Outstanding Men from beyond the shores who have assisted Sri Lankan Cricket
thuppahi
Gary Sobers as youngsterSobers greets Sathasivam in Sri Lanka withgiftSobers in his prime –murdering bowlers Abu Fuard honoured by Gamini Dissanayake
Davenell Whatmore becomes a deshamaanyaHarry Solomons of Kingsgrove Sports in Sydney has not only assisted SL cricketers with gear & advice, but also sent supplies to various establishments in LankaNigel Kerner of Niden Manor in England and Bellanwila Dehiwela: has hosted the whole Lankan team at Niden Manor on occasions and assisted SL cricket in several unostentatious ways
Kushil Gunasekera & Quintus de Zylwa addressing the crow at a reception for the SL cricketers at Knox Tavern in Melbourne
Joe Hoad, Barbadian cricketer & stick fighter, and subsequently a coach and artist in Australia, provided his coaching services free to FOG in 2012,while also advising Ajit Jayasekera and the SL team in Adelaide in 2003
AND the tallest and perhaps most ebullient of them all, TONY GREIG ……..Most ebullient? A tall order when Tony (departed from this realm alas) has to compete with Gary Sobers and Ian Botham!Botham demonstrating and inspiring at Mankulam in 2011Botham on his epic series of walks for charity in association with the Foundation of Goodness in Sri Lanka
PS: we must not forget the women behind the men, notably Kathy Whatmore and Cathy Cruse.
PS 2: both Whatmore, Solomons and Kerner were born in Lanka and carry warm memories of the land and people with attendant affinities . Besides, as Pissu Percy will tell you, both Harry and Nigel are Aloysians!