Jayawardene defends captaincy switch, calls it 'tactical move'

Jayawardene had sent Sangakkara for toss to avoid threat of a ban because of a second possible slow over rate offence.

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene is baffled by the reaction to his team's captaincy switch in Monday's World Twenty20 match against England and thinks there is nothing wrong with the "tactical move".

Regular skipper Jayawardene sent Kumar Sangakkara for toss in the match to avoid the threat of a ban because of a second possible slow over rate offence.

Jayawardene, however, continued to take the decisions on the field, triggering a debate whether or not the move was against the spirit of the game.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said all playing conditions and conduct would be reviewed after the tournament.

"Like I said myself including the management and everyone else, we felt that we tried to do something as we wanted to handle a certain situation," Jayawardene told reporters on Wednesday.

"I know different people will have different opinions about it. There is no malice in what we did.

"I spoke to (England captain) Stuart (Broad) as well when I walked in before the match. He was okay with that and I can't stop people thinking and questioning whether it's a right spirit or not."

The hosts were fined for a slow over rate during their match against West Indies and under the ICC rules Jayawardene will face a one-match suspension if Sri Lanka infringe again in the next 12 months under his captaincy.

"I haven't done anything wrong by any team or any player or any individual," the stylish right-handed batsman said.

"We just did a tactical move like what we would have done in a match, bowling change or a batting change or something like that, we just changed our captain.

Regular vice-captain Angelo Mathews was also under a warning for the same offence in a match against Pakistan, so Sri Lanka had to revert to Sangakkara.

"He (Sangakkara) is a reputed player as well. Kumar has been a leader for us. We have been blessed with two, three captains in the team. So we can use whoever we want," Jayawardene said.

"He is part and parcel of the squad. We did not bring somebody from out of the squad to lead the team."

The hosts will play Pakistan in the first semi-final of the World Twenty20 on Thursday.