The country's top runscorer in one-day international cricket, and a former player at Somerset Cricket Club, has reportedly said he will stand in the southern district of Matara, where he was born."I know the area well," Mr Jayasuriya said, "this place needs development. I am going to help the people".
Now retired from Test cricket, the 40-year old all-rounder will stand for the Sri Lanka Freedom Party of the reigning President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who he had helped win office.
"I have already campaigned for the president in the last elections. He requested me to contest this election. I thought long about this. Then I have decided to contest. It is a personal decision," he added.
If the voting in the presidential election is anything to go by, the chances of the left-hand batsman winning the election are very high, but Mr Jayasuriya has said he won't completely give up the sport pledging to continue playing one-day internationals and competing in the Indian Premier League (IPL)."Since I am not playing Test Cricket, I will have enough time for the politics", he remarked.
If elected in April, Mr Jayasuriya will be following in the footsteps of another top Sri Lankan cricketer, Arjuna Ranatunga, who stood in the 2005 elections and went on to become a government minister as the Deputy Minister of Tourism. However, he has since fallen out of favour within the government and is now contesting April's election as an opposition candidate.
