With Chandika Hathurusingha being appointed as head coach of the Sri Lanka cricket team it would be imperative to reflect back seven years ago when things were not so rosy for him and circumstances led him to migrate with his family to Australia.
On that occasion Tamil Union of which Hathurusingha was a member bade farewell to him at a function held at the club premises at the P Sara Oval on December 6, 2010 where S Skandakumar, a former president of Tamil Union paid a glowing tribute to him.
We reproduce the farewell in full for the benefit of our readers who may not be aware of the travails that Hathurusingha underwent to reach the position he holds today:
The Tamil Union bade farewell to yet another of its outstanding members at a well attended function at the club's premises recently. Chandika Hathurusingha who was widely acclaimed as one of the more successful coaches of national cricket had his services terminated by the Interim Committee on the 10th of August following an independent inquiry, the findings of which were not made public.
He consequently decided to migrate to Australia with his family. The club's former President and one time Hony Secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, S. Skandakumar, who was also Vice Chairman/Secretary of the first ever Cricket Interim Committee appointed in 1999, paid a glowing tribute to Hathurusingha, recalling his early humble days with the club that began at the tender age of 14 years when he was a student of a relatively unknown school called Veluwana in Dematagoda.
"His school coach, Tom Dep a remarkably fine gentleman once told me that Chandika did 15 minutes of bat drill regularly after dinner, standing in front of a mirror, and would then tuck his bat under his pillow and go to sleep. You can therefore imagine his passion for the game at that very early age, and the• kind of dreams he must have had in his adolescent years."
'To improve his chances at cricket, Chandika moved to Ananda College in 1984, but failed to find a place in the first eleven team and yet in 1986, was picked to tour England with the Sri Lanka schoolboys team, creating an unprecedented record where a school boy cricketer represented his country before he did his alma mater. He made such an impact on that tour that in 1988 he was appointed Vice Captain of the first ever Youth World Cup team that participated in a tournament in Australia.' Skandakumar recalled.
'In 1991, 'Skandakumar added,' Chandika got the opportunity of his dreams when he was flown out to replace an injured Dammika Ranatunge on Sri Lanka's international tour of New Zealand and made a half century on his Test debut as opening batsman in trying conditions. He repeated the feat in the following Test as well and went on to register an enviable hat trick of half-centuries in international cricket when he followed this up with 66 on his first appearance at Lord's, when Sri Lanka toured England immediately thereafter. In 1995, Chandika went on tour to Pakistan and made 4 half-centuries in the three Test Match series and yet lost his place in the national team although he was a member of the World Cup squad that toured England in 1999."
Continuing, Skandakumar said, 'Realising that the doors of international cricket were closing on him, Chandika then turned his excellent cricketing brain to coaching and in 2000 qualified as a Level Two coach in Australia. On his return he found that the Moors Sports Club had been relegated from the Premier Division and took up the challenge as Captain cum Coach to get that club back into the major division. His extraordinary skills both as a Captain and Coach became apparent when Moors under his leadership and guidance not only re-entered the Premier Division, but went on to win the Premier Championship just two years after being relegated .This was I understand the first time that the Moors had achieved it in their 99 year history. Chandika won the Player of the Tournament award in the Premier League for three consecutive years starting from 2001/2002, and yet failed to find a place in even the national 'A' team. While playing league cricket in England in the summer of 2003, he pursued his interest in coaching further and qualified as a Level Three coach, the highest standard in coaching in the UK at that time. Upon his return he re-associated himself with the Tamil Union as player cum coach and helped the club to emerge jOint champions in the Premier Limited Tournament that very season. The damage inflicted by Tsunami in 2004, prevented the final from being played. His first major international challenge as a coach came in October 2005, when he was appointed head coach of the United Arab Emirates team and was mandated to help that country secure a place in the 2008 Asia Cup tournament. To do so, the Emirates had to win the Asian Cricket Council tournament held in Malaysia in 2006."
"Chandika was able to guide the UAE team to that championship, adding yet another notable achievement to his string of coaching successes. Sri Lanka Cricket then woke up to the extent of Chandika's coaching talents and offered him a contract to coach the national A team, the feeder to the national team which he accepted with relish.
He was instrumental in rehabilitating the cricket careers of many players including the likes of Thilan Samaraweera and Thilina Kandamby while he also unearthed fresh talent in Tharanga Paranavitarna, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedara,Chanaka Welagedera and Dammika Prasad. Additionally he got the best out of players like Malintha Warnapura Suranga Lakmal and Isuru Udana. He was soon elevated to work with the national team as Shadow Coach and the extent of his effectiveness was common knowledge."
'Given this exceptional background,' Skandakumar said, the sudden and totally unexpected termination of his services sent shock waves not only through cricketing circles and the media, but the national team itself. In that respect I wish to quote to you lines from a letter of appeal that the national captain Kumar Sangakkara addressed to the Interim committee which received wide publicity. The lines speak for themselves.
MY INTEREST IN REGAINING HIS SERVICES IS PURELY SELFISH. I WANT TO BE PART OF A TEAM THAT IS COACHED BY THE BEST. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT AFTER THE 2011 WORLD CUP, CHANDIKA HAS THE CAPABILITY TO ABLY HEAD THE COACHING OF THE NATIONAL TEAM. THE WHOLE SQUAD OF NATIONAL PLAYERS RESPECT HIM AND ADMIRE HIM FOR THE WORK DONE".
"Ladies and Gentlemen, you will now be fully aware of the obstacles and frustrations Chandika has had to endure and overcome in his career.
Given this fervent appeal from a very successful and highly educated national captain, tendered on behalf of the entire national squad, the refusal of the Authorities to review that decision defies logic or reason.
That is further compounded by the fact that there were I believe mitigating circumstances attached to Chandika's actions that precipitated the inquiry.
While wishing you, Shivika and the children all that is best down under, I am sure that those genuinely interested in the welfare of the game will hope that your invaluable services will not be Australia's gain and that in the not too distant future, you will be reinstated in your rightful position with the national team. Meanwhile your termination Chandika could well go down in the annals of history as a cricketing tragedy as it is inconceivable that a responsible controlling body of national cricket could turn its back on such expertise particularly when it comes from one of our very own Sri Lankans."
God bless you and your family.
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