Features
Sri Lanka or Australia?
The recent Dettol T20 series, between Sri Lanka and Australia, drew an enthusiastic crowd of cricket fans.
Yes, after a long period of Covid-19-induced lockdowns, in Australia, many are now keen to get to sporting events,
Unfortunately, those backing Sri Lanka had very little to shout about as Sri Lankan lost the series 4-1.
Yohan Ramasundara and his family, from Canberra, were at the third T20 game, played at the Manuka Oval, in the Australian capital, and he is one of about 5000 Canberrans, with Sri Lankan heritage, living in the capital.
Yohan is a former international cricket umpire, who has umpired many games, involving international teams, for over 15 years, before hanging his hat to focus on a demanding role in the Australian IT industry, and his family.
Says Yohan: “I was born in Sri Lanka and my granddad introduced me to cricket. The first cricket match I ever watched was Australia against Sri Lanka. That was the beginning of my love for cricket. My mother bought me the first cricket gear and I practiced at the NCC, under Lionel Mendis. After moving to Australia, I set up the University of Canberra Cricket Club (which later merged with the Western Districts Cricket Club) and I started playing here.
“Later, I got into umpiring and through that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing quite a lot of the current Australian cricketers come up through the ranks. So I have to support my friends in the Australian team. While the media can sometime portray players to be arrogant or nasty, having known them, they are very good guys, simply giving 100% in their efforts to help their team to be the force they are. I think my son and daughter are Aussie supporters, too. But they sometimes support my wife, who’s a Sri Lankan supporter, as she tries to have more supporters at home when there’s a game involving the Sri Lankan team.”
Yohan is now focusing on coaching cricket at one of the most prestigious schools, in Canberra.
“I love seeing the players grow, not only as players, but also as great humans, excelling both on and off the field. It is so satisfying and rewarding to teach new skills, see them practice during training, and execute well in the games.
“We get a decent crowd for the international games at Manuka. It is a high scoring ground. Most of my friends went for the Manuka game, hoping that we would do better than the second T20 in Sydney!
“Unfortunately, those who supported Sri Lanka were disappointed.
“Cricket (and sport in general) brings people from all walks of life, together, by creating a shared interest and a sense of belonging. So, no matter whether you support one team, or another, cricket is the real winner here.”
Yohan says the current Dettol T20 series is a great opportunity for the Sri Lankan players to get accustomed to Australian conditions, ahead of the Men’s T20 World Cup, in October and November 2022, where Australia will look to defend their title, on home soil.