Bandula Warnapura no more

Sri Lanka’s first Test captain Bandula Warnapura passed away yesterday.

Warnapura had been admitted to hospital for complications due to diabetes, which resulted in a leg amputation, after which the former cricketer suffered a heart attack.

Having made his ODI debut in the 1975 World Cup, he captained Sri Lanka first Test team, when they played England at home. He would go on to play three more Tests before being handed a 25-year ban from involvement in cricket for his role in the rebel tour to South Africa in 1982-83. The ban was later reduced after which he involved himself in cricket administration.

K. Mathivanan, former Vice President of Sri Lanka (SLC), who considered Warnapura as a close friend, said his demise was a great loss for the sport.

“I first met Bandu in 1976 when I moved to Colombo from Jaffna and started playing cricket for Saracens and he was a leading cricketer, at the time” Mathivanan recalled. “Then ever since I got involved with cricket administration, especially with Colts CC, we became more acquainted and eventually became closer friends. To have had him, such a legend and icon of the game, as the Vice President nominee when I ran for the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Presidency in 2020 was an absolute honour and privilege,” Mathivanan also said.
Warnapura had become President of Bloomfield in 2018, and shared the same vision for cricket development, Mathivanan said.
“We shared a common vision, in that we wanted to focus on the grass roots, and helped the development of school cricket. We wanted to reward coaches who had produced talented cricketers who rise up the ranks, and he was keen to see young players develop into national cricketers.”
Mathivanan also lauded the work ethic Warnapura showed during his time involved in administration, saying that he treated everyone equally.
He was the manager of the Sri Lanka team during the tour of India, and then was absorbed into cricket administration by SLC. He served as the Director of Cricket Operations for a number of years, before becoming the Director of Development at the Asian Cricket Council where he served for seven or eight years, where his knowledge of cricket development was put to good use” Mathinvanan said.

“He was an honest man, straight forward, who had no qualms in calling a spade a spade. He was very professional in his approach to work, and to him the rules were more important than favouring people. He was very professional and genuine.”

He also recalled one particular instance, during a shared period at SLC when Mathivanan was the Secretary of SLC, where Warnapura showed his dedication to his work and duties.

“During the very early stages of developing the Pallekele stadium, Warnapura was supervising the ground development. He was so duty oriented, that he would travel to Kandy every weekend and return to Colombo on Sunday.” Mathivanan also described Warnapura as a family man, enjoying the time with his grandchildren every evening. Warnapura leaves behind his wife, daughter, two sons and grandchildren.