The first and only cricketer in the world’s 143-year-old Test history to score an unbeaten century in each innings of a Test match – Aravinda de Silva, will grace the 44th Observer SLT Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year 2022 which will be held at the BMICH, Colombo 7 commencing from 5.15 pm on Thursday (15).
The guests of honour will be Minister of Transport, Highways and Media Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, Minister of Sports Roshan Ranasinghe, Minister of Education Dr. Susill Premajayanth and State Minister of Media Shantha Bandara.
After a year-long wait, the stage is now set for the greatest extravaganza in local school cricket. Prior to the commencement of the official program, the super giant screen erected at the BMICH centre will screen the highlights of the 2022 Asia Cup final between Sri Lanka and Pakistan that was won by the Lions.
Another song has been mixed with the 1996 World Cup theme song in honour of Sri Lanka’s World Cup-winning vice captain Aravinda de Silva.
The 1996 World Cup-winning Sri Lanka team was filled with Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title winners – Ranatunga (1980 and 1982), Roshan Mahanama (1983 and 1984), Asanka Gurusinha (1985), Kumara Dharmasena (1989), Marvan Atapattu (1990) and Muttiah Muralidaran (1991) while Sanath Jayasuriya, the man of the series at the 1996 World Cup tournament, had won the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Outstation title in 1988.
Thursday’s Mega Night is packed with some eye-catching entertainment provided by leading vocalists Dinesh Gamage, Jacqualine Hettiarachchi and Roy Jackson. There will be many super dance acts by Chandana Wickremasinghe Dance Troupe in the 150-minute action-packed show handled by Funtime of Imran Saibo. Imran’s expertise as one of Sri Lanka’s most sought after event planners has led him to manage events. In addition to Sri Lanka and the Sub-Continent, he has successfully staged events in Australia, Great Britain and the Maldives.
Once again, evergreen Clifford Richards and charming Sonali Perera will compere the show.
For the first time in its four and a half decade old history, there were two Observer SLT Mobitel Schools Cricketers of the Year during 2021 – in April and December.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic threatening to disrupt all events worldwide for almost two years, the Sunday Observer and its principal sponsor SLT Mobitel were extremely lucky to beat all overwhelming odds to host both the shows. Hence, the SLT Mobitel gave its financial backing for the 15th successive year and the Sunday Observer continues its SLT Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year uninterrupted.
Sri Lanka Telecom, headed by its Group Chairman Rohan Fernando, former Vice President of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC) and ex-President of the Rowing Association of Sri Lanka has always given the fullest backing for the event. The CEO of Mobitel Chandika Vitharana and his Team Mobitel have always supported the Mega Event as a big success.
The Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) and the Sri Lanka Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association have joined hands with the Sunday Observer and SLT Mobitel to ensure nothing is left out. Especially the SLSCA President Thilak Wathuhewa and Secretary General J.A.K.S. Indrajith have been in the forefront in making this a resounding success.
Chairman and Managing Director of the ANCL Anusha Palpita has been a tower of strength to move forward with the Mega Show while ANCL’s board of directors – Sisira Paranathantri (Editorial), Janaka Ranatunga (Legal and Administration), Manjula Makumbura (Operations) and Prof. Harendra Kariyawasam (Finance) has been behind the Sunday Observer in this huge operation.
The Sunday Observer found the necessity of recognizing the raw talents of schoolboy cricketers way back in the 1970s when the school cricket national body had not even thought of a schools tournament. When the success story of the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year is spoken about, one cannot forget the lavish contribution made by SLT Mobitel since 2008, especially its role to keep the Mega Show uninterrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
When almost all other sponsors abandoned their events during the past two years, SLT Mobitel stood firmly with the Sunday Observer to keep the Mega Show going.
SLT Mobitel, as the proud sponsor for the past 15 years, has greatly helped us to improve the standards and quality of the game. It has also helped increase the prize money by a significant amount.
Not only for the players but SLT Mobitel has taken a giant leap forward by rewarding the coaches and masters in charge who sacrifice their entire careers to mould and sharpen the skills of the next generation cricketers.
The Mega Show entered a new era in 2008 with lavish cash incentives and high quality trophies to the outstanding school cricketers. Even their coaches and masters-in-change, who have done a silent job behind the scene, too have been richly rewarded. Today’s schoolboy and schoolgirl cricketers have a lot to gather from a legendary cricketer like De Silva, who has a proven track record. He was a star middle order batsman who had aggregated 6,361 runs including 20 centuries and 22 fifties and captured 29 wickets in 93 Tests.
De Silva’s ODI career was studded with a century in the 1996 World Cup final against Australia in Lahore. Playing in 308 ODI matches for Sri Lanka, De Silva has aggregated 9,284 runs with 11 centuries and 64 fifties.
Although the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer officially began in 1979, there were records that the Sunday Observer awards show had originally commenced in 1975. Nalanda cricketer Anura Ranasinghe, the controversial 12th man in Sri Lanka’s inaugural Test squad, has been the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 1975 as well as in the following year 1976.
Although the show was not held in 1977, Ranjan Madugalle was adjudged the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year when the awards show resumed in 1978. Madugalle won the title once more in 1979, the first formal year of the competition.
The national mobile service provider SLT Mobitel and ANCL’s flagship Sunday newspaper, the Sunday Observer have teamed up again to reward the country’s outstanding school cricketers.