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Shaun Marsh may be close to an extraordinary return to the Test side, after the vice-captain Brad Haddin indicated that Phil Hughes’ greater practice time would not necessarily work in his favour

Daniel Brettig in Centurion10-Feb-2014A perfunctory preparation and the considerably greater batting hours clocked by his rivals may not stop Shaun Marsh from making an extraordinary return to Australia’s Test side for the first Test against South Africa on a decidedly grassy Centurion Park pitch.Only three days after he arrived in Africa and only four since he considered himself having no chance of being called up to the touring team following a calf injury, Marsh is a serious contender for one of two batting spots left vacant by the dropping of George Bailey and the loss of Shane Watson to injury.Alex Doolan remains favoured to make his debut in the first Test, but Marsh is thought to be ahead of Phillip Hughes in the eyes of the tour selectors Darren Lehmann and John Inverarity, who chose him in their initial squad of 15. This is despite the fact that Hughes has now been in South Africa for nearly two weeks and top scored with 83 in the closest thing the Australians have had to a warm-up match – center wicket practice at the Wanderers on Friday.Brad Haddin, the vice-captain, said that Hughes’ greater acclimatisation time would not necessarily work in his favour. “If it’s whoever gets here first we’re going to have state players trying to get their own flight over here before everyone else,” Haddin quipped. “Hughesy was in pretty good form in the trial game the other day but Shaun was picked on the original tour.”Shaun’s probably getting to the age where it’s his last crack. He seems more settled in him game. What I’ve seen during the one-day series he seems pretty comfortable with where he was at. It’s no better arena to test himself against these blokes to see how far he has come in his game.”The other option open to Lehmann and Inverarity is the inclusion of the allrounder Moises Henriques, but Haddin said he was very confident that a four-man bowling attack would be sufficient at Centurion, with Nathan Lyon capable of fulfilling a holding role alongside Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle.”They’ve done that during the summer,” Haddin said of the bowlers shouldering a heavy load. “Watto didn’t bowl that much during the summer in all honesty. I think the bowlers are pretty conditioned to that, and also this is a three Test series not a five Test series so they won’t be holding anything back and they won’t be holding anything back, whatever we decide to go with, and even Warner bowled a few overs the other day so you never know…”Haddin was central to Australia’s sweep of England at home, counter-attacking boldly with the bat whenever he was called upon to do so. He duly enjoyed the celebrations in the wake of the Ashes as heartily as anyone, but has now taken a central role in re-focusing the team on their next target.”I felt as comfortable as I have for a long time. I was just enjoying the whole series,” Haddin said. “It was a massive series to be part of an Ashes campaign and I enjoyed it but this is another challenge. These guys are number one in the world and they’ve got a pretty handy attack so it’s going to be a different kettle of fish so I’m looking forward to that.”I’m always trying to look at ways to improve and simplify my game. I always said if I stop trying to challenge myself to be a better player I’ll call it a day. I’m still enjoying the challenge to be the best cricketer I can and I’m really looking forward to having a crack at this series. It’s going to be a cracker, there’s going to be nowhere to hide, so it’s going to be a great series all-round.”As for what Australia had to do to knock South Africa off the lofty, undefeated perch they have held in Test cricket since 2009, Haddin said improvement on the team’s efforts against England was mandatory, most particularly in the area of first-innings batting. Graeme Smith’s team cannot be expected to be quite as charitable as Alastair Cook’s men had been whenever they slid to five down for not many.”We’ve got make sure we recognise the big moments and when the big moments do arrive we jump on them,” Haddin said. “Whether that’s getting through a tough hour with the ball, bowling some maidens for a session, or taking the game by the scruff of the neck and moving it forward. We’ve just got to recognise what the game needs.”You’ve always got to look to improve. We can’t just rest on what we’ve done against England. Yes, that was exciting but now it’s a totally different beast we’re trying to tame here. I’d like to keep scoring two hundreds per Test as it averaged out in Australia but obviously we need to get first innings runs. That’s one of the areas we need to improve on. That’s no secret to anyone.”

Lasith Malinga reasserted his skill for rattling chases in a tight finish, after Lahiru Thirimanne had proclaimed his relevance to the ODI format, as Sri Lanka sputtered to an opening win in Fatullah

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Feb-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLasith Malinga reasserted his skill for rattling chases in a tight finish, after Lahiru Thirimanne had proclaimed his relevance to the ODI format, as Sri Lanka sputtered to a thrilling win in the Asia Cup opener in Fatullah.Pakistan lost their top order cheaply, surged, collapsed, then surged briefly again, in search of 297, but the total that had been set up by Thirimanne’s 102 was 12 too many, despite half-centuries from Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal.Malinga’s 5 for 52 was his first in ODIs since January 2012, as he claimed the two last Pakistan scalps in an unflappable 49th over replete with tailing yorkers. Bilawal Bhatti and Saeed Ajmal had managed 17 runs from the previous over to whittle the requirement down to 17 from two overs, but Ajmal was caught in front by a yorker, and Bhatti had one clatter into his off stump. Bhatti’s wicket was Malinga’s 250th, and he achieved the milestone faster than any other Sri Lanka bowler, beating Muttiah Muralitharan by 11 matches.Pakistan had earlier seemed in control, with 55 needed off 46 balls and six wickets in hand, thanks to the 121-run stand between Misbah and Akmal. But Malinga was vital to quelling that charge too. He struck twice in four balls in the 45th over, to swing the match strongly in Sri Lanka’s favour, before dismissing Umar Gul in his next. All of his wickets came in his last 15 balls.Lasith Malinga’s five wickets came in his last 15 balls•AFPDuring Sri Lanka’s innings, Thirimanne’s 161-run stand, off 146 balls, with Kumar Sangakkara had been the centrepiece. The pair pushed the run rate close to six, promising a total well in excess of 300, but a stutter in the batting Powerplay and a focused Pakistan, led by Saeed Ajmal, in the late overs ensured they did not finish with force.Thirimanne, backed by the selectors to open instead of Mahela Jayawardene, was fluent from the outset, and despite his strike rate of 92.72, was rarely ruled by aggression. A crisp cover drive off Gul brought him his first boundary in the second over, and that stroke – his favourite – proved equally productive against spin. Casually authoritative on the off side to begin with, Thirimanne eventually added a leg side element to his play, even swinging Mohammad Hafeez over deep midwicket for six, in the 31st over.In between the sweetly struck fours, Thirimanne was also adept at measuring singles. Aided by a surface that offered little seam movement or turn, and by Sangakkara’s enterprise at the other end, he eased to his half-century in the 20th over, then launched an offensive after the 25th.For a batsman who has spent much of the past two months sidelined with injury, Thirimanne was as stoic as he was confident. The nineties drew no fidgets or hair-brained strokes. He flitted through them, as he had done throughout his stay, to record his second triple-figure score in ODIs. The milestone, fittingly, came from a cover drive. The celebration, typically, was understated.Though Thirimanne had modeled his strokes and approach on his senior partner, Sangakkara had not been quite so mellow. Often he strode forward against the quicks to make length deliveries overpitched, and his initiative became Sri Lanka’s impetus. He hit 67 from 65 balls, before thumping an Umar Gul bouncer to the only infielder on the leg side.Angelo Mathews embellished his regained stature as a finisher with an unbeaten 55 off 50 balls, but with no secure ally at the other end, he could not attack freely at the close. Ajmal’s varied final spell was Sri Lanka’s biggest hindrance. He finished with 1 for 50 from his full quota, while Umar Gul, who strangely only bowled eight overs, took 2 for 38.Pakistan had fizzled to 121 for 4 in response, before a measured Misbah and an impetuous Akmal fanned the embers of the chase, only to let it grow cold when triumph was in sight.There was little to separate this Misbah half-century from the dozens he has scored in the past 14 months. A staccato of curt defensive prods and opportunistic nurdles broken by startling, occasional blasts: a whack over long-on off Thisara Perera and a slog over midwicket off Sachithra Senanayake cleared the ropes with ease. His innings could have ended at 44 when he gave a feather-edge off Suranga Lakmal, but as the only giveaway to Misbah’s indiscretion was one muffled, woody note, the umpire was unmoved.Akmal’s progress was smoother, until he unleashed towards the end. He carted Suranga Lakmal for 16 in the 41st over and slammed two fours off debutant left-arm spinner Chaturanga de Silva in the next. Angelo Mathews bravely kept Lakmal on and the bowler was rewarded with an edge to the keeper that sparked Pakistan’s late stumble. When Misbah leathered Malinga to deep square leg, it appeared Pakistan were all but done.Lakmal had delivered four overs of accurate away-seam with the new ball, claiming Sharjeel Khan’s wicket, but though he dismissed Akmal, his figures in the final overs suggested he has not yet developed a head for death bowling. Senanayake and de Silva took one wicket apiece, and Mathews himself took the key scalp of Mohammad Hafeez, who had been Sri Lanka’s primary tormentor during the bilateral series in December.

Virat Kohli has rated his matchwinning, unbeaten 72 against South Africa in the World T20 semi-final as his best T20 innings considering the importance of the match

Abhishek Purohit in Mirpur04-Apr-20143:25

Match Point: Kohli, a smart thinker

Virat Kohli has rated his matchwinning, unbeaten 72 against South Africa in the World T20 semi-final as his best T20 innings considering the importance of the match. While Kohli said the Indian dressing room was calm at the innings break, he added that there was pressure during the chase, but he did not want to let South Africa know that.”Depending on the importance of the match, yes, you can say it is my best T20 innings,” Kohli said. “But I have struck the ball better in T20s in other games. I have also timed the ball better than I did today and have managed to score five or six boundaries very fast. Today it was difficult as I had to work hard for the knock. But as per the importance of the game, this knock tops it.”I wanted to play an important knock when the team had entered the semis. I was in good form, so I though it is better that I stay till the end. In T20, it is very important that a batsman stays till the end. It’s not like there was no pressure. It wasn’t easy. Pressure was there. But it is important that you don’t show it to the opponents. They are a world-class attack and the slightest mistake against them can cost you. I just wanted to stay calm and was keen to back myself.”Kohli’s reputation as a reliable chaser continues to grow. When asked how he adapted while batting second in T20s compared to one-dayers, Kohli said his calculations became quicker, and also credited the start given by Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane in this match. “It’s all about analyzing how many runs have been scored before I walk in to bat and what rate we are going at. Today we got off to a flying start, we were going at 10 runs an over in the first three. It gave me time to settle myself in. If we were six runs an over, I could have gone for my strokes and I probably could have got out. People don’t realise the importance of those small starts but I think the way Rohit and Ajinkya batted initially, it set the platform perfectly for us, it put the pressure right back on South Africa and it allowed me to play myself in and stick to my plans.Kohli: Pressure was there. But it is important that you don’t show it to the opponents•AFP”It’s very difficult to break it down in a T20 game because as I said, rush of blood, plus it is a shorter format. Those calculations come down, they become smaller, become quicker. You need to think really quick, when to score, when to defend. I think it is all about how many their main bowlers have bowled or how many overs the part-timers are going to bowl, how many runs you need to score off the part-timers and the main bowlers. It’s all about when I walk in to bat, I look at the score board, what the situation is like and talk to my partner, what we can do from there on.”Kohli scored 40 of his 72 runs in singles and twos, and had only three dots. He went as far as saying that a single was as important as a six in this format. “That’s something I always believe. I was on 20 not out off 17 balls (17 off 16 actually) without hitting a boundary. If you can do that and the opposition knows if I can get two boundaries in between, my strike rate goes up to 150, around that. It is very important to keep rotating the strike which, in a rush of blood, you always keep looking for boundaries. But as long as you keep rotating the strike and not lose wickets at the same time, the opposition captain has to think about a lot of things after that because if you can place the ball for two runs thrice in an over and the sixth ball goes for a boundary, it is a brilliant over for you. So I think it’s very important to know the importance of singles and doubles in T20 cricket as well.”South Africa held back Dale Steyn for the death but India were able to take 22 off his second and third overs. Kohli said it was crucial to put pressure on the leader of the attack.”Against a quality bowling attack, you need to be on top. It’s important to put pressure on a world-class bowler like Dale. That’s why the key is to score off the other bowlers so that he doesn’t have too many runs to defend. That’s why if you take six or seven runs off him, when he comes to pick wickets, it’s more frustrating for the opposition. The plan was to not give him wickets. I think we ended up scoring 11 an over off him and that wasn’t the plan at all. Once you start frustrating the opposition and not allow them to stick to their plans, the game starts falling in your way and that’s what we decided to do.”MS Dhoni played out a dot ball in the penultimate over to allow Kohli the chance to hit the winning runs. Kohli was thankful to the captain for the opportunity. “Yes, he gave me a chance. I had told him ” (I told him, you finish it. But he said, I cannot give you anything else in this game. You have batted well, so this is my gift for you).”I said ‘that’s very kind of you’ and I accepted it. Hitting the winning runs is a wonderful feeling and I am grateful to him for allowing me the opportunity to hit them.”

North Zone have a lot left to do on the fifth day of the BCL final as they require another 319 runs to win, while South Zone have to take seven wickets to clinch the title

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2014North Zone have a lot left to do on the fifth day of the BCL final as they require another 319 runs to win, while South Zone have to take seven wickets to clinch the title.North Zone were 254 for 3 at the end of the fourth day, scoring at almost four for 63 overs. They were set 573 to win after South Zone were bowled out for 536 in their second innings.Farhad Hossain, unbeaten on 85, added 42 runs for the second wicket with Junaid Siddique, and shared an unbroken 128-run fourth-wicket partnership with the captain Nasir Hossain.Nasir(67 not out) was circumspect for much of his innings, but struck his Bangladesh team-mate Abdur Razzak for four fours in the last session, with two coming in the last over of the day. Farhad attacked the spinners, hitting all nine of his fours against them.The North Zone openers Maisuqur Rahman and Junaid added 57 for the first wicket in just 10.4 overs as they capitalised on the poor bowling early in the innings. But Razzak ended the partnership by removing Maisuqur for 32. Junaid struck a half-century before being dismissed by Shuvagata Hom in the 24th over.Earlier in the day, South Zone lost their way as they lost seven wickets for 98 runs. Mithun Ali made 126 off 183 balls but was caught behind off Subashis Roy, who picked up three wickets. Razzak hammered two sixes and three fours in his 24-ball 33 which propelled South Zone to 536.

A proposed traffic flyover could threaten the international future of the Basin Reserve in Wellington, according to former players

ESPNcricinfo staff05-May-2014A proposed traffic flyover could threaten the international future of the Basin Reserve in Wellington, according to former players.The New Zealand Transport Agency plans to build a two-lane highway flyover 20 metres north of the ground and while a 12-metre high pavilion would also be constructed to block the flyover from view, small glimpses could still be visible to the sides of the pavilion.Former chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, Martin Snedden, has voiced his concerns that traffic movement outside the 40-degree area from the batsman’s view could still be distracting and potentially dangerous, and that it could lead to players and spectators abandoning the venue.”A fielder at mid-off is not permitted to wave their arms when a bowler is preparing to deliver a ball, despite that fielder being well outside this 40-degree area,” Snedden said. “Cricket balls are very hard. Impact on the human body of a fast-moving cricket ball can cause serious injury and even death. Ewen Chatfield, a former New Zealand Test match player, was nearly killed by being struck in the temple by a ball in a Test match in 1974.”Don Neely, the former Wellington captain and cricket historian, said the sight of moving traffic from the playing surface could do irreparable damage to the Basin Reserve’s character and could lead to the end of Test cricket at the ground.”Spectators could decide to vote with their feet and choose not to come to games,” Neely said. “Ultimately, the Basin relies on attracting spectators for its ongoing existence. The Basin Reserve could lose its if cricket should cease to be played there … nothing would be sadder for Wellington than to see this important historical and cultural symbol become a faded monument to the past.”Sir John Anderson, the former NZC chairman who represented the country on the ICC board for more than a decade, said the flyover could be considered a “major renovation” by the ICC, which would lead to the ground’s Test status needing to be reviewed after the completion of the project in 2017.”The [flyover], without sufficient mitigation, runs a small but very real risk of the ICC status of New Zealand’s premier Test match ground being taken away,” Anderson said.

Barbados will host the third Test between West Indies and New Zealand after it was moved from Guyana

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2014Barbados will host the third Test between West Indies and New Zealand after it was moved from Guyana. The West Indies Cricket Board announced on Saturday that a new venue would be found for the Test after a disagreement on a new bill passed by the government of Guyana.”The third Test was originally scheduled to be played at the Guyana National Stadium but was relocated following the board and the government of Guyana not being able to find a mutually agreeable resolution relating to the Cricket Administration Bill,” the WICB said in a statement.The dates for the Test – June 26 to 30 – have not changed. New Zealand begin their tour with Tests in Jamaica and Trinidad before moving on to Bridgetown for the final Test.

The PCB has added a second T20 international to Pakistan’s home series against New Zealand in November and December

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2014The PCB has added a second T20 international to Pakistan’s home series against New Zealand in November and December in the UAE. Both the T20s will be played in Dubai.The original schedule comprised only one T20, five ODIs and three Tests. New Zealand will play a tour game in Sharjah from November 5 to 7, before the first Test begins in Abu Dhabi on November 11. The T20s will be held on December 4 and 5, and the ODI series begins on December 8 and ends on December 19.

Daryl Mitchell’s maiden five wicket haul in T20s left holders Northamptonshire on the verge of elimination from the Natwest T20 Blast.

Press Association18-Jul-2014
ScorecardDaryl Mitchell claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in T20s•Getty ImagesDaryl Mitchell’s maiden five wicket haul in T20s left holders Northamptonshire on the verge of elimination from the Natwest T20 Blast. Mitchell’s 5 for 28 sent the holder’s to a 31-run defeat to Worcestershire and now if Nottinghamshire get the better of Leicestershire on Sunday at Trent Bridge then Northants’ defence of the title is as good as over.Daryl Mitchell and Colin Munro were the stars for the victors, the former claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in any format to help dismiss the hosts for 131 in reply to Worcestershire’s 162 for 9 – a total built around Munro’s quickfire 49.After Richard Oliver fell to the first ball of the match, lofting Matt Spriegel inexplicably to long-off, marginally in excess of 50 was taken from the Powerplay. That included the fall of Tom Kohler-Cadmore but Munro was quickly into his stride with a salvo of boundaries.Mitchell fell to the first ball after the fielding restrictions had been relaxed and Ross Whiteley was excellently run out by Steven Crook but that brought in Ben Cox who provided excellent support for Munro.The duo added 49 in slightly more than four overs and while they were going a substantial total looked on the cards. But the New Zealander’s departure for a 30-ball 49, run out by bowler David Willey at the non-striker’s end after calling Cox through, meant that expectations had to be lowered.Cox moved on to a career-best Twenty20 score of 46 but the loss of four wickets in the last five overs, three of which fell in the 20th bowled by Muhammad Azharullah, and the addition of only 39 combined to make the final score of 162 seemingly under par.Northamptonshire openers Richard Levi and Willey responded solidly and had taken 42 from the runs required column before the latter had his stumps rattled by Joe Leach.When the Powerplay finished, 115 were needed from 84 balls which represents a fairly straightforward task in the majority of cases but the fall of Levi and Kyle Coetzer, both to Shaaiq Choudhry, who took two for 21, changed the balance of power slightly.The scales tipped further in Worcestershire’s favour when Crook gave Mitchell a return catch in his first over and that put Adam Rossington in the spotlight. The loanee hauled a couple of sixes over the leg-side to keep the hosts in touch but he fell lbw to Mitchell and when Rob Newton chipped a return catch in the same over Worcestershire were scenting victory.And if Northamptonshire were sinking at that point, the hosts hit the bottom a couple of overs later. Ben Duckett had already sliced Mitchell McClenaghan to deep point but when Mitchell dismissed both James Middlebrook and Spriegel in the 18th over the game was up. All that was left was for Olly Stone to fall to Jack Shantry as Northants were bowled out 32 shy of their target.”We assessed the pitch, Colin and myself, and we thought that 150 was about par so we were a shade over that,” Worcestershire captain Mitchell said. “We bowled very well and kept them under pressure as it was starting to stick in the pitch a bit.”We executed our plan to perfection, it’s generally been our preference to bat first and it was a good wicket to put a score on the board. We try to go hard in the Powerplay and although we lost a few wickets in the first half of the innings but Ben Cox held us together.”On the flip side, Mitchell’s opposite number Coetzer was pretty deflated knowing that his side are really struggling to remain afloat. “There’s quite a bit of disappointment around although we’ve stillgot a very slim chance,” he said.”They won the game, they had two guys who nullified the spin by switch-hitting and that makes you start thinking about your other options. I thought 135 or 140 was about right but it was down to them as they played really well.”

A final decision on whether a USA squad will tour Uganda in October for the ICC WCL Division Three tournament is expected to be taken this week

Peter Della Penna31-Aug-2014A final decision on whether a USA squad will tour Uganda in October for the ICC WCL Division Three tournament is expected to be taken this week at a USA Cricket Association board meeting. The board held discussions this past week on the matter but delayed making a final call pending a review of an ICC security assessment report.”Most members of the board, they want to send a team because they feel the team is strong enough to move up into Division Two,” a source present at the meeting told ESPNcricinfo. “Based on the conversations, more than 50% felt that if we can get security guarantees, then we should go.”USACA is apparently not alone in its hesitation to tour. According to sources, the Bermuda Cricket Board expressed similar concerns to the ICC based on a US State Department advisory issued in February, which rates Uganda as a “high threat for terrorism”. While the majority of the USACA board was in favor of sending a team to Uganda for the six-team tournament starting on October 26, several key members of the board were in opposition.Among those with the most reservations about the tour are president Gladstone Dainty, vice president Rafey Syed and treasurer John Thickett. The USACA discussions were spurred by Thickett’s email to the board on August 19 that highlighted the US State Department’s current travel advisory for Uganda.The other teams scheduled to take part in WCL Division Three are Nepal, Malaysia and Singapore. The two top will gain promotion to WCL Division Two, which will take place next January in Namibia.

“It’s been an emotional day but I promise I won’t cry,” were Mahela Jayawardene’s first words when he took the podium following his final Test

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the SSC18-Aug-2014″It’s been an emotional day but I promise I won’t cry,” were Mahela Jayawardene’s first words when he took the podium following his final Test. His voice cracked on occasion. Sadness was writ on his face. But most memories of his final day in Tests will be happy ones. Sri Lanka had swept the series “for Mahela”, fans had shown up in force, and the institutions that had helped make him – Nalanda College and SSC – were present in numbers to celebrate his final moments as a Test cricketer.Jayawardene thanked his school and club following the match, as well as Sri Lanka Cricket, team-mates, family members and fans. He spoke lightheartedly about not pursuing a life in politics following retirement, largely because his wife would kick him out if he did. He joked about his tussles with media and the board over the years as well.But his most sentimental words were about the fans who have supported him, and the faded Sri Lanka cap that has been his companion for 15 years. “My most valued day in Tests is the day I got my cap,” Jayawardene said. “To walk into that dressing room and be with that group of players on Test debut, and to receive my cap from captain Arjuna Ranatunga, with all the other guys being there – it was probably the best day in my life, and something I will never forget.”I’ve stitched up this cap and managed to wear it for a long time. It’s been with me for almost 15 years now – the first few years we had a different cap. It will go in my trophy cabinet, right at the top. I’ve already planned that. You can’t even touch Sanga’s cap, it’s in such a bad state, but he still plays with it. I feel very honoured to wear it. It’s not easy to let it go, but there will be a lot of young talent waiting to wear this cap, and that’s a great thing. I’m still wearing it on my head, because it’s the last time I can do that.”Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene posed for one last photo in whites•AFPAmong the highlights of Jayawardene’s Test career are his 19 century stands with close friend Kumar Sangakkara. In their last partnership, they made 107 to help set up a competitive target for Pakistan. Sangakkara was dismissed first, hitting Saeed Ajmal to short leg.”I really value my friendship with Kumar. It’s something that has been built over a long time. When we play together, we’ve done it with a lot of enjoyment. In that last innings, when Sanga got out, I did feel quite sad. That was our last innings in Tests. But we both know that we’ve only got a short time left in the game. I’m very happy that I got to play with him for such a long time. Out of players that I’ve seen over the past six years, he’s the no. 1 batsman. As a friend I’m so proud of what he has achieved.”Jayawardene said the away Test victories – particularly the recent win at Headingley, and the victory in Durban in 2012 – were the sweetest of his career. Although he allowed his average to slip below 50 in his final Test, the team’s victory was more important, he said.”Coming into this game, I was pretty determined to try and keep my average up over 50 – that was one of my challenges. Unfortunately it didn’t happen. I can’t lament on that, and it’s not something that I will lose sleep on.”Jayawardene has been an advocate for developing young talent in the latter half of his career, and suggested he would be keen to work with players in the Sri Lanka school cricket system, of which he had been a successful product. Several Sri Lanka players now vie to replace him in the XI, but whoever takes his place must be given time and trust in order to succeed, Jayawardene said.”If you take a player like Angelo Mathews, he has been able to play six or so years, and now he’s successful. Some players can have ups and downs, but we need to be patient with them. Some players maybe haven’t coped mentally, but they have time to correct those things. We have a lot of faith in the players that are there now, and that’s why we give them a lot of encouragement.”