More Shrapnel Removed from Ajantha Mendis - More Surgery is Performed

Ajantha Mendis required another round of surgery recently when scans revealed more shrapnel lodged in his scalp and back.

With his head almost completely wrapped in bandages, Mendis celebrated his 24th birthday today at the Nawaloka hospital in Colombo surrounded by friends and family.

He was still feeling some pain as the pain killers wore off.

A heavy security presence was also noted outside Ajantha’s room.

Pakistan are yet to make a breakthrough in their investigation. According to the Times Online the perpetrators may have already fled to the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan's North Western border with Afghanistan.

The sources said they feared that the rest of the 12 gunmen who attacked the Sri Lankans’ convoy on Tuesday had fled to Pakistan’s northern tribal areas, from where al-Qaeda and Taleban militants operate.

It is said that this is the same region where Bin Laden evaded capture many times. What chance does the Pakistani government have of capturing these individuals when the US with all their technology and man power could not find the tallest man in the region - A journalist who met bin Laden in the 1990s described him as 6 feet 4 inches in height.

So it seems inevitable the criminals who tarnished Pakistan's image and almost took the lives of Sri Lanka's national cricketers may never be brought to justice.

Ajantha Mendis still in hospital

Star spinner Ajantha Mendis, who underwent surgery on returning home after last Tuesday’s terror strike in Lahore, is still in Colombo’s Nawaloka Hospital.

While the Sri Lanka cricketers don’t have national engagements till the ICC World T20 meet in the first week of June, Mendis (and some of his compatriots) have Indian Premier League commitments to fulfil from next month.

Mendis is on the rolls of the Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders. He was taken on board rather late in the inaugural season, last year, but is expected to be one of the impact-players in edition No.2.

“I can’t give you the exact date for Ajantha’s discharge… Perhaps, in another couple of days… The area (lower part of the head, right side) requires regular dressings, something which can’t be done in his house,” the premier hospital’s medical administrator told.

Source : The Telegraph
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Real close shave for Ajantha Mendis | Sri lankan Team attacked in Pak

Ajantha Mendis, who made such a splash on his Sri Lanka debut last year and is a Shah Rukh Khan Knight, had a much closer escape than reported in the hours immediately after Tuesday morning’s terror strike in Lahore.

“The doctors haven’t confirmed, but it’s feared that a bullet grazed the right side of Ajantha’s head… It’s not that he was struck by shrapnel only,” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chief executive Duleep Mendis told.

Speaking from Colombo on Wednesday evening, Mendis added: “Ajantha’s in hospital, as are four others… There’s some concern over (Thilan) Samaraweera, who took bullets in his leg and has undergone surgery, but the others should be discharged in a couple of days…”

Ajantha, Samaraweera, captain-in-waiting Kumar Sangakkara, Tharanga Paranavitana and assistant coach Paul Farbrace have all been admitted to the Nawaloka Hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s premier medical institution.

While Mendis didn’t say that Ajantha too had been operated upon, a spokesman for the hospital conveyed that in as many words.

“I don’t have details, but Ajantha has also undergone surgery… His wound necessitated that,” a gentleman who identified himself as being from the “administrative side,” said around 10 pm.

Ajantha, an armyman, is days away from his 24th birthday.

Meanwhile, according to Mendis, SLC intends “doing something” for the team bus driver, Mohammad Khalil, who kept calm and drove the vehicle to safety.

From Sangakkara to Muttiah Muralidharan, everybody has praised Khalil for his courage and presence of mind.

“We’ll be doing something for the driver… We’re very appreciative of the role he played… Right now, though, our priority is to see that the injured are quickly back to good health,” Mendis pointed out.

Mendis, a former captain, too had gone to Lahore on the special flight which brought the Mahela back home.

The Sri Lanka cricketers don’t have international commitments till the World T20 meet in England, which begins on June 5.

So, there’s time to recover from the wounds, both physical and emotional.

Source : The Telegraph.

Learn to read batsmen's mind, Jayawardene's advice to Mendis

After the recent thrashing against India, mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis needs to work on reading the batsmen's mind to regain his lost spark, believes Sri Lanka's outgoing skipper Mahela Jayawardene.
"India is one of the top sides today and they played very well against us. We have played them a lot in recent times and I think they played Mendis very capably," Jayawardene today said after arriving here for a two-Test series against Pakistan.

"He now has to realise that the surprise element is out and he now has to become a much smarter bowler and come up with new tricks and learn to read the mind of the batsmen. He has got Muralitharan with him who is a very good teacher," he added when asked about Mendis, who came a cropper in the recent ODI series against India which the Lankans lost 1-4.

Jayawardene once again sidestepped queries on who his successor would be when he steps down after the upcoming two-Test series against Pakistan.

"...I think the final decision is with the selectors whom they pick," Jayawardene, who will step down as captain after the two-Test series against Pakistan, said in a news conference in Karachi.

Jayawardene reiterated that his decision would allow Sri Lanka to be better prepared for the 2011 World Cup in South Asia

Mendis will bounce back: Jayawardene

Ajantha Mendis might have suffered a poor run in the recent ODI series against India but Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene believes the mystery spinner will soon make a successful comeback.

Mendis burst onto the international scene with his mesmerising spell against India last year but hit a rough patch in the recent series against India and was also rested in the fourth ODI. He scalped only five wickets in the series.

"Yes definitely (he'll hit form). This is probably the time he has to learn the ropes. The inception was brilliant. Everyone was surprised by the talent he had.

"Like all the international cricketers, he just has to try and adjust," Jayawardene told reporters.

"I think it is a good challenge for him to adjust. Do different things like what Murali did for the last 15 or 16 years, creating new opportunities, bowling different things.

"Specially having Muttiah Muralitharan alongside him will definitely help him to achieve those targets and goals and we have to be patient with Ajantha and give him the opportunity he needs," Jayawardene added.

Sachin helped me tackle Mendis: Yuvi

It was carnival time for the India batsmen in Colombo and one of the man leading the carnage against Lanka, Yuvraj Singh summed up the Indian mood post the win and of course he thanked Little Master Sachin Tendulkar for his tips that helped him tackle spin wizard Ajantha Mendis.

It was lip-smacking to the core, Yuvraj Singh was the toast of Premadasa and it took just 82 balls for hs century, and the acknowledgement went straight to the dressing room.

Adressing the media after the win, Yuvi said, "He (Sachin) actually gave me plans to play Mendis in this series because last time I got out to him a few times so I was chatting with Sachin who told me a few points, which really helped me in getting through in the initial overs. I'll give credit to Sachin for helping me."

Playing in tandem with Sehwag has been a rarity for the lef-hander. However, when he got this opportunity he did not want to let go off it.

He said, "I don't remember me and Viru batting together and getting a hundred. Because normally Viru is batting up the order. By the time i get to the crease he is out on hundred or I am there till he gets 250 or 300 runs. I don't get to bat much with him. But I really enjoyed batting with him."

The Little Master was third time unlucky in this series. However, Yuvi warned his opponents that Sachin will be back with a bang.

Mendis form not a worry, says Jayawardene

Feb 1, 2009

COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said Sunday that spinner Ajantha Mendis would come back strongly after getting just two wickets in as many matches against India in the ongoing one-day series.

"We cannot ask a 23-year-old to pick four wickets in every game. I am sure Ajantha will bounce back. It is not a huge concern for me," said the Sri Lankan skipper, whose team trail 2-0 in the five-match series.

The unorthodox spinner grabbed 19 wickets in his first six matches against India, including a 6-13 performance in his team's victory in the Asia Cup final in Karachi in July 2008.

But he went wicketless for the first time against India in the opening game in Dambulla and took two in the second match here on Saturday, having so far conceded 91 runs in 20 overs.

"Right now, they are playing him well. Let him learn. The batsmen also adjust themselves and then the bowlers try to change what they want to do and that's how they learn," said Jayawardene.

"He is still bowling well and creating opportunities. He is probably not picking wickets because the batsmen are not taking too many risks against him."

Mendis played a key role in his team's Test series victory against India at home last year when he captured 26 wickets -- the best by any bowler in a debut three-match series.

He also became the fastest to complete 50 one-day wickets recently, achieving the feat in 19 matches. He has so far bagged 61 wickets in 26 games.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he was happy his team had not given too many wickets to Sri Lankan spinners Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan in the first two one-dayers.

"I won't say that our batsmen have got the better of the Sri Lankan spinners. There are still three more games to go. They are not getting wickets, but at the same time they are not giving away too many runs," said Dhoni.

"We are cautious and targeting other bowlers. We are happy that we are not giving wickets to the spinners."