

Sanath Jayasuriya returned for his fifth visit to New Zealand with a Sri Lankan cricket team today - but unable to bring a special gift.

When the 31-year-old Sri Lankan captain landed in South Africa for a tour late last year he brought with him a small parcel containing two corneal implants.

Before he left South Africa earlier this week, Jayasuriya met the people whose sight had been so improved by the successful transplants.

Today Jayasuriya was sad that the touring team's journey from South Africa to New Zealand did not have a stop-over in Sri Lanka, where he could have obtained two more transplants.

Jayasuriya, who is also a United Nations Ambassador for Aids Awareness in Sri Lanka, said it was now very common for people to arrange for their corneas to be donated after death.

"Each year," said Jayasuriya, "Sri Lankans donate about 40,000 cornea implants to the rest of the world."