Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will be felicitated by the MCC

Contributions of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene to Sri Lanka and world cricket, on the whole, are unparalleled. For this reason, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has decided to pay them a tribute. Very few cricketers are lucky enough to see their portraits hanging on the walls of the Lord’s Cricket Ground. But Sangakkara and Jayawardene have earned the respect for the immense contribution they made.

MCC has announced that they will unveil the portraits of the two former Sri Lankan legendary cricketers on Friday. Sangakkara will get the opportunity to walk past his own portrait, when he will come out to bat in County Championship match. The portraits will go on display in Lord’s Pavilion on the first day of County Championship match between Middlesex and Surrey.

Sangakkara was humbled

Sanga revealed he was humbled when he came to knew about MCC’s decision. “I was humbled when I was asked to sit for the portrait commissioned by MCC,” said Sangakkara in a MCC statement. “I wanted to know how I would be represented through Antony’s eyes; not just my expressions or my physical appearance but how he would interpret me as a whole. Having seen the final portrait, I was so very pleasantly surprised, unnerved and a bit embarrassed seeing myself in a frame on canvas but thoroughly happy with the work done.” added Sanga.

Mahela is currently in India as he is the Head Coach of Indian Premier League (IPL) team Mumbai Indians. But he will have a closer look at his portrait when he plays for Lancashire in England’s domestic T20 competition. Their portraits will hang alongside those of legends of the game like Sir Vivian Richards, Shane Warner and Glenn McGrath. It took six sittings with artist Antony Williams for both Mahela and Sanga to get the portrait completed.

MCC Curator of Collections Alan Chadwick said he was delighted to have the portraits of the two greats in Lord’s pavilion. “MCC regularly commissions portraits of players who have captivated a generation of cricket fans in all forms of the game, all around the world, and both Kumar and Mahela fit the bill perfectly. I am delighted with these additions to the MCC Collection and am sure that they will be enjoyed by visitors to Lord’s for years to come.”

Sangakkara’s Surrey will take on Adam Voges’ Middlesex in the four-day that will commence from Friday.