Channa Gunasekera

Channa Gunasekera was a versatile sportsman who took his cricketing genes from his father, Churchill, the first Sri Lankan player to represent an English county. Born on June 23, 1931, exactly 15 years after Len Hutton, his role model, Channa followed his father by captaining his alma mater Royal College and Sinhalese Sports Club. He became an automatic choice as an opening batsman for Sri Lanka in the 1950s. Channa played for his country at the age of 19 and during his career toured India thrice, scoring five centuries in seven matches. He then captained Colombo CC in the division III tournament before coaching both Royal College and Nalanda College. In 1983 he became a national selector. Besides cricket, Channa also excelled in athletics and tennis. A keen student of the game, he wrote regularly in newspapers on various topics apart from commentating on radio and television. Channa died aged 77 in October 2008.
Sa'adi Thawfeeq October 2008