'Master blaster'
Sri Lanka's Jayasuriya developing new batting technique
Posted: Tuesday November 17, 1998 09:55 AM
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Jayasuriya says bowlers have figured out his style Laurence Griffiths/Allsport |
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- Sri Lanka's best-known batsman says he has revised his batting technique because bowlers are familiar with his style.
From obscurity in a fishing village a few years ago, Sanath Jayasuriya has risen to earn the nickname "master blaster" and has put Sri Lanka on the top in world cricket.
During the recently concluded three-nation tournament in the Middle East, Jayasuriya failed to live up to his reputation. Jayasuriya says bowlers have have concentrated on his weak points, going round the wicket to tap him leg before or hit his stumps.
Jayasuriya won't spell out his new technique, but he promised reporters on Monday that he is determined to play the role of Sri Lanka's main batting stay in future tournaments. Sri Lanka is scheduled to go to Australia in January.
During the 1996 World Cup, Jayasuriya clobbered the ball with ease for a hundred boundaries. The same year he traveled to Pakistan with a Sri Lankan-B team and scored two centuries.
Although a gifted all-rounder, he is particularly good at batting. He relishes one-day games and his ability to hit over the top in the early overs has given his side a tremendous impetus.
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