He was a brisk right-arm bowler with the ability to gain genuine outswing, Ashantha de Mel was Sri Lanka's leading pace bowler following their elevation to full Test status. In Sri Lanka's inaugural test against England in 1981-82, de Mel took a highly creditable 4 for 70 and 1 for 33. In the following tour of Pakistan, he toiled willingly, taking 11 wickets. In the one-off Test against India in 1982-83, he became the first Sri Lankan fast bowler to take a five-wicket haul, grabbing 5 for 68 in the second innings. With the bat, de Mel was a handy performer, capable of valuable contributions in the lower order with his aggressive style. A serious knee injury brought his career to a premature end after the 1987 World Cup, but he went on to represent Sri Lanka at bridge, including an appearance at the Commonwealth Games. He also served on the interim committee of the Sri Lanka cricket board, and was a national selector and manager of the under-19 side.
Johann P Jayasekera (April 2004)