Kaushalya Weereratne: Sri Lanka's newest all-rounder

Kaushala Weereratne, nicknamed Kaushi, is Sri Lanka's newest kid on the block. This laid back 19 year old all-rounder from Trinity College, Kandy has just been selected for the National one-day squad for the Asia Cup.

He has been rewarded for some impressive performances in the U19 World Cup and in the current 'A' series against Zimbabwe. In both the Kurunegala and the Galle test matches he was the only bowler from either side who consistently swung the ball in cloudless conditions. What's more, he swung it both ways. Not bad for a player who has played just three first class matches.

Whilst his batting has been disappointing on the recent tour, he has been nicknamed the 'Sri Lankan Klusner' by some because of his hard hitting style and his exploits in schools cricket. A top order batsmen at his school in the hill country he sees himself as a genuine all-rounder.

"I see myself as an all-rounder but in the first few matches of this tour I have not performed as a batsmen. I need to get back to my old form as a batsman. When I was playing at school I was batting really well."

Kaushalya made the transition from softball cricket to the real thing when he was eleven years old. He immediately fell in love with the game. Spurred on by his Mother, whom he identifies as the biggest influence on his cricket, he soon realised that he wanted to be a professional cricketer and represent his country.

Speaking to CricInfo during the present A series, and prior to his selection for the Asia Cup, he said: "I want to play for the national side. I think I can play at the international level. I have the belief in my own ability."

His present coach, Hemantha Deviprya, certainly thinks Kaushalya has the talent to go all the way.

"He has come at the right time because the selectors are looking for fast bowlers who can bat. Kaushalya is youngest of a group of players that can do this and he stands a good chance of making it. He is a guy with a lot of confidence at the moment. He has now got to show his ability at the highest level."

"He has the talent. It all depends on how he reacts to the pressure. We need to be careful and bring him up gradually without giving him too much responsibility. He needs to work on his thinking now to make sure that he fulfils his talent."