Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka’s first Test captain, died of a heart attack today after undergoing a leg amputation for complications arising from diabetes. He was 68.
Warnapura played the first ball of that legendary Test match against England in Colombo in 1982, but later received a 25-year ban for famously leading a rebel team to South Africa.
Several former Sri Lankan cricketers including Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya paid tribute to the icon.
It’s Sad to hear the news of SL first test captain Bandula Warnapura’s demise after a brief illness. Thoughts are with his wife and children.. He coached me at Nalanda and was a steady influence in my growth as a cricketer and a person. May you attain Nibbana Sir !!! 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/muIfBO14cZ
— Mahela Jayawardena (@MahelaJay) October 18, 2021
He played in four Tests as an opening batsman and a medium pace bowler, including one Test in India. He also played 12 ODIs.
Warnapura defied an international boycott against apartheid-dominated South Africa and took a team of local Sri Lankans to the country the same year they played their first Test.
Though the 25-match ban was lifted in 1990, it ended his playing career. But he became an influential coach in the country in the 1990s. He was also a widely recognised commentator and served several stints as a cricket administrator in Sri Lanka.
