Asanka Gurusinghe To Play For North Melbourne (4 Nov 1996)

4 November 1996

Asanka Gurusinghe to play for North Melbourne

Sri Lanka Test batsman Asanka Gurusinha is to play for one of Australia`s top cricket clubs, North Melbourne after he returns from the Champions trophy cricket tournament in Sharjah.

Gurusinha left with the Sri Lanka side Sunday for the three nations tournament in Sharjah which also features Pakistan and New Zealand. The tournament will commence on November 7 and end with the final on November 15.

Gurusinha is expected to return home and then leave for Australia shortly afterwards to take up his contract with the Australian club.

The 30-year-old stylish left-hander who has represented his country in 41 Tests and 144 one-day internationals is expected to turn out for the club as a player till the final week of March.

The Sri Lanka team is expected to leave for New Zealand by February end and it is left to the Sri Lanka Cricket Board to sort things out with Gurusinha on his availability.

The Cricket Board has allowed players to play overseas and join the national team straight from the club they are representing.

It happened in the case of Sri Lanka vice-captain Aravinda de Silva last year, when he joined the team in Pakistan after missing the first Test because of his commitment with English county side Kent.

Since Gurusinha first played for North Melbourne in 1988, the club has shown interest in signing him up as captain cum coach, but his commitments to the national team had kept him away from the offer.

Gurusinha however, is expected to play for the club in the capacity of captain/coach next season.

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