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"Viru has done a splendid job. During the course of the tournament, I have seen him take incredible decisions on the spur of the moment and they have really paid off. He is an instinctive leader. In T20 cricket, you need to make quick decisions and for that you need to have a clear mind," Jayawardene told PTI during an exclusive interview here today.
Captaincy, according to Jayawardene, is not difficult provided one has done his homework properly. "Leading a side might look complex but once you have done your homework, it`s not that difficult a job. If you are not prepared well enough, then your on-field options become lesser and you will have trouble. At Daredevils, we have had some very good team meetings where we have analysed the strengths and weaknesses of other sides along with our support staff. KP has also big role so has Morne (Morkel) and Nadeem," he said.
By his own admission, opening the innings with Virender Sehwag has been an enriching experience. "When you have Dilshan or Sehwag opening the batting, they like to control the proceedings. They are players who can even hit the good balls for boundaries and my job at the other end is to rotate strike and enjoy their batting. When Viru is in full flow, all you do is to crack a few jokes in between the overs and may be analyse the opposition team`s bowling options," the 34-year-old Sri Lankan captain said.
Among the Indian youngsters, Jayawardene has been most impressed with Ajinkya Rahane`s performance. "Ajinkya is a special talent. He has the correct technique necessary to back his brilliant strokeplay." Not many players have negotiated Lasith Malinga with the ease that Jayawardene played during his knock of 55 against Mumbai Indians at Kotla.
"It`s never easy to pick Lasith. He will bowl one such delivery that might get you but then you need to be technically very correct. You need to be in perfect shape. If you try to hit a Malinga delivery too hard, then you are in for some trouble. It doesn`t matter even if you have big backlift, but your stance should be correct." Asked about the Gen-Next Sri Lankan players, Jayawardene named Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne as the two players to watch-out for.
"Angelo (Mathews) is already established. But we have Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne who are young and should serve Sri Lankan cricket for a long time. I also have high hopes from Thisara Perera. At the end of the day, talent alone doesn`t take you anywhere. You need to channelise the talent and have hunger to succeed," he concluded.
