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He has easily been his country’s biggest revelation since Muttiah Muralitharan. But despite the impact 23-year-old Ajantha Mendis has had on the cricketing world in recent months, the young Sri Lankan spinner insisted life is as simple as it was before his arrival on the international stage.

Mendis’s trick deliveries, including the now well known "carrom ball" bamboozled Indian batsmen in the recent series. His performances generated plenty of media intrigue and it proved to be no different for the newcomer while he was in Dubai to attend Wednesday night’s LG ICC Awards ceremony along with skipper Mahela Jayawardene.

"Nothing has changed. I’m still the same person and I want to continue to be who I was before," said Mendis.

Jayawardene is not accustomed to playing second fiddle, but had little choice at a media conference as journalists and cameramen focused more on Sri Lanka’s latest weapon.

Asked for his first impressions of the mystery bowler, Jayawardene said: "He was not overwhelmed by the opposition. He knows his strength and what he can do. That’s the best thing especially the way he came into international cricket from his background. He had not played much first class cricket to have that kind of confidence."