5 Players who rejuvenated their careers by changing their batting order
Certain cricketers were not able to ace the role for which they were handed international debuts, but altering their batting position helped them restore their careers.
1. Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya broke into the international arena in 1989 and played the role of a bowling all-rounder. However, in the years to come, he showed his power-hitting might on many occasions and took bowling attacks to the cleaners. Witnessing Jayasuriya’s exploits with the bat, the team management decided to slot him at the top of the order.
The move not only changed Sri Lankan cricket but also changed the way how limited-overs cricket was played. In the Wills World Cup 1996, Jayasuriya played a fearless brand of cricket and took the attack to the opposition right from the get-go, providing his side with brisk starts. He smashed 221 runs in six matches at a staggering strike rate of 131.54. The former Sri Lankan cricketer’s magnificent showings were instrumental in the Lankan Lions clinching their maiden world title.
Jayasuriya went on to become one of the greats of the game. He amassed an insane tally of 13430 runs in 445 ODIs at a strike rate of 91.20 and bagged 323 wickets at an economy of 4.78. When it came to the longest format of the game, the Matara-born piled on 6973 runs in 110 games and picked up 98 scalps in those outings. The legendary cricketer retired from Tests in 2007 and from white-ball cricket in 2011.
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