Andri now clad in Black and Ash in ICC World Cup
Exactly five years ago former St. Peter’s College opener and wicketkeeper Andri Rafaello Berenger was in New Zealand representing Sri Lanka as a frontline batsman in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. During the recent years Berenger has tried his utmost to get into the Sri Lanka national stream and he was almost up to it. His dream was to represent his country in an ICC World Cup.
Five years on, as a 23-year- old, Berenger has finally had his dream realised. This time he will be back in New Zealand playing at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. But as wished he will not clad the ‘Blue and Gold’ playing kit, instead Berenger will wear the ‘Black and Ash’ kit representing the United Arab Emirates, his country of birth.
Berenger will be one of the two Sri Lankans representing another country besides Manjula Guruge, who is 10 years senior to him. But Berenger has played one game more than his senior teammate for UAE. Having attained more achievements than Guruge at First Class and List ‘A’ level, Berenger became an automatic choice of UAE officials to fill in a slot of one of the openers. So far he has done his part considerably well.
UAE-born Berenger learned the basics of cricket in Sharjah, Dubai where a heap of South Asian expatriates were residing. He represented the UAE at Under-15 level before leaving for Sri Lanka in 2004 to join St. Peter’s College on a scholarship. After perfecting the art of cricket at St. Peter’s he went on to reach the international level by representing Sri Lanka at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand in 2010.
But the basics of the game were taught to him at the age of nine by Shahzad Altaf, currently head coach of Young Talent Cricket Academy, and former Pakistan Test cricketer Tauseef Ahmad. He trained with these two coaches at an academy then known as Emirates Cricket Training, where he gain his first international exposure while training. He also toured England and Pakistan.
Then he captained Grammar School's Under-14 team and scored heavily in inter school tournaments which paved the way to represent the UAE Under-15 team in the Gulf Cup held in Bahrain. He swept the awards for the best batsman, best wicketkeeper and man- of-the- series in the Gemini Cup Under-15 tournament at the Sharjah Cricket ground, scoring 334 runs with two centuries from four matches.
Back in Sri Lanka, Berenger became an important cog of St. Peter’s cricket unit. In the All-Island Under-17 tournament in 2008, he scored 807 runs with two unbeaten hundreds and six half centuries at an average of 90. As a First XI player he reached many milestones while as a 17- year- old youngster he hit a career best knock of 174 runs in addition to four half centuries in the SLC Under-23 Division I tournament representing CCC against Tamil Union.
At international level, Berenger has played four ODIs for UAE making his debut against Afghanistan last November. In the four matches played he scored 152 runs including two half centuries with the best of 66. A few months earlier he was part of the UAE team that played against a strong Pakistan ‘A’ side. In the opening game he struck an unbeaten 77 to steer UAE to an emphatic victory.
Berenger sould be watching some of his former teammates from Sri Lanka in action as UAE is placed in Pool ‘B’ alongside South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland. If UAE succeeds to the next round, the quarterfinals by chance, Berenger could experience the rare opportunity of playing against his country of origin, Sri Lanka.
He would have wished to be in the Sri Lankan camp who are in Pool ‘A’ instead, as he did five years ago in the same country. But fate has proved otherwise. Come what may, Berenger is highly contended with the opportunity that he has come across, to play an ICC Cricket World Cup. UAE will kick start its campaign against Zimbabwe in Nelson on February 19.