'My motivation is 30 Test hundreds'
Sri Lanka's captain answers readers' questions on batting in Twenty20s, keeping wickets for long hours, the hardest spell of bowling he has faced, and more

Work on your lower-body strength in the gym to keep wickets for long • AFP
The best thing about being a cricketer is the fact that you get to display your mastery of technique, skill, ability, mental and physical fortitude to a world audience. It gives you the opportunity to play for a place in history and also your office is the outdoors and your place is in the sun. What more can you ask for?
One of the reasons might be that these guys somehow slipped through the cracks of formalised coaching and had the ability to develop a unique style on their own. Sri Lanka has become famous for the unorthodox cricketer, and it is mainly due to the keen interest children show in playing the sport and the fact that they play it on various surfaces with a variety of available equipment. They improvise and create ways to impress with their batting and bowling. These cricketers, through our talent search programmes, are brought into a formal coaching set-up and encouraged to explore their uniqueness to the fullest.
It was probably on my first tour away from home, in South Africa in Cape Town, on a wicket that was helpful to the seamers. Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Mfuneko Ngam and Makaya Ntini bowled quick and well. They tested our whole team out.
The best wicketkeeper is, without a doubt, Prasanna Jayawardene. Brad Haddin has a bit on him in batting.
I believe Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket and should be protected, nurtured and allowed to flourish. The other formats should be able to play a supporting role to it and contribute innovation to it. Ultimately all three formats should exist in harmony, with each benefiting the other.
Sometimes the slower bowlers are the hardest to hit as you have to generate all the power yourself. Your footwork must not only be quick but more importantly decisive. Going down the wicket to get to the pitch or going on to the back foot to pull, you must be positive and trust your ability. Footwork is key.
Murali is still the hardest, but Mendis is catching up fast.
You have to work on lower-body strength, and the best way is to join a gym and speak to the trainer for specific weights exercises to improve muscle strength.
My personal motivation is 30 Test hundreds and 10,000 runs in both Tests and one-dayers. That will keep me going for a few more years, and when I get there I will set new goals. As part of the team, my motivation is to win every time we go out to play and play in the right spirit and compete for every minute.
Viv Richards, Brian Lara, Murali - all greats in their disciplines. Viv for his arrogance at the crease and the ease with which he batted; Brian for his sheer genius, unpredictabilty and style; Murali for being the greatest bowler ever and a great human being.