Open Verdict on Former Cricketer’s Death

It was reported on October 16 that Jayananda Warnaweera, a former Sri Lankan cricketer and former chief curator of the Galle International Cricket Stadium, had passed away. At the time, the announcement offered no further details regarding the cause of death.

Warnaweera, who passed away at the age of 64, is said to have died due to a short-term illness.

Although there had been no reports of controversy or suspicious circumstances in the mainstream media surrounding his death, the coroner's inquest has opted to deliver an open verdict regarding the cause.

The postmortem examination was carried out by Judicial Medical Officer Prabath Senasinghe at the Kandy National Hospital, who has ordered that body samples be sent for further laboratory analysis.

Following the postmortem held yesterday (17th) at the Kandy National Hospital, Warnaweera’s body was handed over to his wife, Janaki Abeysinghe.

The funeral was confirmed by police to have taken place today (18th) at 3:00 p.m. at the Mahaiyawa Public Cemetery in Kandy.

Warnaweera, aged 64 at the time of his death, passed away at his residence located in Ranawana, Katugastota.

An alumnus of Mahinda College in Galle, Jayananda Warnaweera made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1986. He represented Sri Lanka in 10 Test matches and 6 One Day Internationals during his career.