Kumar Sangakkara

"Kumar Sangakkara, a vital member of the Sri Lankan side and one of the most articulate cricketers in the world, is now a Cricinfo columnist. "

He's come a long way, and its refreshing to see a sportsman earn his bread by doing more than modelling hair gel. I used to hate him. Gasp. Yes I did. I thought that he represented everything that was wrong with Sri Lanka. He was loud, he was overly intellectual and he talked too much. But he surprised me and a lot of his early detractors. He shows remarkable maturity in his batting, and is Sri Lanka's answer to Tendulkar, Ponting and Lara. He also is a remarkable keeper, standing up to Chaminda Vaas and reading Murali's doosra on a daily basis. More importantly, he has matured mentally. He now seems more humble and talks about learning and commitment in every second sentence. He has finally grown into a cricketer worthy of being called a role model.

This fortunate as role models are in short supply in Sri Lanka these days.