Tribute to Aravinda de Silva on being selected to ICC Hall of Fame
As a friend of his father, Sam de Silva, who was my office colleague, I can well remember how Aravinda used to come to our office at Elephant House (Ceylon Cold Stores) as a kid, and talk about cricket. When he got older and started playing for D.S. Senanayake College, he used to come and take a crate of soft drinks for every match he played, to be shared with his team and friends.
When he was a kid, once he came to St. Joseph’s College cricket ground with his father on the Lambreta scooter to watch a Ceylon Cold Stores cricket match captained by me, being played against Brooke Bonds captained by Micheal Tissera in a Mercantile ‘A’ Division cricket match, which we won. Sam de Silva was then the President of Ceylon Cold Stores Sports Club.
Also I remember selecting him as an observer from Under-19 school cricket to watch the World Cup matches in England, when I was a selector in the Cricket Board, along with Abu Fuard, Duleep Mendis etc. This also served to developing and motivating him furthermore to play for Sri Lanka.
My heartiest congratulations for being selected to the ICC Hall of Fame, and this honour you got we will always remember. Well done Aravinda.
Lasantha Rodrigo Former Sri Lanka cricketer