Meet the Cricketers – Michael Tissera

Michael Tissera will go down in history as one of the finest leaders of the Sri Lankan cricket team.

Michael captained St Thomas’ College in 1957 and 1958 and made his international debut for Ceylon when Peter May’s Englishmen visited in 1958.

After taking over the captaincy in 1964, Michael turned the team from a group of talented individuals to a match winning combination. Significant wins made by the team against Pakistan in 1964 and India in 1965 under Michael’s leadership enabled Ceylon to be admitted as an Associate member of the ICC in 1965.

Michael was also known as a stylish and graceful right hand batsman and a leg spin bowler. His batting skills were on display when he scored a century against the bowling of legendary West Indian players Hall and Sobers in 1961. He also scored centuries in India in 1965 and in Pakistan in 1966.

Michael’s contribution to Sri Lankan cricket as a player, captain and an administrator was well recognised when the Sobers -Tissera Trophy was introduced in 2015