A Dubai schoolboy is hoping to follow the footsteps of an England batter to international cricket when he moves to the UK this summer.
Ranula de Silva has been invited to attend Rugby School after catching the eye at DESS College.
The 13-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is set to join the former boarding house of Jacob Bethell, who was given a scholarship to the school as a 12-year-old overseas student.
Bethell, who is originally from Barbados, has since gone on to become a star for England, having scored centuries in ODI, Test and T20 internationals by the time he was 22.
He is a role model for Ranula, who is also a diminutive – Bethell was described as “tiny” when he first relocated – left-handed batter.
The opportunity emerged after he was spotted at training at DESS College by Nick Tester, who taught at Rugby School in Warwickshire before moving to Dubai and coaching at Legends Academy.
After Bethell scored a century against India in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Tester put Ranula in touch with his one-time protege.
“Nick allowed me to send him a few messages,” Ranula said of Bethell.
“I was telling him what an inspiration it is knowing he went from Barbados, then coming to England - same as me, an international journey. Then for him to become this big star, it's pretty amazing.
“He replied, and he told me not to worry about my height – I think Nick told him a bit about me – but to keep pursuing the dream because it will happen one day.”
Ranula has been impressing with his cricket ability almost since he learnt to walk.
“My earliest cricket memory was when I was three and a half and [Sri Lankan great] Aravinda de Silva was in town,” Ranula said.
“My dad enrolled me into an academy. The first balls I'd been bowled were by Aravinda, a few underarm deliveries. I had a few people surrounding me, watching me.
“I loved the attention. It was really enjoyable. I was able to play very well and then the crowd were supporting me, especially because I'm very small.”
He first started to aspire to a career in the sport after he began hardball cricket, following a break from cricket caused by the pandemic.
“After I scored my first 50, the joy was unimaginable,” Ranula said.
“After that I started working hard. I enjoyed the game a lot and that was the most important thing. But I wanted to show myself that I could do more than this.”
His formative years in the game were spent at Desert Cubs, the prolific coaching school that has produced a variety of UAE internationals, with whom he still plays most of his matches.
He has also had extra tuition with the Desert Vipers, as well as Legends Academy, who provide coaching services to a variety of schools in Dubai.
“In my first training session at DESS College, Nick watched me to bat for a few balls,” Ranula said.
“He got some players to bowl at me and after this he came up to me and said, ‘Can I have your dad's number, please?’
“It caught me by surprise. Then he told us this whole idea. Jacob Bethell had just started popping off at the time, so it was very exciting, but obviously a little heartbreaking because I don't want to leave my family as I love them very much.
“It caught me by surprise, but I knew what a big opportunity it was and I can't take it for granted. I know I have to work hard for this if I want to achieve my goals.”
Ranula’s new school has a close relationship with Warwickshire, the county side for whom Kai Smith, another Dubai-born wicketkeeper, now plays as a professional.
“It is a great opportunity for Ranula to be in a programme alongside players who are as talented as him,” said Dougie Brown, a former Warwickshire player and coach, who runs Legends Academy in Dubai.
“He is a great kid from an awesome family who I think will fit in incredibly well at Rugby School.”
The idea of sending his young son off to school abroad is bittersweet for Ranula’s father, Ranil de Silva.
“We'd never, ever thought about sending him to a boarding school, definitely not so early in his life,” said Ranil, who works in finance and has lived in Dubai for 19 years.
“The more we thought about the whole process, I was convinced, only because I went there to see how that culture is.
“Rugby is a lovely place, a small town, very controlled. We liked it, and also because rugby as a name is attached to me personally.”
Ranil is a former rugby player and referee whose own schooling was at Kingswood College, which pioneered rugby in Sri Lanka. His daughter, Naduli, has also represented Sri Lanka at age-group level as a scrum-half.
As such, the idea of sending his son to the school where rugby was created resonated strongly with him.
He is hopeful Ranula, who is also an adept rugby player, guitarist and cook, will adapt to life in his new surroundings.
“At a younger age he was timid,” Ranil said. “He would go and see whether his favourite coach was there, and if not, he would not go for training.
“That has all changed, but I'm concerned because being too nice in an unknown territory could be an issue.
“But once he’s settled down, he's going to make friends. I'll be surprised if he doesn't start cooking for the boarding house in three months’ time.”
