By Srian Obeyesekere
Twentny seven year old Ashen Bandara must be considering himself quite unlucky his cricketing worth went unnoticed in not booking a place particularly in the Sri Lanka test squad to the West Indies.
A sound, compact batsman, Bandara, a discovery from the Sri Lanka U19 grid, has quite a pleasing record of unbeaten scores of 55 from just five ODIs and 44 from six T20 internationals in brief call ups where these top scores without yielding his wicket warranted a continuation of his services. But unfortunately he did not find that further recognition from the national selectors at the time which has been one negative factor for the player as well as country-wise looking forward to the future in team building and to reclaiming a once famous white ball image in which Sri Lanka boasts of two world cups in the bag in both formats.
Still significantly, a strong point of Bandara’s batting repertoire has been a striking unhurried approach in building an innings best demonstrated by his most recent performances in the major domestic tournaments tucked into a total first class run aggregate of 6392 runs inclusive of eight hundreds and twenty fifties best exemplified with a highest of 200 averaging 42.98.
Indeed, Bandara, who further raised his game captaining Police Sports Club, has displayed the inherent skill and ability of quite a stayer at the wicket who can hold an innings together.
Given the application put into his batting, Ashen Bandara could certainly find himself unfortunate that such an abounding talent has not found the desired recognition on sheer merit of performance further fine edged by his prowess as a brilliant fielder.
His performances which should have seen the youngster further persued in the white ball formats given his highest scores mind you in such brief opportunities while still significantly the nature of this stoic batsman does still further stamp him as ideal test match material going with his great fielding ability which in world cricket is considered a plus point. The best fact of this cricketing player essence is manifested in that famous adage that ‘catches win matches.’
In that scenario that this youngster has not found the desired recognition in atleast making the test squad to the West Indies notwithstanding his cold shouldering from white ball national duty is indeed a case of the missed bus with the deserving left dejected.
