Sri Lanka 2007: What's in a name?
Before he took the field Sri Lanka’s new cap in the Galle Test had a record all to himself. Uda Walawwe Mahim Bandaralage Chanaka Asanka Welegedera has more names and initials than any player in the history of Test cricket, all 2,498 to have preceded him.
He will go down on the scorecard as UWMBCA Welegedera and is known to as Chanaka. Thus he displaces Chaminda Vaas, the veteran left-arm medium pace bowler, who is also playing in this match and has a mere five initials – he is WPUJC.
England are severely lacking in this department and left themselves shorter in this match by omitting Stuart Broad.
His cricketing father, Chris, recognising the importance of initials on a scorecard had the foresight to give him three forenames (Stuart Christopher John).
The most initials borne by any England player are four by two men: VPFA Royle, who played only one match in 1879, and the rather unsung JWHT Douglas, who led England to the Ashes in 1911-12. He was actually John William Henry Tyler, but those charming Australians, scoffing at his stolid batsmanship, referred to him as Johnny Won’t Hit Today. What wags. England must hope that Welegedara is not Ultimately We’re Mastered By Chanaka’s Attacks.
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