After a dazzling four-match cameo last summer, Central Stags have lured master batsman Mahela Jayawardene back to New Zealand for another Twenty20 cricket campaign.
Stags chief executive Pete de Wet confirmed the 39-year-old Sri Lankan batting legend would return for at least eight regular season matches and the January playoffs if they qualify.
“He’s a quality player and aside from what he brings on the field, he had a massive impact on the boys in the changing room. He’s a great acquisition and we’re very happy to have him back,” de Wet said.
Despite having retired from international cricket, Jayawardene made his mark last year even if his appearances were restricted by Australian Big Bash commitments.
In four innings for the Stags he blasted 249 runs at an average of 62.25 and strike rate of 143. They won two of the four matches he played and finished fourth, just missing qualification for the playoffs.
His arrival for this season’s McDonald’s Super Smash depends on how far his Dhaka Dynamites progress in the Bangladesh Premier League. If they make the December 9 final, Jayawardene will miss the Stags’ first two matches and make his first appearance at Napier’s McLean Park, a Friday night fixture against Otago on December 16.
With 149 tests and 448 ODIs for Sri Lanka to his name, Jayawardene doesn’t have a Big Bash contract this season so is available right through till the New Zealand finals weekend on January 5 and 7.
Jayawardene’s had just one innings in the BPL, scoring 11 on November 11. He made a strong finish to his previous stint in England with scores of 55 and 117 not out for Somerset in his final two knocks in the 40-over competition in August.
He’ll be one of few big names to appear in the Super Smash, which struggles to snare high profile imports these days due to a clash with Australia’s competition and the demise of the lucrative Champions League which provided a carrot for top players to align themselves with a New Zealand team. Major associations are reluctant to shell out big money for imports.
Courtesy : stuff.co.nz
