Kumar Sangakkara: The Shakespeare of Sri Lankan Cricket

In his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King pays a fine tribute to the elite of English literature. “[The] Shakespeares, the Faulkners, the Yeatses, Shaws, and Eudora Weltys. They are geniuses, divine accidents, gifted in a way which is beyond our ability to understand, let alone attain,” writes King. Although rare, such premiers dwell in every artistic field, and sport is no exception.

Cricket, a game described by English poet Edmund Blunden as “a worship in the summer sun”, has also been touched by ‘divine accidents’, sprouting rhapsodists who dazzle either with swagger or grace; sometimes both. While many have brightly faded, one continues to shine in twilight. Kumar Sangakkara has been a champion, perhaps the Shakespeare of Sri Lankan cricket — for without him there may not have been any sonnets.

It was Shakespeare who once said, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

Sangakkara has poetised runs regardless of circumstances. If there was void to fill after the exit of World Cup winners, Sri Lanka turned to Sangakkara. If it needed a core to build a team around, Sri Lanka turned to Sangakkara. If it needed a leader to steer ten other men to the final stages of a global tournament, Sri Lanka turned to Sangakkara. If it needed someone to deliver at a dizzying level of commitment without any sort of remuneration, Sri Lanka turned to Sangakkara. And Sangakkara turned up for Sri Lanka, every single day.

The above is not without proof. Sangakkara first donned the Sri Lankan blues in the year 2000. By 2003, he was a mainstay, and post Sri Lanka’s exit from the World Cup that year he took over the mantle of a senior player. While one Sri Lankan stalwart after another bid adieu (either retired or sidelined, depending on which side of the scale their form was), Sangakkara cushioned the loss by taking on additional responsibilities, both with the bat and gloves. The result was that he was Sri Lanka’s highest run-getter for the next four years, simultaneously leading the team to higher altitudes.

Sri Lanka’s top run-scorers in ODs from 2003 to 2007:

From 2007, Sangakkara, alongside Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan, formed the nucleus of the side. While Muralitharan’s wizardry spun teams out at home, Sangakkara plundered gigantic tons and instilled in his team-mates the confidence to score big, both home and away. His good mate Jayawardene led by example, but it was Sangakkara who often set standards. His 192 at Hobart, chasing 507 to win in the fourth innings, was a delight to watch — an innings during the course of which he walked across the stumps to flick Brett Lee behind square, leaving Shane Warne in awe.

During this phase, most of the other players faltered, but Sangakkara rallied, more so in the limited-overs format, which is perhaps why Sri Lanka finished just behind India and Australia in the W/L ratio table. This was also a time when crevices first appeared in the Sri Lankan board, but Sangakkara kept etching poetry with his willow.

Sri Lanka’s top run-scorers in ODs from 2007 to 2011:

It was in early 2012 when news that the Sri Lankan cricketers were unpaid for more than eight months first surfaced. This was when Sri Lanka failed to close out series against higher-ranked teams, prompting television commentator Rameez Raja to say, “Naturally, their performance and morale took a beating (due to lack of pay)! Just look at the results of the team during the period they were not paid: Sri Lanka lost to Australia at home, were beaten by Pakistan in Tests, ODIs and T20 and taken down by South Africa.”

Runners-up are seldom remembered, which is probably why Sri Lanka’s tenacity during this phase is forgotten. They almost trumped Australia at home in their bid for the Commonwealth Bank (CB) series; beat South Africa in their own backyard my a margin of over 200 runs in a Test before running them close in the ODI series that followed. Sangakkara’s magical wand continued to pull runs out of the hat even during this sombre chapter of Sri Lankan cricket. The sleek cover-drives, nimble flicks and timely pulls paid no heed to the absence of cheques.

Sri Lanka’s top run-scorers in ODs from 2011 to present:

The term ‘genius’ is loosely ascribed, but it is fitting for one who tops the chart every year. “I’ve been on my knees asking Kumar not to retire,” said Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews after the former’s fourth consecutive ton in this 2015 World Cup. There will be opposition teams and captains willing to go on their knees to ask Sangakkara to stick with his retirement plan, for they know the trauma the southpaw is capable of inflicting even in this final leg of his journey. When it is time for leaves to drop at the turn of fall, they still radiate colours that are eye-catching.

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,” said Shakespeare. There is no doubting which bracket Sangakkara belongs to.