Cricket: Brisbane's HDS Academy makes short tour to Sri Lanka

Former Sri Lanka women’s cricket team and St Joseph’s coach Harsha de Silva who is domiciled in Brisbane, Australia is in the island on a short tour with his Under-15 HDS Cricket Academy team who are due to play six matches around the island. 

Harsha is accompanied by Umhar Samsudeen former St. Peter’s allrounder and Sri Lanka national U19 player as his assistant coach. 

The touring party consists of a group 40 that includes players, parents and supporters for their maiden tour of the island. 

Harsha and Umhar are Cricket Australia Level 3 and 2 accredited coaches and Harsha needs no introduction as he has produced national level cricketers during his stint of ten years as the coach of St. Joseph’s from 2000 to 2010. 

The present Sri Lanka national cricket team captain Angelo Mathews who was under his guidance since playing at junior level is one of the top players he has produced and with the others being Dimuth Karunaratne, Thisara Perera whom he turned into one of the top allrounders, Roshen Silva who is presently in England with the Sri Lanka A team to name a few. 

Harsha said that they began the academy in 2013 with a small group of young players and now it has grown in stature and is one of the sort after and successful private academies in Brisbane. 

He added that they conduct individual, group, specialist sessions, holiday camps and in and bound cricket tours. 

Harsha emphasized that the purpose of organizing this tour is for the players of the academy to gain experience and to adapt to playing conditions of the sub continent. 

They have also undertaken a worth project to support the charitable organization Foundation of Goodness on their visit to the Seenigama Surrey Village for which they raised funds down under with a successful fundraiser dinner in Brisbane attended by over 200 guests. 

Harsha mentioned that they intend to make this an annual event and the touring party had surprise visits by former Sri Lanka top players past and present in the likes of Roshan Mahanama, Chaminda Vaas, Upul Chandana, Rangana Herath, Malinga Bandara and Dimuth Karunaratne. 

They will end the tour on July 6 with a gala presentation which will be attended by former and present national cricketers.