Nagambie has broadened its search for cricketers beyond Australian shores, announcing Sri Lankan spinner Jeewan De Silva as its newest recruit.
Set to make his Lakers debut on Saturday against Numurkah, De Silva will be the first international import to represent the club in what is a change of direction in the recruiting space.
The Sri Lankan comes to the club with a wealth of experience, having played extensively in Australia, the United Kingdom and even the United States for a brief period.
It is an exciting development for the perennial Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield contender, and Nagambie president Steve Brook explained why it was the right time to bring in its first international recruit.
“We have talked about this for a few years but to be honest we didn’t really know how to go about it,” Brook said.
“We’d made it known that we were possibly looking for an import and Jeewan contacted us. I spoke to him back in July about what we wanted and in the end he was a great fit for what we were looking for.
“We think it will be valuable for our young group to have a guy with Jeewan’s experience at the club, so we thought it was the perfect time to go down the import path and see how it goes.”
On the field, De Silva will bring a welcome boost to a Nagambie team that has dropped its first two games of the 2022-23 season and currently finds itself ninth on the ladder.
Brook said he hoped De Silva would have an influence on the A-grade squad.
“He is mainly a spin bowler who can bat and that is what we were looking for,” he said.
“In the past we’ve had Kyle Winter-Irving and Josh Sanderson fill that role, but they aren’t playing any more.
“It will be nice if he can come in and take some wickets straight away, but hopefully he will help tie down one end and if he can make a few runs that would be even better.”
Along with his on-field credentials, the club is excited to see what he can achieve off the field in a coaching capacity.
“He is a level three Cricket Australia coach, so he will bring a lot more than just his skill on the field to the club,” Brook said.
“We’ve got quite a young club really, so having someone with his credentials around will hopefully help all of our players get better.”