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By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
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Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Mickey Arthur had their differences but made up in the end
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Sri Lanka’s explosive left-hand batsman in white-ball cricket Bhanuka Rajapaksa has announced his resignation from Sri Lanka Cricket with immediate effect, thus cutting short a chequered international career at 30, an age when most cricketers play their best cricket.
In a letter of resignation handed to Sri Lanka Cricket, Rajapaksa stated, “I have very carefully considered my position as a player, husband and am taking this decision looking forward to fatherhood and associated familial obligations. I wish Sri Lanka Cricket continued success in its future endeavours.”
One of the greatest white-ball cricketers, fast bowler Lasith Malinga requested Rajapaksa to reconsider his decision to retire from international cricket.
“Representing your country at International level is not an easy task and players always face so many challenges,” tweeted Malinga.
“I truly believe that @BhanukaRajapak3 has a lot more to give to Sri Lankan cricket and I request him to reconsider his decision to retire from International cricket.”
An attacking left-hand batsman, Rajapaksa shone brightly as a schoolboy for Royal College – Colombo and for Sri Lanka, finishing as the leading run-getter for his country in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand with 253 runs and, the tour to Australia in 2009, smashing 154 off 111 balls in a one-dayer. However, he failed to fulfil the promise he showed during his school career and carry it onto the big stage averaging a moderate 36.49 in first-class cricket, 27.86 in List A matches and 23.60 in T20s. His strike rate was excellent in all three formats, but he lacked consistency. Rajapaksa was virtually in retirement when the national cricket selectors decided to pick him for the tour to Pakistan in 2019 at the age of 28 when most of the senior cricketers were reluctant to go for security reasons. It turned out to be an epoch-making series when Sri Lanka whitewashed the then no. 1 ranked T20I side Pakistan 3-0. Rajapaksa announced his arrival to the international stage with an innings of 32 off 22 balls in the first T20I at Lahore and followed it up with a match-winning knock of 77 off 48 balls (six sixes, four fours) to take the Man of the Match award.
In his brief international career for Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa played in 18 T20Is and 5 ODIs and scored three fifties – all of which contributed towards a victory. He was touted as an exciting challenge but faced many challenges in recent times in connection with fitness, skinfold and comments he made at a video interview that saw him fined US $5000 and handed a one-year ban as a suspended sentence for breach of contract by Sri Lanka Cricket.
Former Sri Lanka Head Coach Mickey Arthur, whilst admitting that Rajapaksa was a talented cricketer with great hands and superb hitting ability, said that he was a comfort zone player and his fitness levels were not where they should be and his fielding was not up to international standards.
Rajapaksa took up the challenge and worked himself up to the required levels of fitness to be recalled to the team after being left out of the tour to England last May.
He played a key role in the batting for Sri Lanka in the recently concluded T20 World Cup in the UAE scoring a 27-ball 42* against Namibia and 53 off 45 balls against Bangladesh.
He is the captain of the Galle Gladiators team in the Lanka Premier League for editions one and two where they have twice ended as runner-up to Jaffna Kings and also the captain of BRC in the Major inter-club tournaments.
When Arthur finally bade farewell at the end of his two-year contract with SLC, Rajapaksa tweeted: “It’s no secret that we had a few misunderstandings in the past coach, but I’m glad we managed to move on from them and deliver on the field. Thank you for your honesty and guidance. Wishing you nothing but the best.”
Arthur tweeted in reply: “I am so glad that you are delivering on your amazing talent and loved working with you! I just want to see you be the best you can be. Keep on this path and the world is your oyster!”
Sadly, it won’t be.
