Pubudu Dassanayake was a competent wicket-keeper batsman who played for Sri Lanka in the early 1990s. His career lasted just the one season in 1993-94 before he was axed due to inferior batting abilities. As a gloveman, Pubudu was always efficient and agile behind sticks, which tempted the management to invest in him initially but the fact that he barely scored runs made his spot a concern. He was a fighter with the willow in hand and had the temperament to battle it out but unfortunately, didn’t have the skill set to succeed. Despite being sacked, Pubudu continued to strive hard in domestic cricket and with the A teams, but was never recalled to the national side. He later shifted to USA and helped to promote the sport in the country as the national team’s coach, eventually helping them gain ODI status. He quit the post in 2019, being replaced by another former wicketkeeper, the accomplished Kiran More from India.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan