Desk Report,
Jayasuriya did the worst thing in his life by entering politics
Being an MP is definitely the worst thing I have done in my life. I will never do it again. If you talk about cricket, there are many challenges in both the roles of player and coach. But I have never been a coach before, even though I have played cricket for a long time.
Jayasuriya did the worst thing in his life by entering politics
So that is more challenging. It is difficult to find someone exactly like that. But they are on the right track. They are working on many things. All my coaching staff are local, Sri Lankan. They all work hard to do well and try to ensure that the players do well. Being a local coach, they also have to face many challenges. I also have to take many challenges. But we have taken it as a part of life. The expectations are very high for all of us. The game is cricket and we have to enjoy it. Cricket has changed completely now. Back then we used to play very limited shots. And now you can play shots from 360 degrees of the wicket. Most of the time, players still play their natural game, which we also played. But the game has changed a lot due to technology and many other things. In some ways it is okay, in other ways it may seem unnatural. The players are enjoying it, that is the good thing. Follow
Prothom Alo:
How does it feel to be in a new role as a coach?
Sanath Jayasuriya: Not bad, but it is always a big challenge. Local coaches always have to face challenges. But I am enjoying the job.
Prothom Alo:
You have played many roles, which is more challenging? The role of a coach, or a player, or a selector, or a member of parliament?
Jayasuriya: Becoming a member of parliament was definitely the worst thing I did in my life. I will never do it again in my life. If you talk about cricket, there are many challenges in both the roles of a player and a coach. However, although I have played cricket for a long time, I have never been a coach before. So this is more challenging.

Sanath Jayasuriya considers his decision to join politics as the biggest mistake of his lifePhoto: Instagram
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Prothom Alo:
The Sri Lankan team is going through a transformation now. There are many young cricketers in the team. Have you found any Jayasuriyas among them?
Jayasuriya: It is difficult to find someone exactly like him. But they are on the right track. They are working on many things. All my coaching staff are local, Sri Lankan. They all work hard to do well and try to ensure that the players do well. Being a local coach, they also have to face many challenges. I also have to take on many challenges. But we have taken it as a part of life. The expectations are very high for all of us. The game is cricket and we have to enjoy it.
Prothom Alo:
How much change do you see in current cricket compared to when you played?
Jayasuriya: Cricket has completely changed now. At that time, we used to play very limited shots. And now you can play shots from all 360 degrees of the wicket. Most of the time, players still play their natural game, which is what we used to play. But the game has changed a lot due to technology and other reasons. In some ways it is okay, in other ways it may seem unnatural. The players are enjoying it, that is the good thing.

Sanat Jayasuriya was one of the best batsmen in his time. Photo: AFP
Prothom Alo:
Do you miss the classical cricket that you used to play in your time?
Jayasuriya: The thing is, we never played reverse sweeps, switch shots. These are all new shots. Players can play any shot these days. That is good, but as coaches we have to give them courage so that they can play their natural game.
Prothom Alo:
The way you used to run in your golden days, the batsmen of that time could not even think of playing at that strike rate. Was the ‘Matara Hurricane’ ahead of its time?
Jayasuriya: No, I actually played my natural game all the time. Say Tests, say ODIs, I always tried to play my own game. If a player is naturally talented, then he should be allowed to play his way. But at the same time, the player should also be smart, so that he can understand the situation and play when necessary.
