The influence of Tony Greig on Sri Lankan cricket is quite significant. Many cricket administrations at Maitland Place used Greig’s expertise in an advisory role. If the cricket team’s coaching position felt vacant, it was Tony whom cricket chiefs called and he came up with some good recommendations. Later on, the Tourism Ministry roped in the former England captain to promote tourism.
Apart from being a brilliant commentator, Greig had a knack for picking up minute things and make them interesting. For example, if he saw the pineapple vendor, he would speak in such a way that someone in a European destination would want to tour Sri Lanka to just to taste the pineapple. Even the Aussies craved for Sri Lankan pineapple after Greig once said that the pineapple variety that is available in Queensland is not fit to hold a candle to the Sri Lankan variety. He would go onto promote places too saying things like ‘little town on Kandy Road called Gampaha that sells these fruits’.
Tony was commentating on a Test match and he spotted a kid playing cricket at the SSC grass bank. Taken up by the youngster’s skill set, Tony wanted the television crew to focus on the small chap and went onto call him ‘Little Sanga’. Later, Greig interviewed the kid for television. It was quite a hit.
That kid – Sharujan Shanmuganathan – is taking huge steps forward in cricket and was awarded the best wicketkeeper of the year at the annual Schools’ Cricket Awards Thursday night.
Sharujan has got three more years in schools’ cricket and his recognition hasn’t surprised those who have followed his career at St. Benedict’s closely as he is a neat stumper rarely making any mistakes. He can also contribute with the bat and many believe that the best days of him are still ahead. It wouldn’t be too long before he goes onto represent Sri Lanka Under-19 many believe.
Young Sharjuan is a touch player. He is ideally suited for the longer format of the game and bats at number three for the school behind the Cathedral. Even for their limited overs team, the Bens have been using him as someone who builds the innings. His best gift is patience, and rarely do you see him throwing away his wicket, a rare virtue that you find these days among young batters who have been brought up on an overdose of T-20 cricket.
There are natural wicketkeepers who are so pleasing to the eye like Prasanna Jayawardene. Then there are of course those who fit into the role when the team doesn’t have a stumper. Sharjuan is natural. His movements, dives, speed and anticipation have all made people take note of his exceptional skill set.
The other thing that is impressive about Sharujan is that he has got a good head above his shoulders. Someone who has been earmarked as captaincy material, he doesn’t get rattled when the going gets tough. He remains calm when things are not going right for himself or the team and often in cricket when you persevere through barren periods things start happening out of the blues. A sound mind on the game we will certainly hear much more about him moving forward.
Mr. Ranjit Fernando, a Benedictine himself, who kept wickets for Sri Lanka in the inaugural World Cup and has overseen the development of many cricketers in his different roles in the sport be as a selector, coach or manager has no doubt we are seeing a special talent and wants Sharjuan to come under the wings of a good wicketkeeping coach to fine tune some of the area. Mr. Fernando believes that this is a rare natural talent that needs to be nurtured carefully.
Lal Wickramatunga, the elder brother of slain newspaper editor Lasantha Wickramatunga has ended his newspaper publishing business and has joined St. Benedict’s as a consultant coach and he is doing a fine job at the school that he represented as a cricketer.
For one of the leading schools in the country, St. Benedict’s has not produced as many Sri Lankan cricketers as they would have liked for some reason. Even the ones like Pradeep Hewage, who won the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 1998 and performed exceptionally well for Sri Lanka Under-19 and NCC failed to make it to the Sri Lankan side.
The arrival of Maheesh Theekshana has been some consolation and it looks like Sharujan will be the next man who will go onto make his school proud. Obviously if that day happens a lot of Kotahena crowd will be over the moon. But the happiest of them all will be Tony Greig, who spotted him first and told us all that this will be some talent in the future.
