Sri Lanka has produced many outstanding players in its short history. Whether it was Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, or Kumar Sangakkara, they all carved a special place in cricket lore. However, there was one cricketer who could have reached this level but failed for two reasons. First, Sri Lanka was not a part of international cricket at the time. But the second reason was more poignant. This player spent months in prison on charges of murdering his wife. His name was Mahadevan Sathasivam.
Sri Lanka entered international cricket in the 1970s, with the launch of the One Day World Cup. Test status was subsequently granted in the 1980s. However, cricket was played in Sri Lanka even before that. First-class cricket had been played there for a long time. This was the era when Mahadevan Sathasivam entered Sri Lankan cricket, and he immediately began to make his mark.
Accused of murdering his wife, jailed for 20 months
But just as he had established his reputation and garnered attention for his batting, something shocking happened to Sathasivam. In 1951, Sathasivam’s wife, Paripurnam Ananda Rajendra, died suddenly, and her body was found in the garage of their home. But the most sensational allegation was that Sathasivam himself had committed the murder. These allegations arose because Sathasivam and his wife were having disagreements and were undergoing divorce proceedings. Following this serious accusation, he was arrested, which ruined his remaining career.
But the most sensational turn in the case came when the true truth was revealed. After a lengthy trial, the court unanimously acquitted him. His lawyer and a renowned forensic expert from Britain disproved the prosecutor’s arguments against Sathasivam regarding the evidence and the time of death. Ultimately, the jury acquitted him of all charges, and he was released after 20 months. It was then revealed that the domestic servant had committed the murder and was convicted. Some witnesses who had given false testimony in the case were later sentenced.
Captained two countries
Sathasivam was born on October 18, 1915, in what was then Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He was a right-handed batsman known for his timing and stylish batting. Sathasivam never had the opportunity to play international Test cricket. He played only 11 first-class matches, scoring 753 runs at an average of 41.83. He scored three centuries and three half-centuries, with a highest score of 215.
After being released from prison after about 20 months, he left Sri Lanka and moved to Singapore. He did play cricket there for a while. He also captained the Singapore and Malaya (Malaysia) teams, becoming one of the rare cricketers to captain two different national teams. However, cricket in these countries did not receive as much attention at the time. He died on July 9, 1977, at the age of 62.