I dedicate this award to late Gamini Dissanayake - Gwen Herat

by Leslie FERNANDO

ICC AWARD: From music and ballet to cricket, all done with a passion to inner satisfaction and Gwen Herat has excelled in fields that included politics, leaving many people breathless as to from where she finds her energy. Collecting laurels come easy, but she never hunts for them. The ICC Centenary Volunteer Award for the only Sri Lanka woman among 49 male recipients to receive that award speaks volumes about her working capacity in a male dominated sport.

Gwen Herat wants to dedicate this award to the late Gamini Dissanayake who got Test match status for Lanka at the ICC.

As the wife of former Minister of Foreign Affairs - the late Harold Herat and bringing up three children, Gwen still had time to do many things to do beside from the development of cricket.

To rounds of applause, Gwen Herat was called on stage twice over, once to be awarded the medal of achievement and secondly for a big boquet of flowers from the ICC Chief Executive Officer, Haroon Logat at the function hosted by Sri Lanka Cricket at the Taj Samudra Hotel that memorable night.

Q: How did you feel, the moment your name was called up for the award?

A: It was a moment to remember. But I was sad that my husband was not there to see it. He always encouraged me in what I did even though I was deeply involved in his politics.

Q: There has been certain amount of ill-feeling that some of the deserving were left out especially the media. You were honoured for the role you played in women's cricket taking it up to ICC from scratch.

A: I too feel strongly about it. I do not know most of the guys who were nominated by the ICC. I do not wish to sit in judgement because everyone has contributed in their own way. As President of the Puttalam District Cricket Association she gave a great impetus to outstation cricket that enabled the PDCA to mobilise future cricketers and organised annual events, found sponsors being the only woman to do so.

Q: How did you break into cricket? As President of Puttalam District CA you gave outstation cricket a big boost.

A: I had two brothers who played cricket and naturally it got into my blood. But it was the late Gamini Dissanayake who literally dragged me into it. He is instrumental to what I am today. He would plod me on and nearly swept me off my feet when the PDCA was formed and I was President. There was no looking back after that. Gamini was always there on hand to help me. Next he forced me to write on the subject which I did. I thought it was impossible at the beginning, but ended up writing two books on cricket with 4,000 copies sold overnight. I chipped in a couple of lakhs from the sales.

Q: That makes you the first woman to have published a book on cricket?

A: I am not very sure. If it is, then it becomes another distinction to Sri Lanka Cricket.

On Gamini Dissanayake, Herat said 'Cricket owes everything to him. One who eliminated the game and truly made the country proud.

He inculcated discipline and dedication to all when he was the President of the then Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka. SLC should look into erecting his monument in their premises to remind all and sundry the yeoman service done by this great leader.

In an emotional and poignant moment Herat said 'This award that I have received is dedicated to his memory'.

Q: One last question. Will you agree to serve in the Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket if invited. You have the guts to go forward.

A: Depends who the others are in the IC.