News

2021
‘School cricket, a mixture of good and bad’
Sunday Observer: 28.11.2021

Former Sri Lanka captain and ex-Chairman of Selectors Sanath Jayasuriya was the chief guest at the 42nd Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year mega awards ceremony at the BMICH last April. Here Jayasuriya, along with his son Ranuk, was welcomed to the venue by ANCL Chairman W. Dayaratne PC, along with Director Operations Canishka G. Witharana, Director Finance Janaka Ranatunga, Director Legal and Administration  Rakhitha Abeygunawardhana, Director Editorial Dharma Sri Kariyawasam (partly covered), Editor-in-Chief Dinesh Weerawansa and Acting General Manager Sumith Kothalawala.

2021
Muralidaran had words of wisdom for schoolboys
Sunday Observer: 21.11.2021
Muttiah Muralidaran received the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 1991 from then Housing and Construction Minister B. Sirisena Cooray in the presence of Editor-in-Chief H.L.D. Mahindapala

Tentative arrangements have been made to host the 43rd Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year annual mega show in the middle of next month. However, it will be subject to the final clearance of the health authorities and Covid-19 guidelines. Despite the global pandemic striking the world early last year and still continuing to disrupt day to day activities, we were fortunate in 2020 to host the 42nd Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year contest last April.

2021
Observer-SLT Mobitel Selection Panel meet to pick school cricket award winners
Sunday Observer: 14.11.2021

The Selection Panel that picked the winners of the 43rd Sunday Observer-SLT Mobitel Cricketer of the Year awards pose for a ceremonial picture at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo on Friday. Seated from left: Oshara Panditharatne (deputy president- SLSCA), Thilak Waththuhewa (president SLSCA). W Dayaratne (President’s Counsel and Chairman ANCL) Shiang Wong (Head of Products-Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd), Asitha Jayasekera (SLT DGM Brands and Marketing Research), Premanath C Dolawatte (Member of Parliament and President -Association of Cricket Umpires Sri Lanka) and UILD Wewage (general secretary-ACUSL). Middle row from left: NA Saman Mohan (secretary, Southern Province ACUSL), Manjula Vaas (treasurer-SLSCA), PA Leelananda Kumarasiri, (tournament secretary-SLSCA), JAKS Indrajith (general secretary-SLSCA), DMAN Dissanayake (secretary Central Province ACUSL), Palitha Kulatunga (secretary Western Province, ACUSL). Back row from left: Kumar Gamhewage (MD Batsman.com), Y Nishantha Kumara (under-19 tournament secretary-SLSCA), Champika Weeratunga (girls tournament secretary SLSCA), Viraj Chaminda de Silva (technical officer SLSCA), Saman Hewavitharana (assignment secretary ACUSL) Pic by Wimal Karunathilaka

2021
Atapattu: The schoolboy role model
Sunday Observer: 14.11.2021
Marvan Atapattu graced the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year as chief guest in 2012 presenting the Mega Award to Niroshan Dickwella of Trinity College. On right is the then Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage

Sri Lanka has been looking for talented cricketers to fill vacancies in the national team. But that has not been an easy task, unlike in the past mainly about three decades ago, where extraordinarily rich talent directly marched into the national team from school level. But after a long wait, it seems that Sri Lanka has found a number three batsman who displays some sort of class. Although it is too early to make a full review, it seems that the ICC T20 World Cup which concludes in the UAE today has given Sri Lanka some hope in batting.

2021
Dharmasena wants schoolboys to enjoy the game for success
Sunday Observer: 07.11.2021
Young Dharmasena during the early part of his career

Five Sri Lankans who had won the Observer SLT Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of Year awards are featuring in the ICC T20 World Cup tournament now in progress in the UAE. Among them, three are representing the Sri Lanka team while the other two are representing the ICC as the Chief Match Referee and an elite panel international umpire.

2021
Too much of cricket is killing the school game - Gurusinha
Sunday Observer: 31.10.2021
Nalanda College captain Asanka Gurusinha winning the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title in 1985

It is heartening to see three past Observer SLT-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketers of the Year main award winners showing their might in the ongoing T20 World Cup tournament in the UAE. They are Dinesh Chandimal, who emerged the Observer SLT Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 2009 and two-time winners of the big award - Bhanuka Rajapakse (2010 and 2011) and Charith Asalanka (2015 and 2016).

2021
Mahanama has best advice for present day schoolboys
Sunday Observer: 24.10.2021
Three former Observer-SLT Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketers of the Year in the current T20 World Cup squad - Dinesh Chandimal (2009), Bhanuka Rajapakse (2010 and 2011) and Charith Asalanka (2015 and 2016)

The ICC Twenty 20 World Cup tournament is in full swing with its first round matches in the United Arab Emirates. After the qualifying round matches among the minnows to pick four teams that would join eight direct qualifiers, which ended on Friday, the main tournament matches got underway yesterday.

2021
Voting off to a fine start
Sunday Observer: 17.10.2021

There have been interesting rounds of early voting in the 43rd Observer-SLT Mobitel Most Popular School Cricketers of the Year competition as it enters the third week. Although the Covid-19 pandemic badly affected all activities in the world and all schools’ sports activities here too came to a complete standstill from the second week of March, 2020, the 43rd Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year has been held continuously.

2021
From school stage to world podium
Sunday Observer: 17.10.2021
Arjuna Ranatunga being honoured by the then ANCL Chairman the late Ranapala Bodhinagoda as the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer four decades ago

The 43rd Observer-SLT Mobitel Most Popular School Cricketers of the Year voting has been going on for a little over two weeks with a tremendous early response. It was a positive early response for the 2020-21 season cricketers who seek public response to become the most popular schoolboy and schoolgirl cricketers. The 2020-21 season’s official tournament matches are confined to only one-day matches as they were badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic while only a few two-day matches were played.

2021
When Madugalle set the ball rolling
Sunday Observer: 10.10.2021
Royal captain Ranjan Madugalle winning the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer award in 1979-ICC Chief Referee Ranjan Madugalle addressing the 2018 Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketers’ Awards show as the chief guest

The 43rd Observer-SLT Mobitel Schools Cricketer of the Year commenced last week with its most popular contests. With the country opening its doors from the beginning of this month, the voting for the 2021 Observer-SLT Mobitel Most Popular School Cricketers of the Year too were launched. There has been a tremendous response from the first week itself and the positions of the schoolboys and schoolgirls will be published shortly on a regular basis.

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