Name:

Warnaweera, Kahakatchchi Patabandige Jayananda

Date of Birth:

23 Nov 1960

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Matara, Ceylon

Date Died:

16 Oct 2025

Career:

Test: 1986 - 1994
ODI: 1990 - 1993

Teams:

Sri Lanka (Country)

No ball that changed the game: Murali controversy (Adelaide)

Jayananda Warnaweera was a cricketer and long-serving curator best known for his work at the Galle International Stadium. As a player, he was a steady off-spinner who featured for Sri Lanka in the early years of their Test journey, recognised for his control, subtle drift, and ability to exploit turning conditions. After retirement, he became one of the country’s most influential pitch curators, helping establish Galle as a renowned spin-friendly venue and shaping its character over several decades.

Warnaweera represented Sri Lanka in 10 Test matches between the mid-1980s and early 1990s, taking 32 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls, and earning a reputation as a reliable, workhorse off-spinner. Though he never played a One-Day International, he was a prominent figure in domestic limited-overs cricket, where his economy and consistency made him a regular for the Sri Lanka Board XI and leading clubs. His international career was relatively brief, but he remained an important part of Sri Lanka’s developing spin depth in the pre-Murali era.

His later administrative career, however, was overshadowed by controversy. Warnaweera was banned by the ICC after failing to cooperate with anti-corruption investigators examining approaches related to alleged pitch-fixing ahead of international matches.