Full Name

Dandeniyage Somachandra De Silva

Born

June 11, 1942, Galle

Age

81y 282d

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Bowling Style

Legbreak Googly

Playing Role

Bowler

RELATIONS

(brother)

Other

Coach

One of Sri Lanka's finest legspinners, Somachandra De Silva was unfortunate that when Sri Lanka was granted full Test status he was at a stage when most players are well into retirement. He had been a fixture in the Sri Lanka team, and well respected throughout cricketing circles around the world, having played minor county cricket for Linconshire and Shropshire. With his flighted legbreaks and well disguised wrong 'uns, de Silva was a consistent wicket-taker throughout the 70s. In Sri Lanka's inaugural Test he captured 3 for 54 and 0 for 38, his first Test wicket being that of David Gower caught at the wicket by Mahes Goonatilleke. de Silva distinguished himself on the following tour to Pakistan, taking seventeen wickets in three Tests, including the first five-wicket haul by a Sri Lankan when he took 5 for 59 at Faisalabad. When Duleep Mendis was injured early on the 1982-83 tour of New Zealand, de Silva was handed the honour of leading Sri Lanka in two Tests. With the bat, he was more than useful making two half centuries, both as captain. He maintained his prominence within the game, later coaching Sri Lanka. He was later appointed cricket advisor by the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa in December 2007 to promote the game in the country's war-hit northern areas. In 2009 De Silva was appointed chairman of a seven-member interim committee to run Sri Lanka Cricket by sports minister Gamini Lokuge.
Johann P Jayasekera (March 2009)

Somachandra De Silva Career Stats

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Tests121930311347375/599/16236.402.6681.9210
ODIs414020761557323/293/2948.654.5064.8000
FC66-1567068462418/46-28.402.6265.0-155
List A57-28492005484/284/2841.774.2259.3100

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s6sCtSt
Tests122234066121.36--02050
ODIs41291037137*19.5269153.6900-50
FC66971717649722.05--06-350
List A57421455137*19.67--00-80
Dandeniyage Somachandra De Silva

Explore Statsguru Analysis

Test
ODI

Debut/Last Matches of Somachandra De Silva

Recent Matches of Somachandra De Silva

Photos of Somachandra De Silva

Somachandra de Silva, Sri Lanka Cricket's interim chairman
Somachandra de Silva sits at an ICC meeting
The chiefs of the Bangladesh, Indian and Sri Lankan cricket boards hold aloft the 2011 World Cup trophy
Sri Lanka Cricket chairman Somachandra de Silva sends down the first ball at the Pallekele Stadium
Somachandra de Silva at a 2011 World Cup function
Somachandra de Silva, the chairman of the new seven-member interim committee to run Sri Lanka Cricket