Name:

Atapattu, Marvan Samson

Date of Birth:

22 Nov 1970

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Kalutara

Career:

Test: 1990 - 2007
ODI: 1990 - 2007

Teams:

Sri Lanka (Country)

Selectors are muppets and jokers: blast from Marvan

Marvan Atapattu: From initial failure to greatness and final controversy 

Marvan Atapattu, born on 22 November 1970 in Kalutara, was a right handed opening batsman renowned for his resilience and elegant stroke play. He started his career playing for Ananda College.

After a disastrous Test debut that saw him record five ducks in his first six innings, he transformed his career to become one of Sri Lanka’s most dependable run scorers, amassing 5,502 Test runs at 39.02 with 16 centuries, including six double hundreds, and 8,529 ODI runs at 37.57. His 249 vs Zimbabwe in 2004 was his highest Test score.

A key member of the 1996 World Cup-winning squad, he later captained Sri Lanka, leading them to the 2004 Asia Cup and notable Test victories.

During England’s tour of Sri Lanka in December 2003, approximately Rs 1.1 million (around USD 11,000–16,000) was discovered in the safe of a hotel room in Kandy that Atapattu had previously occupied during the test match. Atapattu firmly denied ownership of the money, stating that he had never carried such large sums while playing. He pointed out that others had used the room both before and after his stay, and insisted he had always opposed match-fixing and had no involvement with bookies.

Atapattu blasted the national selectors as “muppets headed by a joker” during the 2007 Australian tour at Brisbane. The SL cricket board expressed displeasure but allowed him to complete his final matches. He retired immediately afterward, citing a loss of confidence in the selection process and calling for systemic change.

Atapattu’s six double hundreds in Test cricket ranked him alongside some of cricket’s greats; only Bradman, Lara and Hammond, had more when he retired.

Post-retirement in 2007, Atapattu built a respected coaching career, including a stint as Sri Lanka’s head coach, and remains a prominent figure in cricket commentary and development.