Sri Lankan ace Mahela set for Blast
●● Mahela Jayawardene CRICKET CHRIS OSTICK SRI Lanka legend Mahela Jayawardene has signed for Lancashire for this season’s NatWest T20 Blast.
It is a major coup for the Emirates Old Trafford club, with the 39-year-old one of the cricket’s true greats.
Jayawardene, who is available to play in the whole competition – including the knock-out stages – has a vast amount of experience, having played in the Indian Premier League, Australia’s Big Bash, the Pakistan Super League, the Caribbean Premier League and spent the winter helping Central Districts to the final of New Zealand’s Super Smash.
He has played 220 domestic T20 matches and 55 internationals, during which he has won the World T20 with Sri Lanka in 2014, and played in both the 2009 and 2012 finals.
He is currently coaching the Mumbai Indians, who are top of the Indian Premier League.
Because his wife, Christina, is Danish, Jayawardene has been able to join Lancashire on a spousal visa so he can play as a nonoverseas player.
That means head coach Glen Chapple has the option of being able to include him in the side along with overseas signings Ryan McLaren and Junaid Khan as well as Kolpaks Dane Vilas, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kyle Jarvis if he chose to.
However, it’s unlikely all will play in the same game, with Chapple keen to continue the development of the young local players at Lancashire.
Although Jayawardene’s role will be purely as a player, Chapple believes he can still be a crucial mentor for the rest of the squad.
“Mahela is a truly world-class batsman who scores runs all around the wicket,” said Chapple.
“He’s a true competitor and a winner too, and I’m thrilled to be able to bring him into our squad for the NatWest T20 Blast later this summer.
“It will be a fantastic opportunity for our young players to learn off him and for our fans to watch one of the game’s greats.”
Jayawardene has played for Somerset and Sussex in the T20 Blast, and is keen for another crack at winning the trophy.
“I haven’t won the NatWest T20 Blast in my career and it’s a trophy I’d love to experience success in this summer with Lancashire Lightning,” he said. “I’m very excited about joining Lancashire. It is a huge county with a fine history in the game.
There is a young group of players at the club and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of working with them.”