Kamil Mishara : the prodigal son returns

Top order batter Kamil Mishara is in the form of his life – a golden run that has lit up domestic cricket like fireworks on a moonless night. The selectors have sat up and taken notice, and if his purple patch continues, a call-up to the national side when Bangladesh tour later this year seems not just possible but probable. The 23-year-old is stacking up runs like coins in a jackpot machine – one century after another, and importantly, converting them into towering scores that tilt matches single-handedly.

In both the recently concluded Inter-Club season and the ongoing National Super League, Mishara has made First-Class cricket his own playground. He’s not merely scratching out hundreds; he’s crafting epics. The hallmark of a true champion, they say, is to not just get to three figures but to bat the opposition out of the contest – and Mishara is ticking that box with a flourish.

Last week, he carved out an unbeaten 158 for Kandy. This week, he went one better with a thunderous 172 – an innings that had elegance, timing, and the authority of a seasoned pro. Watching from the sidelines in Hambantota were national selectors Ajantha Mendis and Tharanga Paranavithana, likely taking mental notes.

Now, numbers may sometimes lie in cricket, but not here. That 158 wasn’t just another stat in the scorebook – it was a backs-to-the-wall classic. Galle had declared after piling up 602 runs. Kandy were staring down the barrel. But Mishara stood tall amidst the ruins, batting for over five hours to anchor the innings like a lighthouse in a storm.

And don’t mistake him for a one-trick pony. Mishara can shift gears like a Ferrari on an open highway. He can bat deep when the team needs resilience, or play with freedom when the tempo demands acceleration. Run-a-ball or rearguard, orthodox or flamboyant – he’s got it all in his kitbag, including that left-hander’s trademark grace.

With the selectors watching this First-Class tournament like hawks, Mishara’s name is surely being scribbled in ink rather than pencil. A call-up is around the corner. He’s no longer just a promising youngster – he’s a matured cricketer, battle-hardened by setbacks, yet refreshingly grounded. Serious about his craft, but knows how to unwind when the day is done.

There’s a touch of T.M. Dilshan in him – the Swiss Army knife kind of cricketer. There’s nothing he can’t do. He’ll open the batting, drop down the order if needed, keep wickets, bowl a bit of off-spin, and field like a panther. Off the field too, the similarities to Dilshan don’t end – charismatic, unconventional, a bit of a maverick.

Truth be told, Mishara should have nailed down his place in the Sri Lankan team by now. The runway was clear, the jet engines were roaring – until he hit turbulence of his own making.

Back in 2022, he made his T20 debut against Australia at none other than the MCG. A few months later, he was in the Test squad at the tender age of 20. The selectors clearly had him earmarked as one for the future.

He was taken to Bangladesh as back up to Niroshan Dickwella. Now, taking a young player as understudy to Dickwella is like sending a rookie MP to Mervyn Silva for lessons in parliamentary decorum. Predictably, it didn’t end well.

Mishara was sent home in disgrace midway through the Test series for a code of conduct breach. Bio-bubbles were still the norm post-COVID, and players were repeatedly warned – no visitors, no exceptions. But temptation knocked, and Mishara opened the door – literally. The ‘visitor’, caught on surveillance camera, triggered panic. The Bangladesh Cricket Board reported it to SLC, and the response was swift and stern. He was not only sent home, but also frozen out for the next three years. It was a message wrapped in barbed wire: indiscipline won’t be tolerated, no matter how talented you are.

SLC had its reasons. Mishara had a prior. During his Under-19 days, he had copped a one-year suspended sentence after being found drunk during a home series. The Bangladesh episode was the final straw. Another young gun had shot himself in the foot. Self-destruction – sadly – seems to be a recurring theme with Sri Lanka’s brightest prospects.

But credit where it’s due – Mishara hasn’t sulked. He’s rolled up his sleeves, taken the stairs back to the top, and done so with grit. The big scores haven’t been limited to the provincial stage; he was prolific for NCC as well, steering them to the Inter-Club finals and finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the competition.

From his early days in Panadura to the bright lights of Royal College – where he earned a scholarship – Mishara’s journey has been closely watched. He turned heads in the Royal-Thomian, earned a spot in the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team, and made his senior debut not long after. The boy had pedigree, no doubt.

There’s nothing wrong in having a bit of swagger – cricket has always had room for a David Gower, a Kevin Pietersen, or a Lasith Malinga. But in our part of the world, a young player getting a tattoo or colouring his hair is often seen as a red flag. We’ve seen that movie before, and it usually ends in tears.

Yet, redemption is never out of reach. As Saint Augustine once said, “There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.” And perhaps that sums up Kamil Mishara best.

by Rex Clementine