De Saram- The Colonel, Coach & Cricket Captain
Born today in 1912, Col. F.C. De Saram not only led Ceylon Cricket in his younger days but also the 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état, and subsequently became a Coach and Selector.
His name echoes at the Gates of the Sinhalese Sports Club, Royal College and Ceylon's History Books for his contributions, but Cricket is what stood out the most. Born on this day in 1912, Colonel Fredrick Cecil De Saram was a man of many roles in Ceylon Cricket and the Military!
A former Head Prefect at Royal College who captained the Cricket team in 1931, he has the unique distinction of being the first Ceylonese to be awarded an Oxford Blue in Cricket. He also captained Ceylon Cricket from 1949 to 1954 and was also a Lawyer in his grandfather's firm at D L & F De Saram.
The Colonel who played Cricket
"When Trincomalee was attacked in 1942, de Saram was in the thick of things, commanding an air defence battery. He should have been entering his cricketing prime, but he didn't play a first-class game from the start of 1938 until March 1945. By then he was nearing 34. Many would have thought about giving up for good. But not de Saram. He would soldier on for many years to come."
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