Kumar Balakrishnan was born in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon. Like so many children in the parts of the world colonised by the British, he began playing cricket at the elementary school level. He and his friends used tennis balls and other makeshift equipment, playing on any open space available, including roads. Inspired by the Test Cricket and One-Day matches between Australia and England, he played and practiced as often as he could. At age 13 he played U-15 cricket for his school, Methodist Central College, founded in 1814 by the British, and in his second year was made captain of his team. At Jaffna Hindu college, a boarding school, Balakrishnan played for the school’s varsity cricket team as an all-rounder for a period of five years.
At twenty, Kumar Balakrishnan entered medical school at the University of Ceylon. In his fourth year, he was made captain of the university’s cricket team. He continued playing regularly during his internship, so much so that he was known as Mr. Cricketer.
Dr. (now his professional title) Balakrishnan migrated to New York city in June 1970. He found no organized cricket until 1978, when he discovered the Staten Island Cricket Club (SICC). He became a regular player, known for his stylish batting and tidy bowling. In about 1990, he joined SICC’s Executive Committee, on which he has served ever since.
Dr Bala (as he is known to all) is responsible for inspiring and launching SICC’s Youth Cricket Program in 2010. He had long observed the lack of opportunities for youngsters to play cricket in New York, and was determined to make a difference. Thanks in large part to his efforts and his vision, the SICC Youth Program has flourished for years and is now stronger than ever.
For his long and significant service to cricket in New York, and for his contributions to passing the game on to future generations, Dr. Kumar Balakrishnan is a worthy inductee into the Cricket Hall of Fame.