Cricinfo - Players and Officials

Full name Merenna Koralage Don Ishara Amerasinghe
Born March 5, 1978, Colombo
Current age 30 years 217 days
Major teams Sri Lanka, Burgher Recreation Club, Colts Cricket Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Wayamba
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

Batting and fielding averages

Mat

Inns

Runs

Ave

100

Tests

0.00

ODIs

66.66

First-class

296

6.57

List A

6.80

Twenty20

50.00

Bowling averages

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

Tests

150

105

1/62

1/105

105.00

4.20

150.0

ODIs

426

363

3/44

40.33

5.11

47.3

First-class

10776

5279

234

5/12

22.55

2.93

46.0

List A

2736

2018

5/44

24.91

4.42

33.7

Twenty20

1/14

41.50

6.38

39.0

Career statistics

Only Test

West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, Apr 3-6, 2008 scorecard

Test statistics

ODI debut

Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Abu Dhabi, May 18, 2007 scorecard

Last ODI

West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, Apr 10, 2008 scorecard

ODI statistics

First-class debut

1997/98

Last First-class

South Africa A v Sri Lanka A at Potchefstroom, Aug 29-Sep 1, 2008 scorecard

List A debut

1998/99

Last List A

South Africa A v Sri Lanka A at Benoni, Sep 28, 2008 scorecard

Twenty20 debut

Colts Cricket Club v Badureliya Sports Club at Colombo (Bloomfield), Oct 22, 2005 scorecard

Last Twenty20

Burgher Recreation Club v Colts Cricket Club at Colombo (Bloomfield), Mar 2, 2007 scorecard

Ishara Amerasinghe is the second fastest bowler in the country after Lasith Malinga, according to fast-bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake. His selection to Australia in early 2008 came as no surprise because the national selectors were looking for a suitable replacement for the injured Dilhara Fernando and some variety in the fast-bowling line up, someone who could make the batsmen hurry their strokes on the pacy pitches. The six-foot tall Amerasinghe, with his high-arm action and ability to regularly bowl at 140 kph, fitted the role perfectly. At 29, it would seem a late age for a fast bowler, but Amerasinghe has been around for some time, having first toured England with the Sri Lankam team in 2002. He was kept waiting for another five years - partly owing to a back injury sustained during that tour - before making his ODI debut against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi after the 2007 World Cup.

He has been a regular member of the Sri Lanka A squad since 1999, the season in which he performed outstandingly well, taking 58 wickets from 12 matches in the Premier League for Colombo Colts. That performance opened a window of opportunities for him to tour South Africa, with the A team, and then England. Ramanayake admits that Amerasinghe has the pace to unsettle batsmen but lacked the accuracy during his early days. Some hard work at the nets with Ramanayake and ' team coach Chandika Hathurusingha, two individuals who have been instrumental in shaping his career in recent years, resulted in an improved line and length. He can be a potent force if conditions suit him.

Amerasinghe's affiliation to cricket came at the age of eight. Even before he played for a school first XI he had shown his potential at division II club cricket, representing Colombo CC. He was spotted by Jayantha Seneviratne, a former Sri Lanka cricketer and presently a national selector, who encouraged him to come to Nalanda College and in his only season he took 68 wickets from 11 matches. He joined Burgher RC from where he kept on switching clubs, moving to Colombo Colts, Nondescript CC, Galle CC and back to Colts where he is currently settled, reaping the benefit of bowling alongside Chaminda Vaas.
Sa'adi Thawfeeq January 2008

Apr 4, 2008

My new run-up: Ishara Amerasinghe does hand-stands © AFP

Apr 4, 2008

Ishara Amerasinghe is flanked by Michael Vandort and Chamara Silva after he dismissed Dwayne Bravo for 26 © AFP

Feb 29, 2008

Ishara Amerasinghe picked up three wickets © Getty Images

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