A New book from Nimal R. Chandrasena “Looking For Doug” – Doug Walters: An Australian Cricketing Legend – By Nimal Chandrasena
Dr. Nimal Chandrasena, a former Associate Professor of Botany at the University of Colombo and a self-confessed Cricket Tragic, has just published his SECOND book.
His first book, in January 2023, was The Virtuous Weed, which has sold over 100 copies globally and is available in Sri Lankan bookstores.
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The book on Doug Walters is 350 pages and has 20 pages of Black and White high-quality photographs of Doug Walters and other important cricketers featured in the narrative. It tells the story of a Sri Lankan-born cricket freak, the author, and his journey in following the life and achievements of his boyhood hero and cricket idol, the Australian cricketer – Kevin Doug Walters. The author has been a personal friend of his subject (Doug Walters) since 2009.
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Through innumerable meetings over many years, Doug’s inputs have enriched the narrative and its veracity. An important interview with Ian Chappell, the former Australian captain, adorns the book. With the author’s extensive research, the book provides an interesting and accurate account of the era, the Test matches that featured Doug Walters, and the main details related to the series in which Doug played.
With the enthusiastic inputs from Ian Chappell, the author makes a reasonable effort to place Doug Walters, both as a crucially important batsman and a match-winner for Australia at a time when Australia emerged as the most dominant team in the world (the 1970s decade).
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The narrative is sprinkled with the author’s own personal viewpoints as a cricket-lover. Although some are personal opinions and perspectives on cricket, they are well discussed and justified with abundant notes, a bibliography and cited references. Nimal says that Doug Walters is a ‘rare organism’ in the sense C. L. R. James described great cricketers like Sir Garry Sobers. ‘An Artist to the Core’ would be how Neville Cardus might describe him.
Doug is a truly enduring, legendary Australian cricketer whose exploits dazzled the fans who saw him play. Doug’s legendary batting exploits are re-told in this book from the vantage point of a cricket tragic who idolised him from childhood.
Doug epitomises the best ‘spirit’ of Australian cricket and the best elements of any sport: the passions, skills, joys and the highs and lows that affect sports people. As a ‘team player’ and ‘match-winner’, he was second to none, as his former captain – another Australian legend – Ian Chappell attests.
His former teammate Ashley Mallet once wrote:
‘Doug Walters is a constant in Australia: a national treasure like the Opera House or the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Cricket fans embraced him as one of their own, for here was a national batting hero who did the sort of stuff they did: he drank, smoked, and had a bet and a laugh..”…
This book is a chronological ‘re-telling’ of Doug Walters’ story with commentary and analyses of the games Doug featured in and highlighting his contributions within the context of those games. The book also includes conversations with Doug Walters and Ian Chappell on various perspectives on how the game is changing and other current topics in cricket that matter to cricket fans worldwide.
Nimal says that the book’s title was indeed the literal truth: He had been “Looking” for Doug from the time he first arrived in Australia in July 1993. This book is his story, woven with Doug’s story, covering cricket in this important and thoroughly enjoyable era (1965-1981). As a cricket freak, Nimal “witnessed this era” by listening to ABC and BBC radio broadcasts that he listened to back in Sri Lanka.
A summarised account of Doug’s statistics with an analysis ends the book, placing him correctly where he deserves to be, among the leading run scorers for Australia. The narrative also summarises why Doug Walters will be remembered as a true custodian of the game we love and the spirit in which it should be played. In the final analysis, Doug stands head and shoulders above those who didn’t endeavour to do so in the past or make no attempt even today.
The Author
Nimal Chandrasena is a Weed Scientist by profession. He has also spent a lifetime wallowing in cricket history. This book is the outcome of Nimal following the career of the legendary Australian cricketer – Kevin Douglas Walters. Doug broke into Test Cricket in December 1965. Since then, Nimal “looked” for Doug and finally met him in 2009. They continue to be good friends.
In Australia, the book (350 pages with 20 pages of Black and White high-quality photographs) is priced at RRP Aus $ 39.95 (plus $10.50 p&p)
It will soon be available at numerous bookshops in Australia and Sri Lanka. Friends and colleagues can receive a copy, which Nimal is offering at a 25% discount at $ 30.
Please write to Nimal to order a copy at: nimal.chandrasena@gmail.com Or, phone: 0408 279 604 (Nimal)
A dedicated Website for the book is being developed. Also, the book will be globally available soon via Ingram Spark and AmazonKDP.
