Ajith Perera's latest book
Ajith has published two books (1999 World Cup and 2001 Thinking
Cricket - both are out of print but occasional secondhand copies may
be available from Acumen and details of "Golden Era" can be
found at Books by Ajith Perera.
Ajith has sent me two descriptions of Thinking Cricket, one of
which is below and the other can be found at perera2,htm
AN
INTRODUCTION TO THE AUTHOR
HERE
ARE FOUR EXTRACTS FROM THE BOOK ITSELF.
BY. JOHN M.
BROWN [OVERSEAS
TRAINING INSTRUCTOR, ACU&S ENGLAND.]
I can think of
few people in the world who are better qualified to advise young
cricketers on how they should strive to play the game of Cricket
than Ajith C. S. Perera.
He is not only
qualified academically and professionally in the field of Cricket,
first as a player with a brief experience of division-one cricket,
later as a test-match panel senior umpire, a competent scorer, and
as a training instructor and examiner for both umpires and scorers,
but also in the sphere of Chemistry. He has won international
admiration for his achievements and contributions in both these
fields. He is a Master of Science Graduate in Analytical Chemistry,
a qualified Chartered Chemist and a Fellow of many a reputable
international body, yet, he has unhesitatingly sacrificed a
lucrative career in this profession for the sake of Cricket, the
game he loves.
He uses his
wide knowledge and experience of the game gained in both Sri Lanka
and England wisely. All these attributes, together with his
experience in teaching at the Colombo University and later his
man-management in industry, are invaluable assets in preparing a
book of this nature. His persistence and overwhelming sense of
sportsmanship and fair play, are qualities that any aspiring young
cricketer would do well to emulate.
BY:
LESLIE J. CHEESEMAN.
Founder
Member & General Secretary (1978
- 1996),
Association
of Cricket Umpires & Scorers (England).
Member
M.C.C. for ~
40 years.
As the (former)
General Secretary of the Association
of Cricket Umpires and Scorers, England (1978
- 1996),
I deem it both an honour and privilege to be invited to provide this
commendation
of the credentials
of an author, experienced and courageous enough to
write, "Thinking Cricket - The Players. Guide to Better
Cricket". In my view, Ajith Chrysantha Stephen Perera has few
peers when it comes to judge his aptitude and competence to address
such a wide-ranging and daunting subject.
It is now close to
quarter of a century since he first wrote as an aspiring Umpire to
enquire of me, in England, what steps he should take in seeking to
qualify professionally
as a Full Member of the, then, Association of Cricket Umpires,
England. Even in those early days of what would later develop into a
mutually respectful relationship, the perceived extent of his
unbridled enthusiasm, the level of his intended personal commitment,
high degree of technical knowledge of the game, analytical mind,
plus his unquenchable thirst for newer knowledge and willingness to
improve individual performance, collectively led me to believe that
he would achieve his
ambitious quest with honours
(1985)
and even go on to become a well
respected official at the highest level of the game. Indeed, as the
programme of his career development unfolded, my original assessment
of his potential, was seen to fall someway short of his ultimate
unique achievements, as he matured into both, mentor and tutor to
others in his own right. (Single-handedly,
he organised a highly successful training program for Sri-Lankan
colleagues in 1988 titled: "The Effective Umpire").
It was at this time,
when the Association of Cricket Umpires, England itself decided to
provide both training and examination, leading to the qualification
of Scorers at advanced level to complete the third team of officials
in Cricket. Recorded history confirms that in early 1990 Ajith
Perera was amongst the
very first candidates to
achieve this double professional qualification. Indeed, his energy
and motivation for the betterment of the game were such that, he
also became the first
(and
the only) official
in Sri Lanka, to
additionally qualify
(in
August 1990) as
a Senior Training Instructor in the art and craft of both Cricket
Umpiring and Scoring.
This further
extension of his talent in the tutorial field, should not have been
all that surprising when one considers there would appear to have
been a latent genetic element to his origin. His father, Instructor
Commander M.G.S.Perera, later the Director of his country. s Naval
Training and subsequently, also appointed as the Training Staff
Captain of the Ceylon Shipping Corporation, was the First Training
Officer of the Sri Lanka Navy, training generations of officers,
sailors and merchant navy cadets on board and was also the creator
of the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee. Thus the
predisposition for coaching and discipline were already in Ajith. s
blood.
This incipient
talent for teaching was to blossom further in his earlier
appointment to lecture at the University of Colombo, to be
supple-mented, in turn, by eleven years of vital man-management in
his professional career as a qualified Chartered Analytical Chemist
holding key Senior Managerial positions in the pharmaceutical
manufacturing industry, which again involved him in the training and
development of his and other departmental staff.
In search of wider
practical experience, Ajith visited England to undergo fifteen weeks
of enhanced training which included officiating in County 2nd
XI fixtures and other top leagues in Lancashire, partnered by such
colleagues of international calibre as Don. Oslear. This rare
opportunity to observe at close quarters how the game is
played in England, plus his earlier personal experience of playing
Cricket at first-class level, augers well in cascading appropriate
information to novices through the pages of this volume.
What is perhaps
singularly remarkable,
is that his academic qualifications - B.Sc.(Hons.),
M.Sc., followed by his election as Fellow of three international
bodies, (The
Royal Society of Chemistry, London; the Institute of Chemistry,
Ceylon and of Quality Assurance, England)
- have all been acquired
simultan-eously in tandem and parallel with his many cricketing
achievements. This should not be all that surprising to those
familiar with aphorism: "If one needs to find someone to
undertake a difficult task, then look no further than to a man who
is known already to be heavily involved in another direction!".
In November 1992, a
personal dream came true for Ajith when the Sri Lanka Cricket Board
selected him to join the six-member Test Match Panel of
Umpires for the tour of New Zealand cricket team there and
was appointed to stand in his first-ever international at R.
Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sadly, within a few days prior to
officiating this precious match, whilst driving through a tropical
storm, fate was to deal him the cruellest of blows, when a large
wayside tree straddled his moving car and injured his spinal cord to
leave him permanently paraplegic in the prime of youth! For a less
determined character, such a devastating catastrophe would have been
astronomical in its effects on future career prospects. Not so for
Ajith, who, inspite of enforced physical impairments and even the
absence of wheel-chair accessible facilities to the buildings
throughout his country yet, his devotion, dedication and addiction
to Cricket would not let him forego his passion for the game and he
has since worked harder than ever, albeit with a decided change in
emphasis.
Despite being
confined to a wheel-chair, he still wanted to be useful and in 1996
became of great assistance to the Sri Lanka Cricket Board as,
single-handedly, he accepted and satisfactorily completed its highly
technical assignment to streamline the rules and regulations
governing tournament aspects of the game, to produce them on
computer type-set on his lap-top.
He was to follow
this by writing with both charm and distinction, "The Golden
Era of Sri Lankan Cricket", a literature best-seller, which
described the fascinating story of his national team which blossomed
out and established as International Champions in 0vers-limited
cricket during 1996/1997. The measure of world reaction to this
brave initiative may be determined from the fact that Wisden
Cricketers. Almanack, 2000, has since seen fit to regard him as one
of only eight cricketing people to be specifically
recognised for his many achievements and worthy contributions to the
game and also that he became a proud recipient of prestigious "Star
of Asia 1999" award for Sports.
All the while, the
development of his academic skills were complementary to his abiding
life-time passion - the pursuit of excellence in the great game of
cricket, in terms of playing, its administration and the
enhance-ment of its literature. The lurking danger in the
development, improve-ment or refurbishment of any cause such as the
one embarked upon, is that measures calculated to improve efficiency
might unwittingly destroy something vital: one might build the body
but destroy the soul. The soul in Ajith Perera. s ambitions has been
evident in the unselfish, altruistic, voluntary nature of his
service. Ajith has given of his time unstintingly and has been
motivated by an intense enthu-siasm and faith in the integrity of
the common objectives - to improve the overall standards of the game
at all levels and in all places. May the time never
come when those involved in Cricket ever measures the expenditure of
personal time against the pleasures, satisfaction, prestige, or even
self-esteem, the job or the gratitude of the beneficiaries gives
him. Rather is the hope that the game will continue to be served by
those whose hobby, principally, it is to do so, and gladly. This is
the essence and very soul of cricket. It. s encouraging to know that
Ajith has this attribute in abundance.
It is often said
that, "Great minds think alike!" and in this context, I am
reminded of the splendid exposition from that doyen of the game. s
well-being, the late Lord Harris, when he said:
"You do well to
love Cricket, for it is more free from anything sordid, anything
dishonourable, than any game in the world. To play it keenly,
honourably, generously, self-sacrificingly, is a moral lesson in
itself and the classroom is God. s air and sunshine. Foster it, my
brother, so that it may attract all who can find the time to play
it; protect it from anything that would sully it, so that it may
grow in favour with all men. In my view, the Author is an apt
evangelist to once again impart this time honoured truth of the real
"Spirit of the Game", through the pages of his
latest esteemed work: "Thinking Cricket - The Players. Guide to
Better Cricket". I am happy to endorse his message and to wish
a successful outcome to his quest.
. BY:
CHRISTOPHER MARTIN-JENKINS.
Cricket
Correspondent of The Times.
BBC
Cricket Commentator.
Ajith Perera is one
of the most enthusiastic cricket-lovers I have ever met. He is also
so determined and thorough whenever he has a cricketing project in
hand that he might in those two respects, at least, be termed a Sri
Lankan Don Bradman. Of course he was not himself a famous player and
fate decreed that he would not be the famous umpire he was on the
way to becoming, when meeting with a tragic accident
BY:
DR. CAMERON BATTERSBY AM.,
MS., FRACS. .
Manager
Australian National Cricket Team (1990-1998)
-
Ajith Perera has
always been a truly remarkable individual. I first met him in
Colombo in February 1991, when he stood as an Umpire in a four-day
match between the Australian Cricket Academy and the Sri Lankan
Board President's XI. The Academy team, many of whom are now playing
for Australia, were impressed with his competence and consistence of
decision making, and his cheerfulness, enthusiasm, and pleasant
manner off and on the field. He appeared in total control, and gave
the appearance of being an excellent all round Umpire. An
international career beckoned. Given the cards dealt by fate, a
lesser person would have retreated from the world into a morass of
self-pity. Instead, he has combined his undoubted intellect and
teaching ability with his love of cricket to produce a manual for
cricketers which will be a worthy resource for coaching at all
levels. It is an inspiration to see how Ajith continues to
contribute towards the betterment of the game he loves so much,
despite continuing hardship.
FOREWORD.
BY:
DAVENELL FREDERICK WHATMORE.
National
Coach, Sri Lankan Cricket Team.
I am delighted
with the unhesitant initiative taken by Ajith C. S. Perera to write
a book on cricket, a training guide of such high class and
quality. It could not have come at a better time than this, as
there is a dearth of material of educational value at this moment of
time, on such a wide-ranging subject.
"Failing
to prepare, is playing to fail.".
Training has the
capacity and the potential to develop individual players and equip
them with knowledge, skills and appropriate behaviour, all of which
are essential to ensure success of a team and it's continuity. Ajith
has approached the task of writing this worthwhile training guide
with a sense of direction and purpose, to prove not only his overall
competence but also the fact that there is much more to the
science and the art of cricket coaching of today.
The ideal of a
quality coach being available to every school and every club is
still an ideal. The first few years of life, even in cricket, are
the formative ones. Under such circumstances, ex-players, parents,
adults and teachers are forced to play the role of the coach. In
this book they will find good
guidance and the
required material for their job. Even for the experienced player who
has the desire and the need to refresh his memory on the
fundamentals of the game from time to time, this book is a
good
source of
handy, ready
reference material.
This
indispensable guide
provides direction towards achieving your best performance on the
field of play through enthusiasm and knowledge. It provides
encouragement and promotes sequential development of the required
physical and mental skills, helping to turn weaknesses into
strengths and potential into performance. It further helps an
appreciation of the finer points of cricket, at
all levels of
the game.
In his endeavours
to share the wealth of information acquired and to impart the
cricketing knowledge accumulated over thirty years of unfeigned
devotion to the game, Ajith in this book judiciously make use of his
teaching skills and man-management experience. The painstaking
meticulous care he has taken to present the subject material
covering twenty one important areas of cricket, in an easy to read
and easy to understand manner adopting a unique approach, are
indications of his commitment to any endeavour he undertakes.
All these
features and many more, make this a totally different book
on cricket. It is an excellent investment
to increase essential practical knowledge on all aspects of the
game.
I wish a successful
outcome to his endeavours with this book.
A
PREVIEW.
BY:
H. L. B. GOMES.
PRESIDENT
(1998
- todate)
SRI
LANKA SCHOOLS CRICKET ASSOCIATION.
No sport is as
besotted with its past as cricket. Development of the required
overall skills and providing the needed encouragement to continue
playing this chosen game and derive greater enjoyment at
"grass-roots" levels throughout the country, is the
conscious effort of the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association. We
believe it is only from such small beginnings that we could nurture
and motivate our future cricketing heroes. In this regard, "Thinking
Cricket" by Ajith C. S. Perera provides essential
guidance and good direction, for the players as well as for
everyone involved with the game, at all levels.
Discipline is the
basis to build the character of a school cricketer - the foundation
to his further success both off and on the playing field. Cricket
with its unique appeal has stood the test of time over two hundred
years. The main reason for this is the fact that players have
traditionally been prepared to play not only within its laws, but
also very much within the spirit of the game. At a time when
standards of sportsmanship is perennially in decline and money is
forever corrupting the veneration of the game. s past, very
appropriately, the first chapter communicates, both mentally and at
the skills level, this important philosophy about the game.
It is an
instructional manual written with much foresight and an analytical
mind, after a long period of careful research and painstaking
efforts, aimed to make you a better all-round cricketer. I can think
of no important subject area that has been left untouched here by
the author. The action photographs the author has carefully
selected, often can be more instructive than any written words. It
is thoughtfully and delightfully designed and presented to help you
to do right thinking and take right action, to get right results
right now. At whatever levels the game is played, you are certain to
self-discover something new of educational value, in each of its
twenty one chapters.
I am certain that
this unique book will be fondly and inquisitively referred to not
only by the players, but by cricket enthusiasts of all ages and
abilities, for many years to come. It is a worthy
investment for every school to add, at least one copy, to
its library.
More details on
this book can be found at Perera(2)
More
details of both his books can be found at Books
by Ajith Perera
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