Sports
The curious case of Sadeera Samarawickrama
by Rex Clementine
These days selectors are appointed on club loyalties or personal friendships. There was a move a few years ago to bring Marvan Atapattu as the Chairman of Selectors. One legend resisted. He didn’t want Marvan there. The reason being that there would have been no place to carry out his agendas with Marvan at the helm. Instead, he pleaded with the powers that be to install a puppet. Since then, we have all been treated with a puppet show. It’s been a comedy of errors! It truly has been.
We have had some fantastic chief selectors overs the years. There was Mr. Michael Tissera, who was instrumental in bringing Aravinda de Silva back into the fold. Aravinda had given up hopes of making a comeback, but Mr. Tissera offered him a chance on one condition, get fitter and bat at number four for Sri Lanka again. The rest is history.
That’s what a selector should do. International sportsmen have big egos and sometimes you don’t see eye to eye with them. Confrontation may work with some players, but not all. As Mr. Tissera used to say, ‘there are many ways to skin a cat.’
We also had Ashantha de Mel, who very smartly detected that Kumar Sangakkara will be better off as a specialist batsman in Test match cricket than wicketkeeper batsman and it proved to be a masterstroke. De Mel by the way was Chairman of Selectors when Sri Lanka became the first Asian nation to win a Test series in South Africa.
Then there was late Guy de Alwis, bless him, who feared no one. He took over at a time when there was undue political influence being placed on team selections. Guy resisted them all and had an honourable exit refusing to carry out the Sports Minister’s request. Guy de Alwis was a rare breed.
Graham Labrooy became chief selector in 2017. Out of the blue, he picked Sadeera Samarawickrama, who was 21 at that time. Sadeera had not scored heavily in domestic cricket. He wasn’t a permanent fixture in the ‘A’ team either. But Labrooy was convinced that he had seen all the right attitudes in young Sadeera.
A player who loved to attack, was excellent on the field, gave you the wicketkeeper’s option, trained hard and remained grounded. That type of young player like Sadeera was very much the need of the hour Labrooy felt as there were too many young players who were getting into trouble for their off the field activities.
Labrooy was proved right. During Sri Lanka’s tour of India in 2017 former great V.V.S. Laxman spoke so highly of Sadeera and so did Indian captain Virat Kohli.
Sadeera was fielding at short leg in the Delhi Test when he copped a nasty blow to his head from Kohli. Instead of retiring to the comforts of the dressing room, Sadeera carried on regardless. Kohli liked that attitude even though it had come from the opposition camp.
But there was a complete overhaul in 2018. The selectors changed, team management changed and there was a new Head Coach. Sadeera was given the cold shoulder.
It has taken Sadeera six more years to cement his place in the side. Quite strange indeed for in those six years our players haven’t been covering themselves in glory. We had tried many young players during that period with little success. Some of the promising players had got into trouble multiple times and had got suspended. But we even tolerated them time and again.
In the meantime, poor Sadeera suffered in silence. It goes onto show that how badly our selectors have managed the national cricket team. Anyone who watches Sadeera train or carries himself off the field should have got convinced that here is a player who needs to be preserved with. Sadly we did not. Perhaps, Sadeera didn’t represent the right club in domestic cricket.
A move from Park Road to the right Maitland Place club would have helped him to get a break and a permanent slot much earlier.
At halfway mark of the World Cup, Sadeera is not only Sri Lanka’s highest run getter but the sixth top run scorer in the competition.
There are often complains that our system doesn’t produce players who are capable to face the demands of international cricket. Sadeera has proved it wrong. There are players who can produce results at the highest level. Just that they need to be picked and backed.
At the age of 28, Sadeera has played just 27 ODIs. Had we preserved with Labrooy’s policies, Sadeera would have by now played over 150 ODIs and won us lot more games. Better late than never though. Now that Sadeera is here, let’s enjoy his batsmanship and his excellence on the field. You can be guaranteed that here is a player who will not get into trouble on or off the field. This kid is so focused on his game. Sri Lanka badly needs players like him. He can be our Virat Kohli.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), under the direction of the Cricket Transformation Committee launched a special program aimed at educating and developing school cricket coaches in the country.
The inaugural session of the program was held on Monday, 25th May, at the High Performance Center of the SLC with the participation of 74 coaches representing Division ‘1’ and ‘2’ schools.
The Head Coach of the Sri Lanka Men’s Team Gary Kirsten conducted a two-hour session for the participating coaches. During the session, Kirsten shared valuable insights into modern coaching methods and highlighted key areas coaches should focus on in order to nurture talented and promising young cricketers.
He emphasized the importance of creating a friendly and supportive environment for children while teaching them cricketing skills. Kirsten also noted that coaches must continuously improve their own skill levels in order to develop successful players. He encouraged school coaches to focus more on producing good cricketers rather than simply concentrating on winning matches.
Joining Kirsten at the program were Ryan van Niekerk, National Bowling Coach, and Jordan Gregory, National Fielding and Spin Bowling Coach, who also shared their expertise and experiences with the school coaches.
Sidath Wettimuny, Chairman of the Cricket Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, who is also a member of the Cricket Transformation Committee, did the introductory speech of the program.
The program also featured an interactive Question-and-Answer session, giving participants the opportunity to engage directly with Gary Kirsten and further enhance their knowledge.
This program will continue periodically, with the objective of developing highly skilled and knowledgeable coaches within the Sri Lankan school cricket system.
The 400 metres relay quartet inclusive of Sadew Rajakaruna and Omel Shashintha and 800 metres specialist Tharushi Abisheka will lead the country’s medal quest in the boys and girls categories when the Asian Junior Athletics Championship starts in Hong Kong today.
After having run sub 46 seconds in the 400 metres recently, Rajakaruna is expected to carry huge expectations to the regional event alongside Shashintha who too came almost close to clock sub 46.
They will compete in both the 400 metres and the 200 metres apart from playing lead roles in the relay.
Tharushi Abisheka
Both athletes are among the top sprinters in the Asian region and were a part of the nationl record setting quartet in the short track 4×400 metres relay along side seniors. They are expected to use their experience in competing at top international level to good effect.
In the girls’ category Abisheka is the leading contender for medals.
The Asian Youth Champion is scheduled to compete in both the 800 metres and the 1,500 metres.
In the field events, Tharusha Mendis has high hopes of bringing his best in the high jump.
Team
Under 20 Men’s:
Omel Shashintha Silva – 400m, 200m, 4x400m Relay, Sadew Rajakaruna – 400m, 200m, 4x400m Relay, Thisen Ranvidu Pathirage – Mixed Relay, 4x400m Relay, Iresh Bogoda – 4x400m Relay, Mixed Relay, Irosha Edirisingha – 4x400m Relay, Mixed Relay, Nethsara Dineth Liyanage – 800m, 1500m, Vidushan Rajendran – 3000m, Kaveesha Kulathunga – 110mH, Shavindu Nimasha Dias – 400mH, Kalpadith Hansaja Uyanwaththa – 400mH, Deesara Sendil Herath – Long Jump, Tharusha Mendis – High Jump, Nethra Chandupa Fernando – High Jump, Thehara Ravishka Fernando- Triple Jump, Sasindu Hansana Jayasingha – Triple Jump.
Under 20 Women’s:
Risansa Hirupama Silva – 200m, Dilanma Ransini Perera – 200m, Tharushi Abhisheka – 800m, 1500m, Mixed Relay, Mihinsa Dewmini Abeyrathna – High Jump, Oshini Kavindya Kodikara – Triple Jump, Ronalee Anne Pieris – 400m, Mixed Relay, Warsha Devmini Wimalasekara – Mixed Relay.
Sri Lanka is preparing to host one of the biggest international martial arts events ever staged in the country, as the International and Thai Martial Arts (Asian Games) Sri Lanka 2026 comes to Goldi Sands Hotel, Negombo, from 28 May to 1 June 2026. The prestigious championship will feature Muaythai and UBF Boxing contests, bringing together elite fighters, coaches, and martial arts enthusiasts from around the world.
The event is officially sanctioned by the World Muaythai Organization (WMO), the World Muay Boran Federation (WMBF), and the Union Boxing Federation (UBF), making it a major global platform for both traditional and modern martial arts disciplines. It has also received approval from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau under the Ministry of Tourism, with the support of the Royal Thai Embassy in Sri Lanka and local authorities.
A total of 14 countries have already confirmed participation, including Indonesia, Korea, Singapore, the USA, England, Uzbekistan, India, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Australia, Vietnam, Russia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Fight nights are scheduled for 30 May, 31 May, and 1 June 2026, with each evening running from 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM. Ticket prices are Rs. 3,000 for Saturday and Monday, and Rs. 3,500 for Sunday’s opening ceremony show.
Organizers say the event will offer a unique beachfront atmosphere, live DJ entertainment, food and beverages, international seminars, and opportunities to meet world-class fighters and legendary grand masters. With elite athletes now being selected, the championship is expected to become a historic sporting highlight for Sri Lanka.
Let us all build a society valued with peace and harmony, guided by unity and solidarity beyond all differences – PM
Showers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
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