Bernardus bids farewell to his pupil Vass

Chris DHAMBARAGE

It turned out to be a significant moment on the fourth day of the third and final Test match at the SSC ground in Maitland Place when veteran coach Carlton Bernardus stepped into to see his pupil Chaminda Vaas bid farewell to Sri Lanka cricket after completing an illustrious career.

Bernardus who was the first coach of Chaminda Vaas at St. Joseph's College and Colts Cricket Club, arrived in Sri Lanka from Bangladesh where he is presently functioning as the Deputy National Game Development Manager of the Bangladesh Cricket Board since the year 2000.

Bernardus said that he is fortunate to be present at the venue where dynamic fast bowler will be playing in his final Test match for his country and wished him good luck in his future assignments. He believed that Vaas should now concentrate on coaching and be able to give back something to the next generation.

The 50 year old veteran coach said that Vaas has been successful in adding a new dimension to the game and is one person who introduced swing bowling to international cricket.

He added that Vaas has left a lasting impression on the game which will also mark the end of another chapter in Sri Lankan Cricket. He described the left arm seamer as a hard working disciplined bowler who has always contributed one hundred percent to his team in both batting and bowling.

Bernardus noted that Vaas' performances in the international scene is even more significant considering the fact that he has been mostly performing on docile wickets which are not conducive for seam bowling.