'You don't practice sledging'

Colombo: Sri Lanka may have lost the one-day series but they have a talented bunch of cricketers who have the respect of the world. One of those, is vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara, who spoke recently to CNN-IBN's Himanshu Singhal about what keeps him ticking and a lot more.

Himanshu Singhal: It's not easy donning the role of wicketkeeper and batsman, you being the wicketkeeper as well as a premier batsman of your team. Do you think it is a bit of overburden?

Kumar Sangakkara: Not in one-day cricket. It's a role that everyone loves to do; to be involved all the time in the game. In Test cricket, of course if you are a top-order batsman, then it is a bit difficult. If you are keeping and batting No. six or seven, that is the ideal way to go.

Himanshu Singhal: You are also considered to be one of the cleverest sledgers in the game, is it hard to be one?

Kumar Sangakkara: It's not something you practice. Sledging is mostly blown out of proportion and especially if it is news worthy and makes a dull game interesting to the spectators and the press.

Other than that very little goes on in the ways that are portrayed and formed in the media. On the field, it is not something that you specially practice or you look out for. if it happens, it happens.

Himanshu Singhal: A lot is said about your leadership credentials. it is said that you have great credentials to be a leader. Do you see yourself one day perhaps becoming a good leader as far as the national team is concerned?

Kumar Sangakkara: One of the obvious things you find in all good sides today is that everybody leads at some point or the other. The label of captain belongs to one person.

But leadership is always situational. Whenever the team is in trouble, whoever steps up to lead the team out of that is the one who is in-charge at that time.

More Headlines from Interviews

• 'The situation will improve till 2011'

• We can win Test series in India: Vaughan

• India inching towards becoming No.1: Srikkanth

• Lloyd enthralled by the Indian team

• Eden Test set up overseas wins: Laxman