Pubudu Bathiya Dassanayake is a Sri Lanka-born Canadian former international cricketer and coach who represented both Sri Lanka and Canada internationally.
31 Facts About Pubudu Dassanayake
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Pubudu Dassanayake has coached Everest Premier League side Bhairahawa Gladiators, and the national teams of the United States, Canada, and Nepal.
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Pubudu Dassanayake spent just over a year as Sri Lanka's first-choice wicket-keeper, with his last international matches coming on a 1994 tour of New Zealand.
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In total, Pubudu Dassanayake represented Sri Lanka in 11 Tests and 16 One Day International matches.
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Pubudu Dassanayake represented the team in the 2005 and 2006 editions of the ICC Intercontinental Cup.
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Pubudu Dassanayake oversaw Canada's successful qualification for the 2011 World Cup, resigning as coach after the tournament's completion.
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Pubudu Dassanayake was appointed coach of Nepal in October 2011, and served until October 2015, coaching the team at the 2014 World Twenty20.
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Pubudu Dassanayake was appointed US head coach in September 2016, but resigned in July 2019.
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Pubudu Dassanayake was born in Kandy, in Sri Lanka's Central Province.
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Pubudu Dassanayake appeared in another four one-day games the following season, playing twice for Bloomfield in the Hatna Trophy and twice for the Sinhalese Sports Club in the Premadasa Trophy.
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Pubudu Dassanayake toured Bangladesh with Sri Lanka A in December 1992, and the following month toured South Africa with a Sri Lankan under-24s side.
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Leapfrogging Ashley de Silva and Romesh Kaluwitharana for selection, Pubudu Dassanayake made his international debut in August 1993, playing three Tests and two ODIs in a home series against South Africa.
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At the 1994 Austral-Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, Pubudu Dassanayake played ODIs against Australia and New Zealand for the first time.
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Pubudu Dassanayake played his final international matches in December 1994, at the Mandela Trophy.
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Pubudu Dassanayake was unable to maintain his batting at the standard required for international competition, averaging just 13.06 across eleven Tests and 10.62 across sixteen ODIs.
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Pubudu Dassanayake appeared in all seven of his team's matches, recording eight dismissals and scoring 76 runs, with a highest score of 36 not out against Scotland.
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Later in the year, Pubudu Dassanayake represented Canada in ICC Intercontinental Cup matches against Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, serving as captain in the absence of John Davison.
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Pubudu Dassanayake was 36 at the time, and again played solely as a batsman.
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Pubudu Dassanayake coached Canada for almost 4 years leading them to the 2011 Cricket World Cup where the country won only its second ever World Cup Match.
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Pubudu Dassanayake has been a prolific sculptor in shaping Nepalese cricket.
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In October 2015, Pubudu Dassanayake stepped down as Nepal coach, citing personal reasons, ending his four-year tenure in the role.
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Pubudu Dassanayake was appointed as a consultant coach of Nepal for the match against Namibia in world cricket league and a match against MCC on the special request of ICC.
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In December 2021, Pubudu Dassanayake was re-appointed as Nepal Cricket team head Coach.
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Pubudu Dassanayake then resigned from the position on July 20,2022.
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In July 2016, Pubudu Dassanayake was one of four candidates shortlisted for the vacant position of head coach of the US national team.
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In September 2016, it was announced that Pubudu Dassanayake had won the position, with his first major tournament in charge to be the 2016 World Cricket League Division Four event in Los Angeles.
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The United States won the tournament and Pubudu Dassanayake said "I wouldn't have settled for runner-up in the final" and that he was "very happy how things went in the final".
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In July 2019, Pubudu Dassanayake resigned from his role as coach of the US national team.
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Pubudu Dassanayake re-joined Nepal as head coach in December 2021, but resigned in July 2022 in order to return as coach of Canada.
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Pubudu Dassanayake was dismissed as the head coach of the Canada Cricket team ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 in May 2024.
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Later a day, Cricket Canada confirmed that head coach Pubudu Dassanayake will stay on as head coach for the duration of the T20 World Cup 2024.