Kumara Dharmasena - a cricket umpire

By Ranjan Anandappa

Former Sri Lanka Test cricketer Kumara Dharmasena is the second Test cricketer to don the 'white coat', the white coat is seen no more in the cricket field these days, but Dharmasena along with a host of first class cricketers have been successful at a written examination conducted by the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers recently.

Dharmasena has played in 33 Tests and 141 One Day Internationals and was also a member of the 1996 World Cup winning team under Arjuna Ranatunga. When asked as to why he decided to take up umpiring, Dharmasena said that the selectors have ignored him and he feels that he has a little more years cricket left in him. Although qualified to be a coach he always preferred umpiring.

The 34 old all-rounder has already stood in several lower division matches and is confident that one day he could join the elite band of umpires. He said being a Test cricketer he could control the game better with less pressure.

The first Test player to take up cricket umpiring was former leg spinner Asoka de Silva.