Sangakkara and Jayawardene realised their long awaited dream of an ICC World title at the end of their T20I careers. The two have a few more battles ahead of them in the other formats but their legacy is already a part of cricketing folklore. PHOTO: AFP
But nothing captures their iconic stature in Sri Lankan cricket, and their strong bond better, than the piece written by Wright Thompson on the eve of the 2012 World Twenty20 semi-finals in Colombo.
Thompson paints a captivating story with first-hand accounts as Sri Lanka braced for Pakistan. Sangakkara and Jayawardene spoke about their lives and their humble beginnings in a war torn country in the backdrop of the terror attack in Lahore.
The hosts prevailed in the semis but had their hearts broken in the final by the free-spirited West Indians, who stormed their way to the title.
Two-years on, there was no heartbreak, as Sangakkara scored arguably the most important half-century of his illustrious career in Mirpur on Sunday.
Jayawardene perished after scoring a run-a-ball 24, but helped lay the foundation of what could potentially have been a tricky chase for the Islanders.
The two players had together endured no less than four final defeats in International Cricket Council World events and perhaps were playing a major final for the last time.
Sangakkara, the man of the match, later claimed that the feeling of winning a major trophy was ‘amazing’ and he finally felt that he had given something to cherish to his cricket crazy nation.
Sri Lankan fans partied all night after the historic triumph and prepared a hero’s welcome for their stalwarts.
The two are icons in their country and their status is set to be enhanced even further now; the duo is adored right from Colombo to the Northern part of the country Kandy.
The Lankans were men possessed from the time they started their Bangladesh sojourn in February.
In fact, since the beginning of the Bangladesh tour, the Asia Cup and the World Twenty20, the Islanders have lost just a single international fixture.
Their only defeat was against England, when Alex Hale single-handedly defied the odds in Chittagong, during the group stages of the world championship.
After the defeat, the Sri Lankan think tank made a brave call and decided to do away with their underperforming young captain Dinesh Chandimal.
Chandimal, many believe, decided to pull himself out of the playing eleven, and handed the reins to Lasith Malinga.
The move turned out to be a million dollar one, as the pacer, with the support of Sangakkara and Jayawardene, succeeded in taming New Zealand, West Indies and the mighty Indians in the all-important tournament decider, scripting a glorious, fairytale ending to two monumental careers.
With a World Twenty20 trophy in the cabinet, writers like Wright surely have more fascinating tales to explore on the duo in the years ahead.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2014.
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