From the moment Kamil Mishara first picked up a bat, it was evident that he was a player born to grace the big stage. His talent was so compelling that Royal College wasted no time in offering him a scholarship, and he soon repaid their faith in the game that truly matters – the Battle of the Blues. A strong showing in the historic Royal-Thomian soon saw him catapulted into the Sri Lanka ‘A’ setup, and before you could say “Howzat!”, he found himself donning national colours at the mighty MCG in 2022.
It was a fairytale rise, and when he was named understudy to Niroshan Dickwella for the tour of Bangladesh, the selectors were clearly grooming him for a long haul in the big league. Then again, one might argue that shadowing Dickwella is a bit like sending a rookie MP to Mervyn Silva for lessons on parliamentary decorum – not exactly the ideal mentorship!
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But what should have been a stepping stone turned into a slippery slope. The tour was played under strict COVID-era bio-bubbles, and Mishara was caught breaking the bubble – a mistake that didn’t go unnoticed. The Bangladesh Cricket Board promptly reported the breach to Colombo, and Sri Lanka Cricket wasted no time in showing him the exit door.
It wasn’t just a slap on the wrist; it was an exile. For three long years, he was left out in the cold, collateral damage in SLC’s newfound zeal for discipline following multiple breaches of the Code of Conduct by players.
But every cricketer worth his salt knows that a comeback is always sweeter than the debut, and Mishara, to his credit, has grafted his way back into contention. His club, NCC, never lost faith in him, and the young left-hander has repaid their trust with a truckload of runs this season.
In both inter-club cricket and the NSL, he has been in prolific form. He finished as the second-highest run-getter in the club tournament, helping NCC reach the finals. And in the NSL, he has made it a habit of converting starts into big hundreds – the true hallmark of a class batsman.
Last week, he hammered an unbeaten 153 in Hambantota, and this week, he went even bigger, smashing 172. The selectors watching from deep down south must have scribbled his name in pen rather than pencil for the upcoming Bangladesh series.
There’s a big difference between scoring a century and making it count, and Mishara has been batting like a man possessed, refusing to throw away his starts. When the situation calls for patience, he can bat through the innings – like he did in Hambantota last week. But if there’s a need for quick runs, he can throw caution to the wind and go at it hammer and tongs, displaying an elegant array of strokes.
A hard-working cricketer, Mishara should have been a permanent fixture in the national side by now. But indiscretions off the field can be worse than an ugly swipe across the line, and he’s had to serve his time in cricketing purgatory. Now, having done his penance, he deserves a shot at redemption.
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There’s a bit of T.M. Dilshan in him – not just in his shot-making but also in his versatility. Comfortable opening the innings against pace, willing to drop down the order if needed, tidy with the gloves, a more-than-handy off-spinner, and a sharp fielder – he ticks a lot of boxes. More importantly, he has shown signs of being a selfless team player, something Sri Lanka could do with.
With a few spots up for grabs in the Test side, Mishara is certainly one to watch. After all, every player – just like every human – deserves a second innings. As St. Augustine once said, “There is no saint without a past, and no sinner without a future.”
It’s time for Kamil Mishara to write his next chapter.
