da cassino online： With the selectorial axe hanging over his head Hashan Tillakaratnewalked out to bat on Thursday evening knowing that this was likely to behis last chance to resurrect his Test career after two years in thewilderness
Rex Clementine31-Aug-2001With the selectorial axe hanging over his head Hashan Tillakaratnewalked out to bat on Thursday evening knowing that this was likely to behis last chance to resurrect his Test career after two years in thewilderness.The wicket may have been good and the bowling ordinary, butTillakaratne played under incredible pressure and his unbeaten 136 wasnot only his highest Test score, beating the 126 he scored againstZimabawe five years ago, but it was his best innings.”I was feeling tense beforehand as I had a couple of hiccups in theseries,” he admitted afterwards. “I decided before the innings,however, that I had to play my natural game and enjoy myself, which Idid not do in the first two Tests.”Tillakaratne’s last Test was in the inaugural Asian Test Championshipfinal against Pakistan in 1999. He was then axed as the selectorsadopted a bold youth policy after Sri Lanka’s poor showing in the 1999World Cup. Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva stayed, but RoshanMahanama’s and Tillakaratne’s careers look finished.Mahanama soon called it quits and went to play club cricket inAustralia, where he started to write his autobiography, aptly named”Retired Hurt.” Tillakaratne, however, never gave up hope of playingfor his country again.At first he seethed with frustration and anger, which eventually ledto him verbally abusing Sidath Wettimuny, the Chairman of Selectors atthe time when he had been given the boot, in the Nondescripts CricketClub car park.”I wasn’t ready to retire like Roshan (Mahanama) so after the angerdied down I concentrated on getting back my place,” he said.He did just that and by sheer weight of runs in domestic cricket heforced his way back into the squad, as Sri Lanka searched for anexperienced player to give the middle order greater stability inabsence of Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva.”I don’t have to prove a point to anyone,” he said defiantly today.”It’s just that I had to prove to myself that I still can play in thehighest level.””I hope this hundred will help to continue my career.””Everyone was right behind me and was very supportive,” he said. “Thecredit should go the players.”Coach Dav Whatmore paid tribute afterwards: “He came back after twoyears without much success in the first two Tests. He was under realpressure today and must have been losing sleep last night.””It was a great relief for him and the team when he bounced back todaywith a hundred,” said Whatmore. “We were looking for a player tosolidify the middle order and he did just that. He worked andconcentrated really hard out there today.”