Ajit de Silva

Last updated

Ajit de Silva
Personal information
Full name
Ginigalgodage Ramba Ajit de Silva
Born12 December 1952 (1952-12-12) (age 72)
Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka
BattingLeft-handed
Bowling Slow left-arm orthodox
International information
National side
Test debut(cap  3)17 February 1982 v  England
Last Test17 September 1982 v  India
ODI debut(cap  13)14 June 1975 v  Pakistan
Last ODI15 September 1982 v  India
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches465315
Runs scored41931720
Batting average 8.194.507.735.00
100s/50s0/00/00/10/0
Top score146* 7510 *
Balls bowled96230511,736822
Wickets 7916119
Bowling average 55.0029.1127.4427.21
5 wickets in innings 0040
10 wickets in match0000
Best bowling2/383/416/303/41
Catches/stumpings 0/02/021/00/0
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 19 June 2020

Ginigalgodage Ramba Ajit de Silva (born 12 December 1952), or Ajit de Silva, is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer, who played four Test matches and six One Day Internationals for Sri Lanka, bowling accurate slow left arm spin. [1] [2] [3] [4]

International career

He proved an important member of the national squad for several years until 1982/83, when he toured with the rebel Arosa Sri Lanka team to South Africa. Due to this, he was excluded from world cricket, along with the rest of the players on that tour. This effectively finished his first-class career, beginning in November 1973, in which he claimed 161 wickets (av 27.44).

He played a crucial part in Sri Lanka's first ODI victory on home soil – against England in 1982. Sri Lanka had batted first, setting England 216 to win, and Graham Gooch and Geoff Cook had set a good platform as the score moved to 109 for no loss. However, de Silva removed both openers (stumped by Mahes Goonatilleke), four players were run out, and England lost by three runs.

In 1982 de Silva joined a "Rebel tour" to Apartheid-era South Africa. In the series the "AROSA" Sri Lankans were soundly beaten. de Silva himself struggled with stress and had a breakdown on tour. [5] He was given a 25-year ban by the Sri Lankan cricket authorities for participating in the rebel tour which was a breach of the boycott of South Africa by global sporting bodies. [6]

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References

  1. ↑ Nirgunan Tiruchelvam (14 August 2012). "The wasted talent that was Ajit de Silva". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  2. ↑ "Ajit de Silva". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  3. ↑ Silva, Revata S. (6 November 2005). "Ajith de Silva – between Bishen Bedi and N.M. Perera". Sunday Island. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "Ajith de Silva the best left-arm leg-spinner we ever had". Daily News. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  5. ↑ Alfred, Luke (16 January 2019). "When Sri Lanka went to cuckoo land". Cricinfo . Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Amaruwan, Dilina (16 January 2019). "Cricket In Cuckoo Land: The Rebel Tour Of Apartheid South Africa". Roar Media. Retrieved 5 December 2022.


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