Past cricketers say contest good for cricket

By Ranjan Anandappa

Ashantha de Mel- (Royal College, Colombo) Former Test opening bowler and current Chairman of Selectors.

The contest is a really good one for young aspiring cricketers. I can remember when I won the best bowler's award in 1978 when Ranjan Madugalle, my teammate at Royal who won the coveted award, it was a moment to cherish. Every schoolboy looked forward to the contest with lot of enthusiasm. Later players like Arjuna Ranatunga, Marvan Attapattu and Roshan Mahanama too won the award. The contest has done a lot for cricket. I wish all the success while conducting future contests. De Mel's lively pace bowling made him an automatic choice in the Test team. He has a member of the Sri Lanka team in their inaugural Test match against England in February 1982 and bowled exceptionally well against England, India, Pakistan in an era where fewer Test matches were played.

Steady influx of top cricketers

Romesh Kaluvitharana... (St.Sebastian's College, Moratuwa) Former opener and wicket keeper.

The competition has helped to maintain a steady influx of top cricketers. Looking back during the past three decades the competition has maintained a high level and has also produced many Test captains and cricketers irrespective of the two categories All Island or Outstation. I fervently hope that the show will go on for many more years.

Kaluvitharana once won the Best Fielder's award while at St.Sebastian's College, Moratuwa in the competition and made a dream debut in Test cricket striking a memorable unbeaten 132 against the strong Australians in 1992 led by Allen Border and included the players of the calibre of David Boone, Dean Jones, Damien Martyn, Shane Warne, Ian Healey, Greig Mcdermott, Mike Whitney and Greg Mathews to name a few. Arjuna Ranatunga was the Sri Lanka captain then. Kaluvitharana became the third centurion in that Test with skipper Ranatunga, Asanka Gurusinghe also former winners of the contest scoring hundreds.

Former Australian captain and opening batsman Bobby Simpson who was the manager of the Australian team classed Kaluvitharana's innings as one of the best he has seen. He treated Shane Warne who played at the beginning of his career with scant respect on his way to his unbeaten 132. However, Kaluvitharana who was brought in to the side as a wicket keeper was unable to impress on his job behind the stumps and he was dropped in the third Test despite his debut hundred.

He fought his way back into the side in the following 1995/1996 tour of Australia, which happened to be the crucial turning point in his career. It was a new era for Sri Lanka cricket as it was the birth of the Sanath Jayasuriya-Romesh Kaluvitharana opening combination that turned the cricket world topsy-turvy. They utilised the first 15 overs with field restrictions to the maximum to give a tremendous advantage to the side in winning the 1996 World Cup. The pair laid the sound foundation for the batsmen to follow of the likes of Aravinda de Silva, Asanka Gurusinghe, Arjuna Ranatunga, Roshan Mahanama and Hashan Tillekeratne to score. Kalivitharana is the present Sri Lanka 'A' team coach. In his 49 Test match career he has scored 1933 runs with three centuries. In his 189 ODI matches he has 3711 against his name with a top score of 102 n.o.

Inspires one to reach greater heights

Naveed Nawaz... (D.S. Senanayake College). National coach under 19 and winner of the 1992 contest.

Looking back, the contest has provided a good filtering , as a good number of recipients have ended as national players. It is an encouragement for schoolboy players who are hoping to represent the country at the highest level.

When I won the award I felt as it was my greatest achievement. The winning of the title inspired me a lot and gave me lot confidence. I represented the Schools under 19 team which toured Singapore and Malaysia in the same year I won the coveted award. Although cricket wise the tour was not the ideal one, we had top players who later represented the country at the highest level.

Among them were Former skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Ravindra Pushpakumara, Russel Arnold, Avishka Gunawardena, Indika de saram, Saman Jayantha to name some. Nawaz is the present under 19 coach and he is determined to bring the Sri Lanka under 19 cricket to the strong position which they were at one time. Competition of this nature will undoubtedly help to harness talent for the future cricketers. I wish all the success for the show to go on for many more years.

Top players emerge

Dilshan de Silva... Secretary Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association and Member Ex-Co SLC.

It's great! that the show has been held over three decades which has brought out the bulk of top cricketers. People have tremendous faith in the contest with the backing of the State-owned ANCL. The certificate that the winners receive also go a long way in their future endeavours. I wish all the success for the contest. Schoolboys eagerly look forward for the event. I have been a part of the contest for a number of years while being attached to the SLSCA and it was nice to see so many top players emerging.

Rural aspirants get an opening

Tharindu Kaushal....(Devapathiraja College, Ratgama). (Schoolboy Cricketer Outstation 2012) who won his Sri Lanka 'cap' soon after the contest and was included in the national squad to play against New Zealand in the recently concluded tour.

The winning of the Sunday Observer/Mobitel 2012 Schoolboy Cricketer of The Year award was a great strength to me. I am happy that the schools in the rural areas like Devapathiraja Vidayalaya has been recognised. I hope many more players from the rural schools will get the opportunity to represent the country via this contest which has lasted for 35 years. My best wishes for a successful run of the show.

Tharindu Kaushal is a good spin bowling prospect for the future and could be useful for Test matches in the future.

Produced great cricketers

Niroshan Dickwella... (Trinity College, Kandy)(Schoolboy Cricketer of The year All Island 2012)...

It gives me great pleasure to learn that the contest has lasted for 35 long years. This has produced a bunch of some great cricketers in the All Island and Outstation competitions.

Most of the recipients are doing well in their chosen professions may be cricket or otherwise.

My best wishes for a successful run of the contest in future. Winning the award was a great encouragement for me.

Dickwella is only the second Trinitian to win the award, besides Kaushalya Weeraratne who later played in a series of one day Internationals.

Identifies potential players

Nihal Pathirage.... (Former Nalanda College cricketer and former President of The Association of Cricket Umpires _ Sri Lanka)

While complimenting the efforts by the Sunday Observer for conducting a contest of this nature for 34 long years which has proven evidence of excellence, Pathirage regretted that it was no secret that the present day school cricket standard has dropped and it cannot be compared to the high standards of the past. There has been a drop in the standard of school cricket for some time.

There had been an era where top players of the calibre of Ranjan Madugalle, Arjuna Ranatunga, Roshan Mahanama, Asanka Gurusinghe, Marvan Atapattu and Muthiah Muralitharan emerged as potential Test players while at school and winning the top award. It is important, while the players have been rewarded and at the same time everyone who loves the game should contribute to uplift the standard of school cricket which was once held in high esteem. The contest like the Sunday Observer/Mobitel is easily one of the shows of identifying potential future players.