Wisden overview
An explosive left-handed opener in the mould of Sanath Jayasuriya, Gunawardene lives on the wild side on and off the field. He first made headlines standing in for Jayasuriya at the Commonwealth Games in 1998, scoring a century and top-scoring in the semi-final defeat to South Africa. A few months later, he deputised again when Jayasuriya broke his arm in Australia. He and Kaluwitharana smashed 145 off 20 overs in an audacious but doomed attempt to reach 311 against Australia in Melbourne; and, in his first hour at the crease in Test cricket, he and Arnold added 84 as Sri Lanka sought quick runs in Lahore. United with Jayasuriya at home in 2000, their violent starts paved the way to Sri Lanka winning the Singer Series. His impetuous dismissals have cost him opportunities in Tests. Simon Wilde

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