Sri Lankan pacer Prasad to grace community tourney

By Umer NangianaSri Lankan speedster Dhammika Prasad is coming to Doha next month for a six-a-side softball cricket tournament being organised by Sri Lankan Sports Club (SSC), Wakrah. Prasad, who spearheads the Lankan attack, was ruled out of the recently-concluded World Cup in Australia-New Zealand due to a fractured hand, an injury sustained when Prasad attempted a return catch at practice prior to the opening match of the showpiece event against New Zealand.The medium-fast bowler is however an integral part of the Sri Lankan bowling attack. Taking two wickets in two balls of his first over in his debut One-Day International match against Bangladesh in 2006, Prasad has played an important role in countless Sri Lankan victories. His ability to bowl at the death in ODIs, subtle variations and a good yorker makes Prasad an effective bowler in the modern cricket. In his first Test cap against India in August 2008, the Sri Lankan speedster took five wickets in the match including that of the then-blistering Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag in both innings. However, his most memorable performance came against England. It was a fine spell of fast bowling on the 4th day of the 2nd test between Sri Lanka and England at Headingly in 2014 where Prasad demolished the English top order.The Sri Lankan cricket star will be the chief guest at the six-a-side tournament that is scheduled to be played at the QP Mesaieed Sports Complex on May 8 this year.  Former Sri Lankan cricket star and explosive opening batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana, a member of the World Cup winning Sri Lankan team in 1996, was the chief guest at this event last year. The six-a-side soft ball cricket tournament is being organised for the 17th consecutive year and will feature many teams from the expatriate Sri Lankan community in Qatar.As in the past, the organisers are expecting a large turnout of cricket enthusiasts from the many expatriate communities in Qatar. SSC Wakrah has been at the forefront of organising many events for the Sri Lankan community in Qatar during the past many years and has been instrumental in showcasing the talents of a large number of community members by organising such events. “The club also plays an important role in the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations (Bak Maha Ulela). The club owes its gratitude to the past presidents and executive committee members for their dedication and untiring efforts, which have been of immense help towards the growth of the club,” said SSC Wakrah General Secretary Ravi Silva.Club President MH Ariyapala thanked all those who have contributed in many ways towards the club’s success and growth and expressed his gratitude to the past and present sponsors and well-wishers for their contribution towards this and other annual events. More details on the tournament can be obtained by calling Ariyapala (5526-4105), Eranga (5533-0084) or Dulip (6672-7759). The tournament is to Sri Lankan teams only. There is space for 32 teams, who will be selected on a  first come first served basis. Interested teams can visit the club’s official Facebook page “sscwakrah” to download the application form.Completed application forms should be e-mailed to sscwakrah@gmail.com latest by April 27. The draw for groups will be held on April 29 at 8pm at the Stafford Sri Lankan School.