Playing for SSC was the best thing that happened to me: Mahela

 Mahela Jayawardene receives a plaque from SSC president I.S. De Silva.

Jayawardene unveils a plaque at the SSC pavilion to commemorate his induction to the ICC Hall of Fame

• SSC salutes a cricketing legend

Former Sri Lanka cricket captain and SSC stalwart Mahela Jayawardene who was honoured by the club for being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame on Thursday, said that playing for SSC was the best thing that happened to him.

“Playing for SSC with that group of players like Arjuna Ranatunga, Marvan Atapattu, Asanka Gurusinha and Pramodya Wickremasinghe, I grew very fast as a cricketer and I’ve learnt a lot. SSC is like a second home to me. I’ve been here for almost 25 years,” said Jayawardene after being presented with a plaque by the SSC hierarchy comprising president IS de Silva, secretary Wasantha Wijesekera, chairman of Cricket House Committee Samantha Dondanwela and treasurer Nilantha Peiris and, having unveiled a plaque to commemorate the event.

Jayawardene recollected the humble beginnings he had at the SSC when he couldn’t find room to keep his cricketing bag because all the available space had been occupied by the legends of Sri Lanka cricket.  

“I had one season with Bloomfield and Arjuna is the one who called my father and said that he would like me to come and play for SSC. I realized that I had walked into an amazing dressing room.”

Recalling his first match for SSC, Jayawardene said, “The only place I could have, was to open the batting. I opened with Anura Gunawardene and we played Bloomfield in the first game. They were all out for 167. I got a 60 and with five overs to go I got out attempting to cut spinner Ruwan Kalpage. We were 120-1 and I walked back pleased with my batting effort.  But Arjuna confronted me and scolded me in words that I cannot use here. I was in tears, but I learnt a lesson that day. That once you are in, you have to finish the match off instead of throwing your wicket away. Those are good lessons that you learn playing in a dressing room like that.” Jayawardene admitted that he was a cricket buff mainly because of his father and said that the history of cricket especially the Sri Lankan cricket history was very important to understand why they were playing cricket.

Answering questions from the floor about his role model, the best innings he had played, and the most annoying player he had come across, Jayawardene replied, “The best batsman that we’ve ever come across is Aravinda de Silva. If I was to pick one player it would be Aravinda for his batting. The hundred in the 2011 World Cup final against India even though we lost, rates as one of my best, and the most annoying player was Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan). He is a batsman’s nightmare because whenever you get out, he is the first guy to come and say ‘why did you play that shot’. He is one of the best humans on and off the field but very annoying when it comes to cricket.”

Having achieved virtually everything a cricketer wants in the game Jayawardene said that the biggest thing for him was to try and contribute to the game of cricket whichever way he could to the next generation. “Even though you retire it’s very tough to keep away from the game.”

Jayawardene said that he was honoured to be felicitated by SSC and thanked the coaches who had influenced his game over the years both local and foreign and his parents who had been behind him from day one.

SSC president IS de Silva said that felicitating a sporting giant of the ilk of Mahela Jayawardene was no easy task and added that since joining SSC as a schoolboy from Nalanda College he has steadfastly been loyal to the club.

The event was attended by a distinguished gathering of cricketers both past and present and included former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara and Tom Moody, Sri Lanka Cricket’s Director of Cricket. – (ST)