Stanley Jayasinghe: A fearless leader who played, coached, and spoke for cricket

Stanley was adjudged the Times of Ceylon Sportsman of the Year in 1951

Affectionately called ‘Stan,’ he has been one of the finest Ceylon cricketers, produced by Nalanda College

Stanley Jayasinghe was born on January 19, 1931, in Badulla. He is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played for Ceylon prior to being renamed and prior to receiving Test of ODI status. He was a righthanded batsman and part-time off break bowler. 

Despite his origins in the Uva Province, young Stanley was educated at Nalanda College in Colombo where he went on to captain Nalanda College’s First XI cricket team in 1951. Former All Ceylon and Nondescripts Cricket Club cricketer Carl Obeysekera and Ashley de Silva, who were also from Nalanda, played for Ceylon at the same time. 

Nalanda set a record when three of its schoolboys were included in the Ceylon squad. They were non other than Jayasinghe’s Nalandian contemporaries, Obeysekera (who starred as Ceylon’s opening batsman), Ashley de Silva (12th man) and ‘the great Stanley Jayasinghe’, according to cricket’s record books. 

Since the pioneering appearance of Jayasinghe together with Obeysekera and de Silva, who blazed a trail for their alma mater, many Nalandians have worn the lion cap on their crowns thereafter. 

Affectionately called ‘Stan,’ he has been one of the finest Ceylon cricketers, produced by Nalanda College. He belongs to a different class and was among very few Asian Cricketers privileged to play English County Cricket. Stanley was adjudged the Times of Ceylon Sportsman of the Year in 1951. He represented S.S.C and N.C.C. before moving to England. He was a crowd puller when representing Ceylon, stylish and reliable and a regular feature in the Ceylon XI when playing against visiting English and MCC teams, Australia and West Indies and during tours to India and Pakistan. 

His first-class cricket career began in 1949/50. He also played county cricket with distinction for Leicestershire for five years and prior to that league cricket in Lancashire. In 1965 he publicly refused to play against the white-only South Africans who were touring England, which was following his own experiences of racism playing against the South Africans in 1960. He hung up his boots at the end of the 1968/69 season. 

Cricket administrative influence 

Stanley Jayasinghe has also been at one time on the National Selection Committee and was the Manager of the Sri Lanka cricket team. Stanley was a hugely sought-after coach in Sri Lanka from the late 1970’s. His coaching style, coupled with a caring, fatherly treatment towards his students, made him one of the most successful coaches in the country during the 70’s and 80’s. He developed the role of manager to a very high standards, laying the discipline and attitude in the players he managed. These are the players who later featured in the Sri Lankan team during the ODI World Cup in 1996. 

Ceylon Squad touring Pakistan, 1966/67

He brought glory not only to Nalanda, but also our nation by being more than ‘good enough’ as the saying goes to be selected to play for an English county side although his foray to England was to work as a tea taster. 

Those who knew him will surely attest to his brilliance as a batsman. Again, being from an age where televising fixtures and capturing memorable moments on smartphones were absent, it is the archives that record Jayasinghe’s stint with Leicestershire. There he played with distinction alongside another famous son of the soil in Clive Inman who scored the fastest 50 in county cricket at the time. 

Some half a century following his retirement, he was one of 49 former Ceylon and Sri Lanka cricketers felicitated by Sri Lanka Cricket in September 2018. The intention was to honour them for their services to their nation before the cricket crazy nation became a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). 

From county cricket to coaching glory

Following a successful stint with Leicestershire, Stanley was appointed Ceylon’s national coach. An outspoken personality, he unequivocally told the then sports minister what was what and where to get off – and that managing and coaching the team were his exclusive prerogatives. That proclamation ended Jayasinghe’s tenure, but sealed his reputation as a sportsman; someone whose love for the game was such that he took on the dual roles of manager and coach after retiring from playing the game. 

A remarkable  engagement with a living legend

I had the honor and privilege of meeting this living legend at his residence in Sri Jayawardenapura in August 2022. My visit was aimed to gather his thoughts on the “Glorious Victory 22” after 69 years against Ananda at the Battle of the Maroons. It was a fascinating experience to listen to his nostalgic reflections on his school, first-class, and national cricket. I was truly amazed at his ability to recount events that happened over seven decades ago so clearly and sequentially.

Let me share some extracts from our discussion regarding “Glorious Victory 22”. “Well, I am overjoyed that we have finally overcome the Anandians.” He also mentioned, “I had the privilege of witnessing the last victory in 1953.” Furthermore, he has been advocating that the big match should be played over three days to ensure a clear decision. His wish became a reality in 2025. His message to future generations of cricketers is to “Maintain the spirit of the game at all times.” 

Since our meeting in 2022, I have developed a close acquaintance with this amazing personality. Over time, we communicated frequently. Former Sri Lanka and Nalanda cricketer Jayantha Senaviratne is also a close confidant of Stanley, maintaining regular contact for several years. 

About three months back, Stanley contacted me enthusiastically and invited me on an excursion to the South and East of Sri Lanka, his haunting areas of his young days. Initially he planned for ten days, the trip was later shortened to seven days. He mentioned that all arrangements were being made by his close friend, former Army Commander General Gerry De Silva. 

Additionally, I learned that Ms. Jayantha Senaviratne and Lionel Gunasekara would join us. During previous conversations, it became clear that he had a strong affinity for nature and wildlife from his young days, especially in the southeastern area. To our surprise when we completed the trip, we had traveled nearly 1,200 kilometres and covered one-third of Sri Lanka. During our journey, he made a commendable effort to visit his hunting cohorts, carrying gifts and sweets for their families and children. This gesture displayed his warm humility and kindness. Throughout our travels, he shared his experiences from his cricketing life and post-retirement years. Some of them were very interesting that had not gone on record.

 It was astonishing to see how he recalled the incidents in detail. For me, this trip was filled with fun and fascinating to listen to him. It also re-affirmed that he embodies a robust set of values that guide his actions and decisions. Stanley can be characterised as a strong, confident, and decisive individual driven by a clear value system. Integrity is at the core of everything he does, making honesty and accountability non-negotiable principles in both his personal and sporting career. Importantly, Stanley possesses a strong sense of empathy, showing genuine concern for others’ well-being, particularly for his subordinates, and fostering meaningful connections based on mutual respect. 

Above all, he values authenticity, staying true to himself while encouraging others to do the same. His leadership is marked by fairness, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and valued in the pursuit of shared goals. Stanley was married to Erika, a German and they are blessed with a daughter, Yvonne.

I have incorporated open-source information, photographs and published articles on Stanley Jayasinghe throughout this narrative, underscoring a strong commitment to depth, thorough research. I also extend my sincere appreciation to the writers whose personal insights and reflections have meaningfully enhanced the richness and authenticity of this narrative.

Let us wish this living cricket legend of Nalanda and Sri Lanka, Stanley Jayasinghe good health and Longevity. 

(The writer is Director Strategic Development WKV Group, Senior Fellow South Asia Foresight Network, President Association of Retired Flag Rank Officers, Formerly Commander Sri Lanka Air Force and Sri Lankan Ambassador to Afghanistan)