Jehan Mubarak has represented Sri Lanka in three sports

by Leslie FERNANDO

ALLROUND SPORTSMAN: It’s a unique feat for a player to reach the national standard in three sports and continue to excel. The player is none other than Jehan Mubarak presently representing the country at the Twenty20 World Cup Cricket Championships in England.

Mubarak who earned his first Test ‘cap’ in 2003 is a quiet character by nature and doesn’t like to a speak too much about his achievements.

Former Royal College, cricketer, swimmer and waterpolo player was born January 10, 1981 in Washington, United States.

He is one of the two Test cricketers to be born in the USA, the other being the West Indian everton Weekes. He has represented Sri Lankan in all three sports.

Graceful left-hander, Jehan Mubarak plays the game as though it was his birth right. Having graduated from the Colombo University in 2004 with a second class upper division pass in the BSc degree, Mubarak is part of the new breed of intelligent cricketers excelling at the highest level.

Mubarak was the third cricketer from Royal College to represent the country in Test cricket after Ranjan Madugalle and Roshan Jurangpathy. From United States he returned to Sri Lanka to attend Royal College. At the start, he was better known as a swimmer than a cricketer as a junior. In 1992 Mubarak won a bronze medal at the 6th Asia Pacific Age Group Swimming Championships in China.

Jehan Mubarak’s achievements as a national level swimmer is well known. The third sport Jehan excelled in waterpolo. He was the captain of Royal College swimming and waterpolo teams in 2000. He also holds the distinction of being the only waterpolo player from either Royal or S. Thomas to play in the Dr. R. L. Hayman Trophy waterpolo encounter for five years.

He was selected to both national swimming and waterpolo squads in preparation for international tournaments but due to his commitments with the national cricket team, he had to drop out from both disciplines.

Jehan is still actively involved in waterpolo and represents the Royal College Union Aquatic Club (RCUAC) in the league tournament.

His achievements in cricket could be forecast as he was dead keen on cricket. He played for Royal in the under-II, Under-13, Under-17 and Under-19 tournaments and he was the vice-captain in 2000 in the under 19 side.

He played in the Under-15 World Cup and Under-19 World Cup tournaments. A left handed bat, useful off-spinner and a good fielder. He made his Test debut against Bangladesh in July 2002 and has since been a member of the national cricket team.

He impressed in Bangladesh and toured South Africa for the 2003 cricket World Cup. He has been a regular in the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team since 2001. He has captained the ‘A’ team against almost in all Test playing countries. His most successful overseas tour was in August 2004, when they beat England ‘A’ in all seven one-day encounters.

Being the fine sportsman and cricketer that he is, Jehan Mubarak was a prolific run scorer in Inter-Provincial Tournaments and club cricket. He represents Colombo Cricket Club in major tournaments of Sri Lanka cricket. He has already played in 16 Test matches, 31 one-day Internationals and 14 Twenty20 games.

Mubarak is one of the overseas players of Brothers Union Chittagong for their campaign in the Habib Group Port City Cricket League (PCL) tournaments held in Chittagong, Bangladesh between May 2 to 10 this year. Judging by what Jehan has achieved so far, it is certain that a lot more could be expected from him in the years to come on the cricket field and in the swimming pool!