Calcutta: Kumar Sangakkara has had an illustrious career. His fabulous journey will end after the second Test against India, at the P Sara Oval, in Colombo.
On the eve of the opening Test, in Galle, Sangakkara reflected on his 15-year international career and spoke on a variety of subjects.
Excerpts
On if there's any particular reason why he is not playing the whole series
The reason is the agreement I had with the previous selection committee when I was discussing my future... I had plans to retire immediately after the World Cup, but they wanted me to try and play a bit more Test cricket. This was all I could offer them.
On if it has sunk in that this will be his farewell series
When you are sitting in England and watching your team play the ODI and T20 series (against Pakistan), you definitely feel like a former cricketer. You feel you're involved, but at the same time you are not there. It can be frustrating at times, but it's something that I've got to get used to. It's great nowadays that even after you say goodbye to international cricket, you can still play some cricket around. It's not like you have to wind down permanently.
On whether he has any regrets
I would have loved to win a 50-over World Cup... We had two chances which we didn't convert. Also, it would have been nice to win a few more Test matches away from home... Winning more in Australia would have been great. I remember going to England last year and we beat England 1-0 in that series... That was the best overseas tour I have part of. It would have great to go and win a Test series in India as well. So there are a lot of things that could have been, but I think that's the way the game goes. There are regrets, but not regrets that I will be thinking about for years and years and be bitter about. I have had a great career. I have enjoyed everything - the wins and the losses; the bad times and the good times... Everything has been a great experience.
On how would he like to be remembered
I think everyone remembers you differently. When you play, you see yourself in one way; when you retire, you see yourself as slightly better than what you actually were. That's the way cricketers are. But I want to be remembered as just who I was, how I played and how I interacted with the team in the dressing room. There has been a lot of standout moments.
The way we performed as a unit in big tournaments, that's been the one thing that we can be very, very proud of. Also, once Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Chaminda Vaas, Aravinda De Silva left, to be a part of a set-up that produced cricketers like Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga, has been great. The one guy who has been outstanding and who is never spoken about is Rangana Herath. He has been an incredible servant of Sri Lankan cricket.
On his favourite innings
I am proud of all my personal innings, without a doubt. All the hundreds... Whatever format you might play, at the end of the day, it is your Test capabilities that allow you to make a mark. I have enjoyed all of those. Scoring my first Test hundred, against India, batting with Muralidharan as last man, that was very, very special. My hundred at Lord's, my hundred in Australia, they have all been very special to me.
On his batting style
I used to have these arguments with Thilan Samaraweera in the dressing room about who had had the best looking forward defensive shot in the Sri Lankan side. He always told me that I had the ugliest forward defensive shot he has ever seen in his life and Mahela (Jayawardene) and Marvan (Attapattu) had the nicest. Most the things I do doesn't seem elegant, but I'm glad with the amount if runs I've scored and how effective I've been. You can put me in that classical left-hander mould. I knew my limitations and I played around it.
On the young batsmen he enjoys watching
In the Sri Lankan side, Angelo is by far the best batsman we have had in a long time. He is already exceptional, he will get better. Internationally, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane for India, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla from South Africa, Australia's Steven Smith Australia, Joe Root for England... These guys have been exceptional.
On the 2009 terror attack on Sri Lankan team bus
It was one of the scariest moments for sure. But I think it was an experience for the Sri Lankan cricket team. It kind of again put things in perspective. We have been through a raging conflict, we were untouched directly by the war. And then we go to play cricket, which should be the safest environment for us, and we get attacked.
Being in a situation like that is scary, but the real point is to come out of it and come out of it strong. That incident brought us close to a larger part of the Sri Lankan public who had experienced that day in and day out. That has really kept us grounded.
On international teams not touring Pakistan
I can't vouch for anyone or anything. I think the Pakistani public are wonderful cricket fans, they have always been... They have welcomed with open arms, they love the way we play, they support Sri Lanka very, very strongly. For the Pakistan cricket team, to see that talent and ability and not being able to play in their own country is sad.
But it is not for me to say whether it is safe or unsafe, it is a matter of the home Board, it is a matter for the security personnel, it is for the individual countries to decide. Hopefully, sport will remain untouched by violence. No one can guarantee security in any country probably, but the point is that if you go somewhere you have to feel safe.
On Sri Lanka being one of the most affable teams
I think being aggressive on the field is all about how well we bowl, bat and field. It's never about sledging. Whenever you meet a Sri Lankan, you meet him with a smile. At times, we used to get upset with Murali because he always kept smiling at the opposition. Take Sanath, he's destructive and instilled fear in the opposition. But as a person, he wasn't that aggressive.
On whether he would speak against SLC post-retirement if required
My dialogue with the Board has been pretty open. As a team, we have stayed united in a lot of ways. It was not against the Board as such, but we've always stood by each other when something was not right. The more open dialogue you have, the relationship becomes smoother.
On the India-Sri Lanka rivalry
It has been a great rivalry. And it's been a tussle between some great players. When you are facing a side which has a batting line-up with Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid , VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly, you know you are in for a very, very tough time.
And then you have Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan, who to me is one of the most difficult bowlers I have ever faced. It's an exceptional feeling going in and playing against such greats. The rivalry has been great, it has been tough cricket and I think both sides have come through tough times.
On the current Indian team
India seem to have a more settled side than we do. They have exceptional players. The way Virat talks about combinations, it seems he has a very specific idea in mind, not just for the series, but for India going ahead. I think it will be a very, very tough series.
On his memories of Galle
I think Galle has been great for Sri Lankan overall. It was one of Muralidharan's favourite hunting grounds and we have managed to win a lot of Test matches here. It's just the place... It's my favourite Test ground in the world. It's going to be a very special ground not just for me, but for a lot of players, both visiting and local.
