Lanka to lose two coaches

Chris DHAMBARAGE

Sri Lanka Cricket are faced with a crisis once again following the exploitation of the local coaches by other Test playing nations. The latest victims are Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake and spin coach Ruwan Kalpage.

The two experienced coaches have signed lucrative two year contracts with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and are expected to leave the island this weekend.

Forty three year old Ramanayake will take up duties as the bowling coach of the Bangladesh national team while Kalpage (38) who has being associated with SLC since 2001 will be the High Performance Head Coach of the Bangladesh team.

Ramanayake who played 18 Test matches and 62 one day internationals for Sri Lanka as a right are paceman has produced some outstanding fast bowlers in the calibre of Lasith Malinga, Farveez Maharoof, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ishara Amerasinghe and Chanaka Welagedera who have represented the country with distinction.

Kalpage who represented the country in 11 Test matches and 86 one day internationals has the unique record of having served SLC in different positions such as computer analyst, fielding coach, Under 15 coach, Under 19 coach, Sri Lanka ‘A’ team coach and spin coach of the national team.

Meanwhile former Bloomfield, Kandy CC and Moors SC left arm spinner Piyal Wijetunga is likely to replace Ruwan Kalpage as the spin coach.

Thirty eight year old Wijetunga was one of three schoolboys from St Anthony’s College who played in the same team and then went on to represent Sri Lanka.

Wijetunge, formed an effective partnership with Muttiah Muralitharan and Ruwan Kalpage. In a memorable moment Wijetunge made his Test debut alongside his former schoolboy teammates against South Africa at Moratuwa where he bowled neatly taking two wickets.

In addition 46 year old Anusha Samaranayake who was the assistant to Champaka Ramanayake is the likely candidate to fill the position as the Sri Lanka fast bowling coach.

Meanwhile Sri Lanka Cricket will also lose the services of their physiotherapist Tommy Simsek who is expected to join the Indian Premier League (IPL) soon after the Test and one day international series against the West Indies.

Sri Lanka Cricket sources revealed that they have already begun the search for a new physiotherapist and are in close contacts with Australian Alex Kountori who served the country during their successful World Cup campaign in 1996.