Bandula Warnapura: He played 12 ODI and four Tests in his international career from 1975 to 1982. Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka’s first Test Captain and former coach and administrator, died at the age of 68 in a private hospital in Colombo.
The Sri Lankan national team will wear black armbands as a tribute to Warnapura during their T20 World Cup match against Namibia on Monday, SLC said. The U19 team that played Bangladesh in the second youth ODI in Dambulla on Monday was also seen wearing the same clothes.
He was reportedly battling diabetes and was admitted to intensive care last week after a spike in his blood sugar levels.
Bandula briefly recovered before his situation worsened Monday. He leaves behind his wife, his daughter, two sons, and grandchildren.
Warnapura, a boy from Nalanda College, played 12 ODIs and four Trials in a seven-year international career from 1975 to 1982. He was team captain in each of their Trials and eight ODIs, including Sri Lanka’s inaugural Test in 1982 against England. His 38th opening batting in the second inning of that game would still be his highest test result.
He made his ODI debut against the West Indies at the 1975 World Cup and in the same tournament, he scored a memorable 39ball 31 against an Australian attack led by Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee.
His only international half-century came in 1982 in an ODI against Pakistan in Karachi. A 98ball 77 in a losing cause. He was also a useful center pacemaker for the right arm. Accepting eight wickets at ODI, and has the distinction of being one of the few players. To open both bowling and hitting in the same test.
Warnapura’s international career. However, was cut short when he received a lifetime suspension from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). In 1982-83 for touring South Africa with a rebel team.
When the ban was lifted many years later, Warnapura returned to SLC to support a manager after his retirement.
During his time on the national board, he was a member of various cricket. And selection committees, while also serving as a coach in the 1990s. In particular, he was Director of Operations at SLC in the early 2000s. 2008, he left his position at SLC to serve as director of development for the Asian Cricket Council.
Bandula Warnapura was also due to return to administration earlier this year and fight for the vice president position at SLC. However, he withdrew due to a lack of confidence in the Sri Lankan sports authorities. To address various shortcomings that he and his team had pointed out.
Warnapura’s main criticism was SLC’s bloated voting structure, in which the election used 147 votes from 86 stakeholders.
After his death, various members of the Cricket Brotherhood paid tribute. Including former Sri Lankan captains Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, and current captain Dasun Shanaka.
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