Sundayobserver.lk: Sports | Kaushal in Lankan ODI team

SCHOOLBOY STAR SHINES... Barely, two months had elapsed after being crowned as the Sunday Observer/Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year (Outstation) and the Best Bowler runner-up (Outstation 2012), Tharindu Kaushal from Devapathiraja College, Ratgama has been drafted into the Sri Lanka ODI team to play against the touring New Zealand cricketers. The Kiwis begin with a T20 match on October 30 at the Pallekelle, International Cricket Stadium.

A moment to remember... Tharindu Kaushal who won the Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year receiving the award from Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage at the Sunday Observer - Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer Award ceremony watched by Dinesh Weerawansa Editor in chief Sunday Observer and Chairman ANCL, Bandula Padmakumara. He was subsquently selected to Sri Lanka in the ODI series against New Zealand.

The Kiwis will be playing a T20 game, 5 ODI’s and two Test matches during their visit to the Island.

Sri Lanka Cricket, in the quest of finding new talent, has opened the path to a highly talented orthodox off-spinner in an era where the country is in need of quality spinners.

However, Kaushal should get a better deal in the 50-over games, as quite rightly he has not been included in the T20 squad. In the conventional 50-over game, there are ten overs at his disposal to prove his worth in the side.

Along with Kaushal, who has been thrown into the ‘deep end,’ there is also another promising spinner Akila Dananjaya in the side. Dananjaya is also an off-spinner who could also trouble the batsman with his occasional surprise disguised deliveries which he did on his debut in the recently concluded T20 World Cup held in Sri Lanka. The selectors are surely aiming at the up coming tour of Australia in December 2012 and the 2015 World Cup also to be held in Australia and New Zealand.

Two good performances by the duo specially in the ODI series will no doubt enable them to stamp their places in the ODI side as well as in the longer version of the game.

Tharindu Kaushal hails from a remote school, Devapathiraja College, Ratgama in the southern province and from a humble home. He has been discovered as a promising off-spinner who displayed his bowling prowess while representing the Sri Lanka U.19 at the Asia Cup, held in Malaysia and thereafter the Under-19 World Cup, held in Australia recently.

Former Sri Lanka paceman and Chairman Selection Committee Ashantha de Mel, who was in Australia during the Under 19 World Cup with the youngsters, would have felt that the time was right to expose youngster Kaushal. At the Asia Cup he was adjudged as the Best Bowler of the tournament and followed up his good bowling performance in the Junior U.19 World Cup in Australia. He is the latest addition into the International cricket arena from the SUNDAY OBSERVER/MOBITEL cricket contest saga. It was former Anandian Dinesh Chandimal who was the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year three years ago and later went on to represent the country prior to Tharindu Kaushal.

Born and bred in Ratgama, Tharindu Kaushal showed exceptional performance while even playing in the school under 13 team.

He was an automatic choice thereafter while playing in the other age groups as well till he finally played in the first eleven team. He was guided right throughout his career by his coach K.R. Lasantha de Silva who has been the live wire for cricket at the school. Devapathiraja MV is certainly an under privileged school, sans a playground of their own. The practice sessions and matches have been played at the Public grounds.

The school authorities must be complimented for playing the game continuously amidst many obstacles as it is known factor that cricket is an expensive game and it needs plenty of money to survive.

An overjoyed master-in-charge of cricket at Devapathiraja College, Nishantha Kumara said: “Tharindu Kaushal’s name will go down in the school’s history as the first player to win national honours from the school, taking into account the manner in which he performed in the two international tournaments held in Malaysia and Australia. There was no doubt about his skills and talent.

Devapathiraja plays in division three in the schools tournament and they played fewer number of matches against lesser known schools. Therefore, it is quite creditable for Tharindu Kaushal to be selected straight into the national side. He was knocking at the door and may be, he would have got it opened sooner than he expected,” concluded Kumara.