Sri Lanka currently may not be the most attractive cricket team that the world wants to see in action because of their gradual decline especially in the two one-day formats – 50 overs and 20 overs, but they have plenty of past cricketers who are keeping the country’s flag flying high with their brilliant individual talents.
The most celebrated past cricketer at the moment is cricketing legend and former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara who has been named president-elect off MCC, a post which he will officially take over from October 1 and become the first non-Britisher to hold the position in the prestigious club’s 232-year-old history.
Sangakkara who had an illustrious cricket career retired from playing in 2017 and since then has played an influential role in the MCC’s world cricket committee as well distinguishing himself as a knowledgeable cricket commentator. Sangakkara is renowned for the famous speech he made at the Cowdrey Lecture becoming the youngest person and the first active international player to do so. His speech titled ‘The history of Sri Lankan cricket, Spirit of Cricket, socio-cultural impact of cricket’ was widely praised by the cricketing community for its outspoken nature.
Another former Sri Lanka captain who is making waves in the international cricket world is Ranjan Madugalle. Madugalle today is not only the longest serving ICC Match Referee but with a track record that will be very hard to emulate. Unlike Sangakkara, Madugalle did not have an outstanding cricket career but he compensated for it by progressing through ICC ranks to be appointed the chief match referee in 2001 – a post which he still holds today with aplomb. Madugalle holds the record for being match referee in most number of ODIs (347) and the first match referee to officially take part in 100 Test matches. He currently holds the record for the most number of Test matches (187) and T20 Internationals (99). Overall he has officially been match referee in most number of international cricket matches (633).
Along with Madugalle another former Sri Lankan cricketer who is making the country proud with his wonderful talent as an umpire is Kumar Dharmasena. The former all-rounder who was a member of the 1996 World Cup winning team Dharmasena turned to umpiring after retiring from competitive cricket in 2006 “to be close to the game I love so dearly”. He officiated in his first international match in 2009 between Sri Lanka and India at Dambulla at the age of 38 and remains the youngest ever
Sri Lankan to umpire an international match. He officiated at the 2011 World Cup and later that year was appointed to the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires of which he has been a member since and rising to become the number one ranked umpire. He won the David Shepherd Trophy award for ICC Umpire of the Year twice in 2012 and 2018. When he umpired the World Cup final in 2015 between Australia and New Zealand, Dharmasena became the first to play in and umpire World Cup finals.
Both Madugalle and Dharmasena along with another fast rising umpire from Sri Lanka Ruchira Palliyaguruge have been named as match officials for the upcoming 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.
Past Lankan cricketers who have contributed in other different spheres is coaching. The most recent success as a coach was achieved by another former Sri Lanka captain and legend Mahela Jayawardene who inspired Mumbai Indians to win the IPL, a record fourth time with a one-run last ball thriller against Chennai Super Kings in the final. It was the second time in three seasons as coach Jayawardene had guided them to the IPL plum having tasted success in his first year in 2017. Soon after Mumbai Indians’ triumph in 2019, Jayawardene gave a rousing speech. “Today, we never gave up. Yes, we made mistakes but we just keep coming back, that's important. That is the culture you need to create and throughout the season everyone has put their hand up. Yes, we don't have a purple cap, we don't have an orange cap but who cares, we got this," Jayawardene added, pointing at the IPL trophy.
Other past Lankan cricketers who have made a major impact on teams as coach are Roy Dias with Nepal and Chandika Hathurusingha with Bangladesh. Dias, an attractive strokemaker in his heyday is presently the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team coach and Hathurusingha, an all-rounder of merit is currently the head coach of the Sri Lanka World Cup team.
The pathway to achieve success at international level in cricket was first fashioned by late Dr CH Gunasekara who became the first Ceylonese (later Sri Lankan) cricketer to play for an English county when he represented Middlesex from 1919-1922. Gunasekara was widely regarded as the best fielder in county cricket at the time and studying medicine at Cambridge University and excelling in sports he missed out on a Blue due to the outbreak of World War I.
Several Sri Lankans have followed in his footsteps and kept the country’s image alive on the world cricket map especially during the pre-Test era when international cricket matches were few and far between.
So even though the national team is going through a tough and lean period, all is not lost because there are still individuals around to make the country proud.
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