Asian Cricket Academy boosts schools cricket

The Asian Cricket Academy, a new private high-tech academy in Colombo, has given schools cricket in Sri Lanka a much-needed boost with the announcement that it will be offering 300 of the most talented schoolboy cricketers in the island free scholarships in the coming year.

The standard of school cricket in Sri Lanka has been falling steadily since the 1970s and 1980s when it was rated the strongest in the world. But private academies like The Asian Cricket Academy, and the soon to be opened Fingara Club Academy, are now hoping to reverse this downward trend.

Those granted the scholarships will have the opportunity of top-class coaching, backed up with modern technology, including video analysis, physical training in a modern gymnasium and possible travel with an academy squad that is expected to tour overseas regularly.

The Asian Cricket Academy's coaches include Brendon Kuruppu, a former Sri Lanka player and manager, Rumesh Ratnayake, the leading fast bowling coach in the island who is now tipped to be Tom Moody's assistant coach, Milton de Silva, Champika Ramanayake, another fast bowling coach, Gamini Perera, a spin bowling coach, and Sisira Hadunge.

The Asian Cricket Academy, anxious to ensure that equal opportunity is given countrywide, has called for schools throughout the island to nominate their best player for the scholarship and send in their playing CVs by the end of June. The scholarship offer is to be backed up with further free workshops for talented school boys and girls as part of their long-term development plan.