Sri Lankan batting legend Kumar Sangakkara will signal the start of the England Vs Sri Lanka Investec Test match through the customary ring of the bell to signal five minutes before the start of play at Lord’s on Sunday. The bell is rung to signal the imminent start of play of a Test Match.
The southpaw, who’s not the first Sri Lankan to do this honor as his former team mates Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Attapattu and Chaminda Vaas were among the six other cricketers from island country in Indian Subcontinent to have played the bell-ringers’ role.
The 38-year-old, who retired from international cricket in 2015, one of Sri Lanka’s greatest ever batsmen, Sangakkara scored 12,400 runs in 134 Tests at an average of 57.40. He’s already been on the Lord’s Honours Board after scoring a century (147) against the home country in 2014.
Credited as one of the greatest cricketers of all- time, Sanga is among the better wicket-keeper batsman of this era. Also a decent one day player, he played 404 ODI for Sri Lanka wherein he scored more than 14000 runs. As a wicket-keeper, he has 202 victims in 134 tests and 501 victims off 404 ODIs.
The elegant southpaw has a long connection with Lords and MCC, having delivered the Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture to great acclaim in 2011.