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Marvan Atapattu – Cricketer. Photo By Nazly Ahmed

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Marvan Atapattu   

Deshabandu Marvan Samson Atapattu is Sri Lanka鈥檚 former cricket player and coach. He was a sound opener and an elegant batsman whose international career started when the country鈥檚 glorious era of the nineties was about to begin.  

In a career spanning almost two decades, Atapattu averaged 38.90 with 16 centuries, including six doubles in his Test Career, and 37.57 in ODI’s with 11 centuries. He is one of the most technically gifted batsmen Sri Lanka has ever produced.  

His story is an inspiration of hope. If you don鈥檛 give up, if you believe in yourself, and if you stay on the course, you will eventually succeed and get to the highest attainable achievement. Here are the top 10 amazing facts about Marvan Atapattu.

1. Marvan Started Playing When He Was A Teenager 

Marvan was born on 22nd November 1970 in Kalutara, Ceylon. He started his cricket career at Mahinda College in Galle when he was a teenager, then he later proceeded to Ananda College in Colombo. He made his first-class debut in 1988-89 and his performances earned him a place in the national side that was to tour India in 1990. 

His first coach was Major G. W. S. de Silva after which he was coached by P. W. Perera. 

2. His Signature Shot Was His High-Elbow Cover-Drive  

Photo by Michael Weir on

Marvan is remembered for his beautiful batsmanship which was a treat to watch. He had a strong character and on a lifeless pitch, he was a master of the percentage game. He was different from his partner and was the careful one, a useful counterpoint to the risks taken by Sanath Jayasuriya, his opening partner almost throughout his Test career. 

Marvan is a right-handed batsman and right-arm leg-spin bowler. His signature shot was the high-elbow cover drive and he was a skillful fielder with an accurate throw. He has 22 Test-match career ducks and four pairs (two ducks in a single Test), both records for a top-order batsman. 

3. It Took Him A While Before He Established Himself 

We all hear stories of talented people who gave up before their potential was realized. People who changed jobs and careers when they seemed likely not to succeed. Not this guy. His initial phases were not that good and he struggled hard to fight back to form. He is the only Sri Lanka captain to be dismissed for a pair in the history of Test cricket in Sri Lanka. 

In November 1990, Marvan got a pair on his Test debut against India at Chandigarh. He got dropped from the team. Sadly, he was the first Sri Lankan batsman to be dismissed for a pair on debut but he didn鈥檛 give up. He made an unsuccessful comeback almost two years later where with another duck and a 1 he was again out of the team.  

His first six innings yielded five ducks and a 1, putting serious doubts over his career. It took him nearly seven years to get established. The selectors said he lacked big-match temperament. His technique wasn鈥檛 good enough at the highest level. The best part is that Marvan never gave up and he kept trying till it paid off. 

In 1990, However, his average started going up. Although he struggled initially in international cricket, he went on to become one of Sri Lanka鈥檚 most important and reliable batsmen. 

4. He Was Captain of the One Day Team 

For three years he stood as Jayasuriya’s understudy before being appointed to lead the one-day side in April 2003. He made his One-Day International debut against India at Nagpur. He had also been expected to take charge of the Test team, but the selection committee appointed Hashan Tillakaratne for that job. 

Within the year, the team was drifting downwards under Tillakaratne and the selectors were finally compelled to appoint Atapattu as the Test captain. Within weeks he had halted the team’s slide and established himself as a strong leader.   

5. Marvan is a Family Man 

Marvan Atapattu – Cricketer. Photo By Nazly Ahmed Wikimedia Commons

Marvan Atapattu is married to Neluni Atapattu, a Sri Lankan who is a Chartered professional accountant. The two are parents, blessed with two daughters. The Atapattu family lives a comfortable life thanks to his hard work and dedication. 

6. He Had A Back Injury That Prevented Him From Playing 

At some point in his career, Marvan had a back injury because of practicing indoors on the bowling machine due to bad weather. He was suffering from unbearable pain from the injury and he was forced to seek treatment abroad.  

The back pains were a problem that he dealt with for most of his career. In 2006, he had to take time off which led to Mahela Jayawardene taking over from him as the captain. He was slowly reintroduced to the one-day side.   

7. Marvan Was Accused of Corruption  

There was a mystery surrounding 1.1 million rupees (about 14 thousand dollars) that were found in a hotel room that Marvan had stayed in. The cash had been discovered in the room鈥檚 safe five days after the team had left the hotel during England’s tour of Sri Lanka in December 2003. He was accused of receiving a bribe so that he could fix a match. 

The widely respected senior player and coach firmly denied knowledge about the money and said that it did not belong to him, especially because the room had been occupied by other foreign guests after he had checked out.  

The match-fixing investigation was dropped by the anti-corruption unit of the International Cricket Council (ICC) due to insufficient evidence. 

8. He Was Left Out Of The Cricket World Cup List of Players Twice  

People playing cricket in a field. Photo by Mudassir Ali on

Marvan was still very young in his ODI career when Sri Lanka co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup, alongside India and Pakistan. He had only played 7 matches at the time the tournament came around. 

The team management decided to not risk the inexperienced youngster in the pressure environment of the World Cup. While the decision would bear fruit, Atapattu missed out on his chance to play in the famous Sri Lankan World Cup win of 1996. 

Fast forward to 2007, Marvan had represented Sri Lanka in 268 ODIs and averaged 37.57 in 259 innings, and scored 8529 runs with 13 centuries and 59 half-centuries. However, his name did not feature in a single game in the 2007 World Cup. He was left out and he took issue with the selecting committee and angrily called them “A set of Muppets headed by a joker鈥� at a press conference. The team that played in that world cup made it to the finals. 

9. He Retired From Playing in 2007 

Marvan had a difficult relationship with the selectors since coming back from a serious back injury. He did not play in the world cup and only joined the touring party to Australia only after the government intervened. 

He asked for his removal from the list of Sri Lanka contracted players. After Sri Lanka lost the series 2鈥�0, Marvan announced his international retirement after the second Test at Hobart. Despite the complaints about the administration, he retained the support of his teammates and signed off with a satisfying 80 as he gave Sri Lanka a chance of saving the second Test. 

10. Marvan Became A Coach 

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After retiring as a player, Marvan became a coach. He started with the Fingara Cricket Academy, a coaching facility in Sri Lanka before becoming Canada’s batting coach in early 2009 where he helped them qualify for the 2011 World Cup. 

In 2010, he was named as head coach of the Singaporean cricket team for a one-year period, which was his first full-time assignment as a coach of a national side. In April 2011, after the World Cup, he was named the batting coach of the Sri Lankan national team and became the interim coach. 

In 2013, he was appointed as the assistant coach to Paul Farbrace. Farbrace soon left for England and that resulted in Atapattu taking over the mantle of coaching the team. Marvan was elevated to the position of head coach of Sri Lanka in October 2014 until he resigned in September 2015.