Jayasuriya welcomes Whatmore's return (9 July 1999)

9 July 1999

Jayasuriya welcomes Whatmore's return

Sa'adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka's new captain Sanath Jayasuriya said that he had a tough job ahead of him in restoring the country's befallen cricket image and that he would need the support of everyone to help him put it back on the right track.

"To captain Sri Lanka is a great honour, but at the moment we are down and we have a job ahead of us. I need 100 percent support from everyone to make us what we were three years ago. It's a big challenge," said Jayasuriya in his first press interview after taking over the reins from long-standing captain Arjuna Ranatunga for the forthcoming one-day and Test series against India and Australia.

"Arjuna is one of the best captains we have produced and I will need a lot of his experience and those of Aravinda (de Silva) and the rest of the team members if we are to give Australia a good run," said Jayasuriya.

"It's not going to be easy with Australia. They are coming here as the world one-day and Test champions with a lot of confidence. Our confidence is a bit low, but if we focus ourselves on what we have to do and play very hard the results will come," he said.

Jayasuriya welcomed the return of Dav Whatmore as coach and said he was looking forward to have a long talk and plan out strategies for the forthcoming one-day and Test series.

Whatmore is best remembered for playing the part of coach of Sri Lanka's World Cup winning side in 1996.

"Dav's coming gives me a lot of confidence. I know what he did to us three years ago. His presence in the dressing room is going to be very encouraging," said Jayasuriya.

"He does not mess around too much with the players, but gives them vital tips at various stages of the game and makes us mentally strong," he said.

Jayasuriya said there were little things that need to be put right in all three departments of the game before Sri Lanka take on Australia and India in the one-day triangular on August 22.

"Our batsmen have to get their confidence back. One of the reasons why we fared so badly in the World Cup was because our experienced batsmen failed to click," said Jayasuriya.

Jayasuriya has the complete backing of Union Bank, where he is the business development manager. "They have given me their full support and we already have a cricketing fund begun under my name to finance deserving outstation cricketers," he said.

Source :: The Daily News (https://www.lanka.net/lakehouse/)