My Association with Akshu Fernando dates back to almost 10 to 12 years ago when he was just out of school from St. Peter’s College and had played for the Sri Lanka Under-19s as a promising all-rounder. As the then President of Ragama Cricket Club, we were very keen to lure him to play for our club and after many efforts and persuasion, finally managed to get him to agree.
Until then, we at Ragama CC, knew only Akshu the cricketer and there was no doubt he had great potential to further his career and even reach the dizzy heights of a national cap. Despite his great cricketing talent, we recognised another aspect of Akshu, which was his great human qualities. He had a personality which was friendly and absolutely gentlemanly.
A young man, very well brought-up and full of respect, and proper decorum, which obviously stems from his family, especially his mother Asitha, who worked tirelessly to make his life a success and of course his alma mater St. Peter’s College. At Ragama CC, he was loved and sought after by everyone and was so jovial that he found something amusing in the darkest point of a game.
I think this was a special quality of Akshu which is very rare. He never complained and took everything in good spirits and fought really hard on the field to win. One aspect that stood for me was how he trusted the divine when he had issues with his physical body, where he used to get cramps and couldn’t bat for long.
However in 2018, with his new found faith in the divine presence, he conquered the Everest he had hitherto failed by scoring his maiden first class century against Moors Sports Club in the month of December in 2018, which had eluded him for more physical reasons than talent.
On that fateful day, readying himself for the season ahead with lots of hope, Akshu had finished his training session at the Mt. Lavinia beach and was heading home when the unthinkable happened. And since then, the last seven years have been a heartburn for everyone who loved him and especially his parents who were unbelievably magnificent and who always believed that Akshu will be back.
There was not a minute in their lives that they thought otherwise and money and time and commitment was not even a consideration. Akshu on his part appeared to brave this but one never knew what he felt and was going through in that difficult phase. But there was only one thing that everyone wanted for him, and that is to see him back.
Sadly, Akshu is no more. His life was cut short by that cruel accident and the world is poorer without such a wonderful young man. For the parents and the mother, in particular, it will be a very difficult situation to live with and for cricket, the game lost a gentleman and a special talent. Ragama CC lost a wonderful son and his friends lost someone that they all loved, I included.
Good bye Akshu, we will miss you, but will always remember you for who you were. I am hoping that we will meet again in that land someday. Until then, rest easy!