Chandika Hathurusingha

An opening batsman with a compact style and steadfast nature, Hathurusingha forged a steady opening partnership with Roshan Mahanama. Capable of playing lengthy innings when the situation warranted ,Hathurusingha possessed a variety of strokes. A handy medium-pace bowler, capable of genuine movement through the air. Called into the side against New Zealand at Hamilton as a replacement for the injured Mahanama, he responded by making three half-centuries in his first three Tests. Despite some handy contributions in following series, after an arduous time against the pace of South Africans he found himself left out. After a period on the sidelines, during which no other opener could establish a permanent position, he was selected to tour Pakistan and responded with an excellent series. After the emergence of Sanath Jayasuriya on the proceeding tour of Australia, Hathurusingha was again left out. Sri Lanka's failure to develop a competent allrounder saw Hathrurusingha reincarnated as a middle-order batsman and medium-pace bowler during the tour of England and The Asian Test Championship, though this experiment was shortlived. Chosen for the 1999 World Cup, Hathurusinghe was not called upon to play a single match, and the selectors' policy of picking younger players singled the end to his international career. He quit first-class cricket in 2005 to focus on coaching and has since coached UAE and Sri Lanka A.