Sangakkara makes case for Sri Lanka

Kumar Sangakkara arrives in England having not played a Twenty20 international since the inaugural World T20 in 2007

In a big, bustling metropolis, Kumar Sangakkara could well be mistaken for a successful lawyer - a part-time vocation which he pursues with zest.

A brilliant orator, who dips into the classics and spouts Oscar Wilde, Sangakkara at times appears a trifle brash. A supremely confident man, he radiates the feeling that he would be successful at anything he puts his mind to.

It's hardly surprising then that Sangakkara is acknowledged as one of the greatest cricketers of the modern era and certainly one of the best Sri Lanka have ever produced.

Sangakkara brings to the field the qualities he embodies off it; the quiet confidence in his abilities whether it be batting or wicketkeeping, a razor-sharp mind, an abundance of patience and an ability to needle the most collected of batsmen with the choicest of one-liners.

Indeed, Sangakkara is such an articulate and competent sledger, that he does it even while batting.

When he burst onto the international scene in July 2000, Sangakkara's talents ensured the spotlight was turned on him.

He engineered an astounding victory over South Africa in only his second one-dayer, earning the man-of-the-match award in the process and was quickly regarded as the natural successor to Asanka Gurusinha at the number three spot in the line-up.

Along with his school-mate and close friend Mahela Jayawardene, Sangakkara quickly became the backbone of Sri Lanka's batting, much to the detriment of the pocket-sized pinch-hitter Romesh Kaluwitharana, whose position as wicketkeeper he also inherited.

Sangakkara lacked Kaluwitharana's prowess behind the stumps, but it was his batting which garnered attention early in his career. A supreme stylist, the left-hander embodies a natural aggressive instinct. However, he also has great powers of concentration and a natural bent to pile up runs making him a formidable opponent.

Sangakkara made his international debut in July 2000 in a one-dayer against Pakistan

Sangakkara enjoys batting in the company of Jayawardene as South Africa found out much to their dismay in the 2006 series. The two put on a world record 624-run stand for the third wicket, grinding South Africa down in the process.

He has six double-centuries in Test cricket including back-to-back ones - he is only the fifth batsman to have scored successive double centuries - against Bangladesh in 2007.

That same year, he marshalled a spirited chase for a record 507 in the Hobart Test against Australia, scoring 192. Sri Lanka fell short by just 96 runs.

He was perhaps at his grittiest in the tri-series final against Pakistan in Mirpur last year when he hauled his team from out of the woods after they had crashed to an astonishing six for five.

Sangakkara pieced together a superbly-crafted half-century to give his team a fighting total.

His wicketkeeping too improved dramatically once he became a permanent fixture in the team, but selectors, who had recognised his worth early, speedily divested him of wicketkeeping duties in Tests to enhance his batting.

But they returned the gloves back to him to retain the balance in the side for the series against Australia in 2004 only to have him permanently removed from the job.

Sangakkara's leadership skills were never in doubt. His clarity of thought, resourceful strategising, calm demeanour and his unlimited potential to inspire made him a favourite for the captaincy mantle.

When Jayawardene stepped down earlier this year, Sangakkara was immediately crowned captain. His task is immense, entrusted as he is with the charge of building and leading the team to the 2011 World Cup.

But the change of guard could give cricket in the island nation a whole new fillip. Under Sangakkara's charge, the backstreet boys could well turn out be the men to beat.