Pradeep Hewage has a bright future (11 Jul 1998)

11 July 1998

Pradeep Hewage has a bright future

The Daily News

The speech made by the British High Commissioner, David Tatham at the presentation of the Prince of Wales Trophy to Pradeep Hewage, the most promising schoolboy cricketer for 1997/98 at Westminster House on Wednesday.

``One does not have to live in Sri Lanka for long to realise that cricket is a passion and I hope that Tuesday's nail-biting match has not left all of you exhausted.

When HRH The Prince of Wales visited Sri Lanka for the Independence celebrations in February, he was keen to commemorate his visit with something which demonstrated both the bond between our countries and his interest in the development of the skills of young people. We all sincerely hope that this trophy will serve that purpose and become a coveted accolade in the trophy cabinets of Sri Lanka's stars of the future.

The inaugural winner of the trophy is Pradeep Hewage, an all-rounder with a bright future. In addition to his impressive performances for his College, St. Benedict's, he has already represented his country and made his mark on the international scene. He was voted Best Batsman in the recent Youth World Cup in South Africa and captained the team which so narrowly lost out on a place in the final against England. He has already progressed to the Sri Lankan 'A' side and played against England 'A' on their recent tour. Test recognition cannot be far away.

Indeed it is interesting to note that the equivalent prize in English cricket, the Young Cricketer of the Year, has been won in the past by the likes of Geoffrey Boycott, Tony Greig, Mike Atherton and in the year of Pradeep's birth, a certain David Gower.

I am sure that everyone here will look forward to him demonstrating a similar pedigree and will join me in congratulating Pradeep and wishing him every success in the future''.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)