Kandamby: Jaffna’s ‘King’ coach
Thilina Kandamby, the former Sri Lanka international cricketer, now turned coach, outlines the importance of upholding discipline at all levels, mainly when cricket teams win major titles. This he said days after Jaffna Kings, where Kandamby heads the coaching staff, retained the Lanka Premier League (LPL) title for the second occasion, their successive third win in the three editions Sri Lanka’s topmost franchise cricket competition.“It’s important that players maintain their discipline, because as time progresses most of them are no longer ordinary cricketers. They become public figures. It’s vital that they uphold that status off the field as well as they do on the field,” Kandamby, now nicknamed as ‘Jaffna Coach’ among the followers of his franchise team, said.
In the editions of 2020 and 2021, the franchise representing the northern region of Sri Lanka defeated Galle Gladiators on both occasion. In the inaugural season, playing as Jaffna Stallions, they beat Galle Gladiators comprehensively by 53 runs as Wanindu Hasaranga became the Player of the Series. In 2021, rebranded as Jaffna Kings, again met Galle Gladiators in the final only to retain the title after a 23-run win. Avishka Fernando was named the Player of the Series then.
This concluded season, playing as Lyca’s Jaffna Kings, they overcame Colombo Stars by 2 wickets to retain the title for the second time, while Sadeera Samarawickrama became the Player of the Series. Kandamby lauded the win as a ‘total team effort’ in which the coaching staff was given the liberty to make its own decision.
“We were well organised compared to other teams. I was lucky in that sense, even the staff are very corporative. Jehan (Mubarak) and Sachith (Pathirana) are really good as assistants, Mario (Vellavarayan) and Thisara (Perera) have global exposure and their contribution towards picking international players are really a contributing factor to the team’s success. The owners of the franchise are keen cricket lovers. The best part is they never interfere in any matter when it comes to taking decisions, they have given the coaching staff a free hand,” he stressed.
Kandamby, who took up his first coaching assignment at Royal College, then became the head coach of his domestic team, the SSC before landing into the forte of the Jaffna franchise as its Head Coach. At every team he takes charge of, Kandamby makes sure to create a comfortable environment, but with utmost professionalism.
“I like to keep everything simple. I make sure each member of the team, players and the remaining staff, are comfortable around me and each other. I need that environment around me. I have the patience to listen to the players, even their confidential matters at times. It’s good to have a healthy relationship as a unit,” said the former Sri Lanka veteran of 33 ODIs and five T20Is, out of which one was played under his captaincy against England in 2011.
Despite being friendly with his players and fellow staff members, a method he follows to cement the unity of the team, Kandamby is far too professional when it comes to discipline and other matters not related to cricket.
“I’m really strict on discipline and other factors that could distract players from cricket. I always make sure the clear message is given to all.”
The former specialist middle-order batsman, who turned out for Ananda College, Sri Lanka Under-19s, Sri Lanka ‘A’ and SSC, is a veteran of 163 first class games from where he had scored 8758 runs at an average of 40.73. But his international career with Sri Lanka had its ups and downs, where he idled in and out of the team from 2004 to 2011. During the latter period of his playing career, Kandamby sensed that his focus should be elsewhere, that forced him take the hard decision to retire as a player.
“I suppose I made the right moves at the right time. At a stage I knew that I will not have a long career as a player at international level. Coaching was something I always had in my mind and while as a player I had already completed the Level I and II in coaching. I think I made the correct decision by retiring at the correct time and turning my focus into coaching. That too I did the right thing by taking up my first assignment with a school team. I knew that if I move up in the ladder as a coach, I will have to mainly work with youngsters, who would eventually join the national system,” recalled Kandamby.
After his third straight title win with Jaffna Kings, where Kandamby works with passion to create a springboard to the talented young cricketers of the region, while managing a team of highly professional players, Kandamby will continue his day-to-day activities with his commitments with the Jaffna team that will compete in the upcoming National Super League and as the assistant coach of Sri Lanka ‘A’, where he and his superior Avishka Gunawardene are tasked with shaping up and pumping players to the main team. Working with Jaffna Kings, as he explained, is a totally different task than of a regular coach.
“If you talk about development, the ideal stage is the Under-23. That’s where players get the real exposure to the next level. Franchise is all about man management. Beyond it’s about preparing and readying players to face the challenges on the field as well as off the field. As coaches our responsibility and role is bigger than before, when it comes to managing them,” concluded Kandamby, who has intentions to farther his career by learning psychology and strength and conditioning, and few other areas that could benefit him as a coach.