A cricket academy in Gampaha called the Serendib International Cricket Academy (SICA) is offering its members more than what other institutions in the island have for budding players.
Serendib International Cricket Academy situated at Miriswatta in Gampaha is not just a place where young students can learn the finer points of batting, bowling and fielding but also the latest in cricket technology, discipline and public conduct from a very young age.
“When you enroll at a cricket academy and leave, you must go out as a complete player in all aspects needed to be a player of the present era.
Ours is not just about technology but producing good sportsmen for the country who are disciplined, with good qualities and committed to a team,” said the chairman and managing director of SICA Adeesha Salpitakorale in an interview with the Sunday Observer.
“Cricket is not just about sport it is also about discipline, team commitment, education, cricketing skills, social skills and thinking power from the very start and this is the main difference between our SICA academy and other cricket schools in the country,” added Salpitakorale.
SICA in effect has taken a leaf out of modern cricket academies found in England, Australia and New Zealand which have the same equipment and teaches the same education needed to build up cricketers of the future.
It was founded in 2013 and within a period of five years has become a much sought after institution for budding players to enroll and continues to grow from strength to strength. “We focus on players between the age group of 7 to 16 years as this is the best period for a player to learn and develop and have the best platform for them,” said Salpitakorale. There are also players in the age group of 17 to 23 who can sharpen their skills and learn all aspects of development that includes public etiquette and media ethics.
Beginners from the age of seven start off with a soft ball and then graduate to hard ball at under 13 level according to Salpitakorale who employs 14 specialist coaches, two fitness trainers and two administrative officers. Salpitakorale is an Australian qualified Level One coach besides being an ICC qualified Level One, Two and Three coach.
Indika Maduwalahewage is the head coach of the staffers after a successful stint in Sharjah as an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) qualified coach in Level One and Two.
The two fitness trainers graduated with sports science degrees from the Sabaragamuwa University.
Punctuality is another aspect that the students have to learn as a basic requirement along with the dress code, neatness and politeness.
“Producing good players starts with the coaches and we have taken care of this area and we want to be the world’s best academy where the ultimate goal is for the player who comes here to excel in his favourite sport along with the coaches to end up as the best coaches who have produced the best,” said Salpitakorale.
Cricket commentator Roshan Abeysinghe speaking as a guest speaker at SICA’s awards ceremony last year remarked that he had never seen an academy in Sri Lanka as sound and solid as SICA.
SICA also has three women’s coaches that includes Sri Lanka player Prasadini Weerakkody, Maheshika Ranasinghe, a degree holder from the Sabaragamuwa University and Dasuni Hewawitharana an undergraduate.
Some of the products that have come out of SICA are currently performing for school teams in the on-going Under-19 season.