A 62-year-old coach who once mentored former Sri Lanka cricket captain Kusal Mendis during his school days has died following an altercation with players during a cricket match in Colombo. Police said on Thursday that a 17-year-old school cricketer was arrested on Monday on suspicion of assaulting Sumith Fernando and was remanded to child probation custody until August 17 after being produced before a Colombo court on Tuesday.
A 62-year-old coach who once mentored former Sri Lanka cricket captain Kusal Mendis during his school days has died following an altercation with players during a cricket match in Colombo
Fernando’s funeral took place on Thursday. Fernando was a former coach of Prince of Wales College in the Colombo suburb of Moratuwa. Among those under his tutelage were national ODI captain Kusal Mendis during his school days and several other prominent school-level cricketers. He later served as the curator of Bloomfield Cricket & Athletic Club, a club that competes in Sri Lanka’s premier first-class cricket competition. “An argument reportedly broke out between the players and a club employee.
“The suspect is a resident of Liyanagemulla, Seeduwa, according to Sri Lanka Mirror . A group of cricketers, including the suspect, who were undergoing training at the grounds, had gone to a water tap to drink water but found that no water was available, according to preliminary investigations. Police said the employee had allegedly attempted to assault one of the players.”
