Colombo, Mar 23: Sri Lanka's sports minister said today that he wants Sanath Jayasuriya to continue as the national cricket captain, despite his offer to resign after the team lost to Australia in the World Cup semifinal last week. "Reaching the semifinal is a big achievement for Sri Lanka cricket. I don't think Sanath has failed as a captain," sports minister Johnston Fernando told the Associated Press. Jayasuriya told state-owned television last night that he had tendered his resignation to allow authorities to groom a successor for the next World Cup, to be staged in the West Indies in 2007.

"I did my best as a captain and there may be shortcomings," Jayasuriya said.

He said that Sri Lanka had performed far better during the World Cup than during last year's tour to South Africa where they lost the test series 0-2 and the one-day matches 1-4.

Fernando said he preferred that Jayasuriya continue as captain since his resignation will put officials under pressure to find a replacement and prepare for the Sharjah tri-nation tournament against Pakistan and South Africa next month.

Jayasuriya was appointed captain after authorities sacked Arjuna Ranatunga over his failure to take his team to the second round of the 1999 World Cup in England.
Jayasuriya has led Sri Lanka to victory in 18 out of 38 test matches and 65 one-day internationals our of 115.

Bureau Report