(UTV|COLOMBO) – The Association of Professional Cricket Umpires (APCU) will be celebrating their 10th anniversary with a gala annual general meeting on July 14 at Hotel Blue Spring & Laya Beach Hotel in Thalpitiya, Wadduwa.
The brainchild of the first ever elite panelist of Sri Lanka and former Test cricketer Asoka de Silva, the APCU was made a reality by a set of renowned umpires a decade ago.
Intolerable ethical concerns exhibited by the umpires’ association which fell far below the consciousness of a group of members demanded such members to constitute the new association. The sole intention of the exit of APCU from the one and only association of Cricket Umpires that existed in Sri Lanka at that juncture was to set an exemplary contribution in the cricket arena for the betterment of cricket in Sri Lanka.
Today the APCU boasts a total of 200 members who officiate in the prestigious Mercantile tournament and even international matches when their services are sought, according to its president Athula Wickramatilake. “APCU was reckoned by Mercantile Cricket Association, renders the umpiring services to two major private World Cups held in Sri Lanka, provides the services to State Services and Nationalised Services tournament and APCU officiated tournaments in Malaysia,” he added proudly.
The APCU, whose motto is ‘proud to be first and just’, has enthusiastically involved in qualitative improvements of the umpiring by enhancing the knowledge and technical know-how of umpiring of the members. APCU consists of umpires qualified by SLC.
Regular recruitment and knowledge enhancing education sessions has become the governing factor of quality of the association. “We will be conducting seminars and exams for about 100 new umpires later this month,” said Wickramatilake who took over as head of APCU last year from ICC elite panel umpire Ranmore Martinez. Current ICC elite panel umpire Ruchira Palliyaguru also offers his services to the APCU whenever possible.
The APCU also consists of international umpires Ravindra Wimalasiri, Lyndon Hanibal, international panelists Deepal Gunawardena, Pradeep Udawatte, Hemantha Botheju, upcoming umpires Susantha Dissanayake, C. Hathurusinghe, Chamara Soyza, Chandrika Amarasinghe, Heshan Thilakaratne and Saluka Wijesiri.
Following are office-bearers of the APCU:
President – Athula Wickramathilake, General Secretary – Saluka Wijesiri, Treasurer – Kusal Perera, Assignment Secretary – K.K. Jayaweera, Vice-Presidents – Ranmore Martinez, Ravindra Wimalasiri, Lyndon Hanibal, K.K. Jayaweera and Viraj Polwattage; Patrons – Asoka de Silva and Anjum Asmath. (Daily News- Sport)
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