Dubai Kumar Sangakkara is being hailed as one of the most intelligent captains in world cricket today. He has led from the front in all formats of the game with creditable performances with the bat, and as a wicketkeeper.
Sri Lanka has been making rapid progress under his captaincy and his ability to encourage new faces has won him praise. He has now set his eyes on winning the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 Cup in West Indies, which his team failed to win despite reaching the final in 2009 in England.
In an exclusive interview to Gulf News through a conference call, he spoke about his career, captaincy, plans for winning the Twenty20 Cup and his team.
Gulf News: You have captained the team in all formats of the game. How tough is it to captain the team in the Twenty20 Cup and how different is it from other formats of the game?
Sangakkara: Twenty20 is frenetic. Everything happens in double pace. A lot of planning has to be done before hand. One has to set the strategies in place and minimise contingency plans. You often do not have time to take rational decisions. If all the players understand what is being done then it becomes easy for a captain.
Very often, within a three over spell, the momentum of the game can change and if you go wrong, the chances of getting back into the game is very slim. So in Twenty20 cricket one has to keep an eye on time, another eye on your decisions and the opportunities that come your way to take advantage of the situation. I find it challenging to captain in Twenty20 format.
So you agree that Twenty20 is a high-pressure format as compared to Test and One-dayers?
Yes it is because the expectations are to be able to score quickly and bowl overs at a respectable, economy rate. The pressure begins from the first delivery of the match. Constant effort is needed to limit runs and there is pressure on fielders to stop runs to minimise the total the team has to chase. There is constant pressure on you to do the little things very well within a short period of time. Everyone has to perform at a very fast pace throughout the match.
Last year, your team finished runners-up in the ICC World Twenty20 Cup. What do you think is needed from your team to win the tournament this year and how do you rate your team's chances?
Our chances are pretty good. We don't really kid ourselves by saying that we are a powerhouse run-scoring side. We have some nice touch players and we're also fortunate to have some good power players who can go all out and attack. We also have variety in our bowling attack be it spin or pace.
So, we are an unpredictable team on a given day. We have all the ingredients of a good Twenty20 team, but how we will perform on a given day will depend on our confidence and self belief. We need to improve our six and boundary hitting abilities and also concentrate on strike rotation when it comes to taking singles.
We also have to make sure that our effective bowlers do the bulk of the bowling leaving room to our mysterious and unorthodox bowlers. We are fortunate to have such bowlers in our side.
You must be really looking forward for the World Cup and do you believe that West Indies is the ideal venue for Twenty20 World Cup?
The atmosphere in West Indies is great for playing cricket. The crowds are brilliant and it is a very exotic destination. Our experience during the last World Cup there was also fantastic when we reached the finals. I believe the style with which they play their game makes West Indies an ideal location for Twenty20 cricket.
Are you happy with the progress that your team has been making in all formats of the game?
We are progressing very well, but in One-day cricket we have a long way to go. It is exciting to have new faces in the team and youngsters are now jostling for a place, pushing established players from their comfort zone. This is exactly what every side needs. There should be a lot of pressure and fierce competition for the slots forcing everyone to look over their shoulders and assess whether they are performing well to keep their international career going.
Is your country capable of producing enough talent to maintain the high standard required to win big tournaments?
Our development programmes has been producing talented players and making sure that the provincial and first class crickets are of the highest standard. It is important to give everyone a clear incentive and path to graduate to the national side. We have been doing that very well by putting the process in place. However, only time will tell how successful we have been in our effort.
Have you set any personal targets?
Yes, my goal is to score 10,000 runs in Test and One-dayers and score over 30 centuries in Test cricket. These two have been my driving goals. I am pretty happy that I am getting closer to those goals. I love scoring runs and playing the game. I also want to be part of the side that will win the World Cup again and that will be an icing on the cake.
