Sunil Fernando

Not many coaches in the world have the distinction of coaching the world’s best bowler and best batsman together in their formatives stages and Sunil Fernando is perhaps the only one in this club. As an old boy at the Saint Anthony College in Kandy he groomed up cricket’s leading wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan and later coached Kumar Sangakkara in his private coaching school. Sangakkara and Muralitharan met in Fernando’s back-garden and later formed a combination that took the world to their feet. Fernando came across a group of Bangladeshi journalists in the Trinity Sports Club field where Bangladesh Cricket team trained on Sunday. He shared his memories about Muralitharan, who took as many as 800 Test wickets and is the first and only one to have 1,000 international wickets to his name. Here are the excerpts: 
Q: How did you meet Murali? Did you ever think he would be such a great bowler?
A: I met him when he was nine. I used to coach the cricketers of Saint Anthony School and Murali was a student of that school. One day when I was walking after a practice session, I saw the boys were playing softball at the school hostel ground. I noticed a boy who was bowling fast with the softball. From my instinct I realised that there was something special in him. So I called him to join the hardball practice. Murali said he needs the permission from his mother, so I forgot about him. After about two months time one lady brought a boy in my private school and that was Murali. As he was nine or 10 years old, I could not take him in my school team because he was too young. So I selected him only for under-11 squad and then took him to under-13 squad. He played as a fast bowler, but he was a good lower order batsman. In 1984, in the division-two final Murali won the match for us with a six off the last ball. In the under-15 sides Murali again started as fast bowler. But in the side I found another three good
fast bowlers, they were bowling faster than Murali, so I asked him whether he can bowl off-cutter. He tried it in practices and turned the ball pretty much. So I asked him to continue that. In the first match we played he bowled off-cutter and claimed five wickets. That was the change of Murali from fast bowling to spin and gradually he improved on that.
Q: When you saw him at the age of nine, you saw him as a talent. But it took another six years to realise his potential as a spinner?
A:  He was with me till the under-15 side. After that he was struggling to get a place in the under-17 side. Incidentally, our under-17 coach got sick suddenly and I was told to take over for a few days. I took Murali but he did not get a place in playing team because it had two very good spinners – the Kalpage brothers [Ruwan and Nuwan). In one match, he bowled leg-spin and got seven wickets. But in his first year in under-17 side he could not get a regular place. Ruwan got a chance in a tournament in Pakistan. The interesting story is that the coach got sick again and I took over. I took Murali and in the first match he took eight wickets in each innings. After that no-one could stop him.
Q: So you are saying that Murali could have been a leg-spinner too?
A: Yes, but after he took seven wickets [as leg-spinner] Murali was not given enough chances.
Q: How do you rate him as a person?
A: He was a very nice boy. Even when I meet him today, I see the same person he was back then. He is also a hard worker. After practices he used to bowl for some extra hours and that’s why he came to this level.
Q: After his retirement Sri Lanka are struggling in spin department. Do you think Sri Lanka can produce another Murali?
A: I don’t think so. It’s actually difficult to say. But I would tell the boys, who are trying to emulate him, that they must work hard because Murali used to work hard. I have come across many other talents, but they did not have it in them. But Murali did everything – practising hard, a great dedication and that’s why he came to this standard.
Q: When Murali was already an established national player, did he ever come to you for any tips?
A: Yes, he did it regularly; whenever he faced a problem he came to me and sought my suggestions.
Q: How proud you are to be his childhood coach?
A: I have no word to explain it. As he became the world’s best bowler, I could not explain how happy I was. He took his 500th and 700th wickets here in Kandy. When he got 500 wickets the regional cricket association gave him a souvenir which he received from me. It was one of the greatest moments in my coaching career.  After that he came to me and gave me a hug, I can’t really explain it. Even at Galle when he took his 800th wicket, I was there and those were the days that made me very happy.
Q: How he was as a kid, was he a naughty boy?
A: Not naughty, but he was a mysterious boy. He listened to everyone. His father had a biscuit factory and in every match he used to bring a biscuit box, so all the boys waited for him. He was a very good team-man. He helped everyone.
Q: When he was branded as a chucker, what was your feeling?
A: When he was a player in the under-17, under-19 sides he was never called a chucker. We thought it was discovered to keep him mentally down. He was confident about his action and he told me on many occasions when we met.
Q: Now do have regular communication with him?
A: Yes, last week I called him and he said sorry as he could not phone me for quite some time. He said he was coming on the 28th [September] because he wants his son to meet me. He said that his son also bowled well, but first he wants to show me to his son so I asked him to come.
Q: One final question, do you think anyone from any country can reach his height?
A: Some time it may. But I don’t know how many years it will take. What I personally feel is that Murali is the only one. He is very unique.