The former Sri Lanka cricketer and current high-performance fast bowling coach of the Bangladesh national side, Champaka Priyadarshana Ramanayake played in a total of 18 tests and 62 One Day Internationals from 1986 to 1995. He is a highly experienced international cricket coach now and was the fast bowling coach of Sri Lanka for 15 years.
His highest achievement in his coaching career has been discovering Lasith Malinga at a very young age of 16 years old and he was the one who coached and guided him to become the best fast bowler Sri Lanka have ever produced.
The Tweet About The Video OF Champaka Priyadarshana Ramanayake That Went Viral; After Dean Jones Had Asked For It Back In 2019
Anyway, the Galle born player, Ramanayake do hold a unique record in his short tenure in International cricket. The Sri Lankan quickie hit three West Indies batsmen on the head with his almost unplayable bouncers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This got noticed by one of the Australian greats Dean Jones when he Tweeted about it.
Champaka’s deadly bouncers caught the eye of the ICC and then the need for more protected helmets for the batsmen raised. The latest design of helmets which are used with the grills in front of the face and protecting it was introduced.
@robelinda2 do you have vision of when the Sri Lankan Ramanayake hit 3 of the Windies batsmen in the head at MCG?
— Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano) December 15, 2019
Indeed i do! pic.twitter.com/ahFOcKameA
— Rob Moody (@robelinda2) December 15, 2019
Ramanayake holds another interesting cricket record. He is the only person, who has bowled at Ray Mitchell Oval, in Mackay, Australia. The venue hosted its only international match during the 1992 Cricket World Cup. The match was washed out after his first two deliveries.
The Pacer Was Just Amazing To Watch; What A Talent!!
A genuine medium-fast bowler for Sri Lanka, Ramanayake was a powerhouse in terms of energy and dedication for the team. When his national side was struggling for pace bowling, he was the one who used to support the bowling attack with his accurate long spells. He was not a wicket-taking machine as he lacked pace, which is needed in Test cricket. An honest toiler he usually managed to check the batsman without dismissing them.
He had some chemistry against Australia. Some special records of him have also come in that country. Ramanayake first came into the spotlight when he took 17 wickets in three Test matches against the Aussies. This includes a career-best 5 for 82 at Moratuwa. He formed a successful new-ball partnership in this series with the new boy Duleep Liyanage. This caused the Australian top order difficulties with movement and swing.
In the limited-overs format, he was quite effective too. He was a good weapon for the captain because he was super consistent with his line and length. His ability to control the run rate made him a permanent fixture in this form of the game.
Before retiring from international cricket, Ramanayake did maintain a strong position in Sri Lanka’s one day outfit. That was after playing his final Test match in the year 1993. A fine domestic season prior to the tour of Australia in 1995-96 saw him thrust his name in front of selectors. They could have done worse than selecting Ramanayake. They did decide to go with a younger generation, none of which performed with any note.
