Sathasivam of Ceylon - The Batting Legend

by Professor Ravindra Fernando

The reputed Nobel Prize winning English playwright, screenwriter, director, actor and cricket enthusiast, Harold Pinter CBE (1930-2008) once stated "I tend to believe that cricket is the greatest thing that god ever created on earth... certainly greater than sex, although sex isn't too bad either."

One has to agree with Pinter, when we witness a batting artist in full flow or in action. Cricket is more a batsman's game. He was the star attraction and the cynosure of all eyes.

The greatest batting star that I have seen in Sri Lanka was Mahadevan Sathasivam. His "Late Cut" was magic. The controversial Mahadevan Sathasivam had the proud distinction of captaining two countries, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Malaysia. A rare feat indeed.

Versatile batsman

Few years ago, renowned Indian cricket journalist Rajan Bala, who published the book titled "All Beautiful Boys" quoted what the famous Indian team captain, brilliant off spinner Ghulam Ahamed said.

"I have bowled against Weekes, Worrell, Walcott, Bradman, Harvey, Len Hutton, Dennis Compton etc. But the most difficult batsman I have ever bowled against was Sathasivam of Ceylon."

No wonder, West Indian skipper endorsed what Ghulam Ahamed said, when Frank Worrell stated that Sathasivam from Ceylon will be the first batsman he would pick for a World XI. What a compliment! As a person who witnessed "Satha's" brilliant double-century and some of his breathtaking innings as the wicket keeper opening batsman who played for Saracens against Tamil Union in the late 1950's, I had nostalgic memories in reading Professor Ravindra Fernando's "Sathasivam of Ceylon - The Batting Legend".

Professor Fernando's style of writing is excellent, creative, simple, lucid and readable. The book is readable even to the general public as Sathasivam became famous because of "Sathasivam Murder Case". Still people talk about it.

Two books

In an era where cricket books are rare in Sri Lanka, Professor Fernando, Senior Professor of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of the University of Colombo must be congratulated in writing two books on the legend of Sathasivam.

His first book "A Murder in Ceylon - the Sathasivam Case" written in 2006 was full of suspense and suspicion like a detective story.

The medical evidence was of course very useful to law and medical men and especially the student, as it throws light on how important Forensic Medicine is in proving a murder case.

Professor Fernando's latest book "Sathasivam of Ceylon - The Batting Legend" is a different kettle of fish. He begins by tracing the history of cricket in Sri Lanka and its first chapter, which gives an in-depth study of Sri Lankan cricket history, is followed by the entire episode of Sathasivam, the batting genius. Professor Ravindra Fernando is an amazing writer.

He has done lot of research in producing this book and burned lot of midnight oil.

Not only for cricket enthusiasts but also for general public this is a "Readable Book".

A great academic to select a topic of this nature shows that Professor Fernando is a variable personality. With simple English he depicts the complete character of Sathasivam as a brilliant batsman from school days to the twilight years and Sathasivam's end of an innings.

Complete account of Sathasivam

The greatness of Professor Fernando as a writer is that with all his academic work, he gives a complete account of Sathasivam of Ceylon in 183 pages including 9 chapters.

All cricket loving public should pay a big bouquet to this scholar writer for giving first-hand information, facts and figures of the great legend Sathasivam.

I am positive that all Wesleyites will value this book as it briefly gives an account of how Wesley College was started by a Wesleyite Pastor Father Daniel Perera, housed in the Wesleyite Mission in Dam Street opposite the Colombo "kachcheri" on 2nd March 1874.

Further, Professor Fernando gives details about the history of cricket at Wesley, mainly woven round Sathasivam.

Wesley and Sathasivam are un-separable. Probably, the book will be a valuable souvenir to Wesley old boys here and abroad.

Professor Fernando possessed cricket knowledge as he studied at a leading cricket school Ananda College - the crest-jewel of Buddhist education. Probably his stay in England and Scotland helped him to witness cricket in the UK.

Therefore he is a keen follower of cricket. It helped and motivated him to write a book on a personality, which he had an in-depth study connected to his subject "Forensic Medicine".

Fine reading material

The style of presentation he adopted made this book of simple language interesting reading. I am confident that "Sathasivam of Ceylon" will be a sellout.

The cover too is designed attractively and it's a Vijitha Yapa Publication.

Out of the 15 books Professor Fernando has written so far, thirteen are on "Medical Science" and his pet subjects "Forensic Medicine" and "Toxicology".

But for laymen like us, his latest book "Sathasivam of Ceylon - the Batting Legend" is fine reading material.

I am sure you will enjoy every inch of this book. Professor, we like to see more cricket books from you in the future.