Feedback and testimonials on the recent cricket tours organised by Amita Weerakoon (NZSL Cricket Management & Tours).
HI Amita,
Thanks again for a truly incredible family holiday!
I have been in touch with the group who are coming in July and they are very excited.
Hopefully we can get to travel back to your beautiful country sometime in the future.
I am telling all my friends that they need to visit Sri Lanka.
Kind regards,
Fiona
Dr Fiona Lienert – Selwyn College Supporters Group.
Neil Penfold – Deputy Principal, Selwyn College, Auckland.
Kia ora, Amita,
The boys, Ryan and I are still buzzing about Sri Lanka. The chat continues ….
My wife and I now have Sri Lanka firmly on our list of holiday destinations, for us to do as a couple.
I think we will definitely look at doing another tour, perhaps even making it a “permanent” fixture on our calendar.
I think it would have to be every two/three years. Happy to pencil in some provisional dates at some point.
Ryan and I would love to catch up at some point. Stay in touch.
Kind regards,
Neil
Good morning Amita
Home to about 12-15 degree days…hmmm. Many thanks to both yourself and Jodi for what was an awesome experience for both the lads and the dads!
Look forward to catching up sometime 🙂
cheers
Matt
Matt Hart (Ex Black Cap) – One on One U17 Academy, Cambridge.
Raj and Anjan – Selwyn College tour.
Hi Amita,
Firstly we want to thank you so much for giving us both the experience of a lifetime! We had an amazing time and learned so much about Sri Lanka especially the people and the culture. Its an amazing country and your hospitality and organisation was incredible, everything worked like clockwork. Anjan really enjoyed the safari, and of course playing at the test venue in the last game! We will always treasure these memories.
We have been sharing our experience with all our family and friends and encouraging them to make a trip. I am really keen to take my wife and younger son at some stage as well. I will be recommending your tour to others in the cricketing community.
We were also very impressed by the standard of cricket and the facilities, which gave our boys some great learning opportunities.
Anjan is keen to get some more information on the U19 July 2025 tour, and maybe interested in going. If you could share any details that would be great.
I hope you are managing to get some downtime.
All the best
Hello Amita,
Thankyou very much for your organisation and leadership of our Sri Lankan tour.
It was very well organised and the itinerary was perfectly paced with a great mixture of cricket and tourist activities. It was a real treat to watch our boys play at an international test cricket venue, and also to visit the turtle hatchery and elephant orphanage/safari… So many highlights!
Please pass on my thanks to Jodi as well. I appreciated her guidance and support during the tour.
Thanks again Amita, and all the best..
Rob – One on One U17 Academy, Cambridge group.
David Aitkenhead – Selwyn Supporters Group
Thanks Amita, it was amazing! And thank you so much for everything you did! Everyone said it was even better than they expected! Yes definitely will spread the word.
See you soon,
Hi Amita
Many many thanks to you for organising such a fantastic, enriching tour. My boys are still raving about how good it was.
I heard many good things about the excellent things you brought to the group, not just your very good organisation skills and communication, but your coaching skills also. I feel very grateful that Archie and Liam got to have that time with you and benefitting from your wisdom and skills.
We would have no hesitation recommending you for future tours and will certainly be sharing the experience widely amongst our networks. (Have already done so in fact). A big thanks to Jodi also, from a mum’s perspective it was really lovely to know that she was around and everyone was super appreciative of everything she did. Her communication was also top notch.
Thanks again for everything.
Karli Joll – One on One U17 Academy, Cambridge.
Serena Vaz – 0274610944. One on One U17 Academy, Cambridge.
Hello Amita,
I hope you’re doing well. First and foremost, please convey our regards to your wife Jodi.
Thank you so much for your kind words and warm hospitality during our Sri Lankan tour. It was truly a memorable experience for all of us, and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring your beautiful country.
Your efforts to showcase Sri Lanka and promote its local businesses and tourism are commendable. We were happy to support and contribute to the community during our stay.
Your gratitude means a lot to us, and we are grateful for the opportunity to experience the rich culture and hospitality of Sri Lanka. We will definitely share our wonderful experiences with our friends and family to encourage more travel to your amazing country.
We look forward to visiting Sri Lanka again in the future, and we’ll keep in mind your offer to organize cricket or leisure tours. Your dedication to giving back to Sri Lanka is inspiring, and we would be delighted to be a part of such initiatives.
Thank you for everything, and we wish you continued success and prosperity.
Best regards,
Dear Amita,
We are all back in our homes in the mountains of Queenstown – with fresh snow in the hills to welcome us back. The contrast from Colombo couldn’t be bigger!!
Thanks so much for making our Wakatipu High School tour entirely successful!! Through the sporting, cultural and group travel experiences you guys provided we have seen smiles on faces and witnessed all the boys grow up. The stories of actual cricket playing will no doubt drop down the list behind food, hotels, tuk-tuk rides, beaches, bartering and the special chaos seen around the streets of Sri Lanka – and that’s the way it should be!
The dynamics within the group of Kiwi parents, coaches and players as well as Dinesh, Shanaka and the team on the ground with us was a winner.
As parents we just aim to provide experiences that help raise good young men, what you guys provided for them and us was superb. Thank you so much.
There is already murmurings of a future SL tour (2026?) from the school so you better watch out for an inquiry before too long.
Have a great weekend.
Bohoma Sthuthi
Matt Hollyer – Master in Charge of Cricket –
Wakatipu High School – Queenstown
Raj Harike – One on One U17 Academy, Cambridge.
Hello Amita
Thank you for everything as Mandy and the girls keep speaking highly of how you looked after them and how well the trip was planned plus Sanvir had a ball except it was bit hot for them…lol
Regards,
Hi Amita,
A big thank you for taking such great care of us and for organising such a fantastic experience. It was such a wonderful once in a lifetime opportunity for the kids to play cricket against the local teams as well as seeing some of the amazing sights of Sri Lanka. We all had the absolute best time.
We have been raving about our trip and will definitely recommend you to anyone who would like to visit Sri Lanka.
Wishing you and Jodi all the very best!
Take care,
Karina, Stuart, Blair and Rhys 🙂 – Selwyn College tour.
Westlake Boys High School Cricket tour of Sri Lanka – September/October 2024
Chris Glackin
Hi Amita.
These boys are having the trip of a lifetime!, thanks for all you are doing and the comms so we can see your stunning country. You’ve done your bit for the Sri Lankan tourism board! I would’ve loved to come but unfortunately couldn’t, but your photos and exemplary organisation has made SL go to the top of the wish list to travel to for Justine and I. Look forward to catching up when you’re back.
Hi Everyone,
As I depart Sri Lanka tonight a few reflections and thank you’s from me as I had the pleasure of experiencing this tour first hand.
Firstly to Amita. I have been on many cricket tours but this has to be the best. An unbelievable opportunity following the boys around and seeing the Sri Lankan sights and culture up front. Your dedication to get the best experience for the boys continuously is admirable.
Mark Johnson
Tim and Angela
Hey Amita,
Thanks for the article. That’s amazing to have a Westlake team in the Sri Lanka news twice now.
The boys are doing so well and it’s going to be hard for them to get back to reality here after such an amazing tour.
All the best for today’s game. Take care
Thanks Mark,
I’m delighted your tour was so enjoyable. Having been on Amita’s tours, they are such an amazing experience and agree the boys are very lucky to be part of something so special and memorable. Safe journey home ❤️
Angela Ferguson
Dawn Holman
Honestly can’t say more than what has been said already. So incredibly appreciative of everyone involved in making this tour the incredible and memorable experience that it has been for our boys! Thank you a hundred times over 🙏🏻😘
Hi Amitha, hope you well. This is Jordan’s dad.
We are happy to have him back home and are enjoying all the chats regarding the tour.
I would just like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you have arranged and done for the boys. Jordan has been on a few tours, but he undoubtedly confirmes that this tour has been the best he has ever been on… And it’s all thanks to you.
Your tours are such a good experience for the players from here and i am sure means alot to the people of SriLanka.
Well done on the work you doing and keep going.
Please feel free to use Jordan as a reference if anyone ever has questions about your tours.
හොඳින් තබාගෙන ආරක්ෂිතව නැවත නවසීලන්තයට ගමන් කරයි
Regards – Jacques
Jaques Van Zyle
Auckland Cricket Selection Sri Lankan tour feedback – July 2018
Hi Amita,
Its been a few weeks since we got home and we’ve settled back into our routines. I just wanted to drop you a note to say ‘thank you’ for everything you did for us while we were on tour.
Anna and Lily had the best holiday ever, Rupert had a wonderful experience and learned so much about himself, his cricket and how to get along with team-mates and I had the best break I’ve had in a long time.
Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and Sri Lankans are the nicest people I have ever met (yes, really!), so thank you for leading us on a wonderful tour of some of your country.
We had such a good time with Basil after the cricket tour too – it was so good to be able to visit other parts of the country and to see some amazing places. The accommodation you arranged for us was absolutely first class too; we felt very spoilt 🙂
I’ve also let Phil know how grateful we are for all his efforts in supporting us and attending to every detail to make our trip to enjoyable. He did an amazing job – you selected (and trained) him well!
Thanks again for a wonderful two weeks – we would love to visit Sri Lanka again in the next few years.
All the best
Chris & Anna
Matthew Bond
Hi Iain and Tony,
I’m getting in touch after being fortunate enough to be part of the recently completed Auckland Cricket Selection tour of Sri Lanka organized by Amita Weerakoon. Given Auckland Cricket’s endorsement of the tour, I thought you might appreciate some feedback about the trip.
So, in no particular order, here is my attempt to summarise a truly memorable tour.
Organisation
I can’t even begin to guess to how much time Amita and Basil (his man on the ground in Sri Lanka) spent behind the scenes getting accommodation, transportation, venues and activities sorted but they deserve huge credit for their efforts in putting together a truly memorable but very safe experience. There were more than 50 people and two busloads of gear to move around but Basil and his team managed this professionally and with a smile.
Accommodation & Food
The five hotels that we stayed at were of top quality, set in some amazing locations and all shared two key features – a large pool to cool down in at the end of each day and a buffet breakfast and dinner to ensure all tastes were catered for and everyone was well fed and watered. For a young cricketer (and their old supporter), life doesn’t get much better than that!
Activities
It was clear that a lot of thought went into making sure that the activities on the non-playing days gave the tour members a chance to enjoy unique experiences that reflected the best of Sri Lanka – my son and I will never forget being able to release 3 day old turtles into the ocean at dusk or having a wild elephant wander past us within touching distance at the safari park. A tuk tuk ride through downtown Colombo is also an experience I can highly recommend.
Cricket
Obviously, this was the main reason for the trip and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
It is always a challenge working with players from different schools, of different ages and with varying levels of ability but Amita did an outstanding job in bringing together two teams that I believe exceeded expectations with their performances. It was clear that the boys responded well to the principles laid out by Amita at the training sessions before the tour – learning, fun and respect – and it was a pleasure to watch the camaraderie between them grow as the tour progressed.
As far as the games were concerned, all were played on quality grass wickets and most were at venues with facilities that I believe are equal to (if not better than) most first-class grounds in New Zealand – it was also a treat to have official umpires and scorers and even attendants who kept the scoreboards up to date. As wide eyed as our boys were to be playing at these amazing venues, it was great to see that the opposition teams were just as excited to get the opportunity to play on these grounds as well.
The standard of cricket was also very good – the senior players in the U17 team rated it as equivalent to the First XI competition in Auckland – and Amita did an excellent job of making sure everyone got their opportunity with both bat and ball. It was also pleasing to watch the boys adapt so quickly to the different conditions and to see knowledge and learnings being freely shared between team members.
Final Thoughts
If the opportunity presents itself, I would unreservedly recommend this tour to any secondary school age cricketer that is serious about improving their game while also enjoying some once in a lifetime experiences. I think it is a credit to Auckland Cricket that you stand behind these tours and I believe you will see the benefits in future years as the boys apply learnings from these trips when they return to their school and club teams as better cricketers and better young men.
If you or any prospective participant in a future tour has any questions about any aspect of the trip, I’m happy to be contacted to answer them.
Best regards
Hi Amita
It’s hard to believe we’ve been back for over a week already.
I just wanted to send you this short note on behalf of our family to say a very big thank you for organizing such a fantastic trip to Sri Lanka. Like many of the parents, this was our first trip to the country and we can only say the tour was exceptional. You clearly put an enormous amount of planning and effort into the organization of the tour and the result was a trip which introduced us to the culture and essence of Sri Lanka while helping our boys gain cricket experience that will stay with them all their lives.
Dan was very nervous before we left but quickly gained in confidence after the first game. I think the experience for him was enormous and he made some great friends along the way. As soon as we arrived back in Auckland Dan said he would like to go again.
Phil and Dinesh did indeed go the extra mile too. It wouldn’t be an easy job managing such a group with so many hotels and transfers and Phil made everything run like clockwork. Dinesh was excellent with the team, providing excellent feedback and coaching and the boys all liked and respected him.
Thank you for making the trip such a memorable occasion. We will certainly be back to Sri Lanka and will give much thought over the next few weeks to joining next year’s tour. You may find you’ll have three cricket teams to deal with soon as everyone keeps returning. The chartered jet might be on the cards!
Kindest Regards
Kerry, Bronwyn, Will and Dan Titchener
Jo MacKinnon
Hi Amita,
Sam and Owen had such a wonderful tour to Sri Lanka, it was great to get daily updates while Liam and I were in cold Dunedin! I couldn’t believe it when Owen said it was enjoying curry for breakfast!
It was great to hear that both teams had some good wins also. Sam really enjoyed the cricket and no doubt it will steer him into a great upcoming season this year. I am sure his confidence got a good boost!
Kind regards
Hi Amita,
Hope you have made it home safely.
Thank you for such an inspiring trip to Sri Lanka.
It was a truly incredible opportunity that Logan and I will not forget.
We appreciate all your hard work to make this trip come together.
Kind Regards
Andy Nottage, Andrew Nottage
Claire
Hi Amita,Would just like to say a HUGE thank you for the amazing trip that you put together.
Hunter and I will treasure some of the memories that you helped to create ?
I hope that you enjoyed the rest of your time in Sri Lanka and caught up on some well deserved rest!!
Anyway we are back into the swing of crazy term life here and trying to adjust to the slightly cooler weather and a new schedule !!
Steve and I will let you know after Christmas around if we will join the tour again next year…… we need to get through World Champs in Adelaide in November and then take a big breath and look at what is on the calendar for next year!
Thanks again for the magic trip, and talk again soon.
Warm regards
Claire ?
P.S Tell Jodi thanks
Matthew Bond
Hi Iain and Tony,
I’m getting in touch after being fortunate enough to be part of the recently completed Auckland Cricket Selection tour of Sri Lanka organized by Amita Weerakoon. Given Auckland Cricket’s endorsement of the tour, I thought you might appreciate some feedback about the trip.
So, in no particular order, here is my attempt to summarise a truly memorable tour.
Organisation
I can’t even begin to guess to how much time Amita and Basil (his man on the ground in Sri Lanka) spent behind the scenes getting accommodation, transportation, venues and activities sorted but they deserve huge credit for their efforts in putting together a truly memorable but very safe experience. There were more than 50 people and two busloads of gear to move around but Basil and his team managed this professionally and with a smile.
Accommodation & Food
The five hotels that we stayed at were of top quality, set in some amazing locations and all shared two key features – a large pool to cool down in at the end of each day and a buffet breakfast and dinner to ensure all tastes were catered for and everyone was well fed and watered. For a young cricketer (and their old supporter), life doesn’t get much better than that!
Activities
It was clear that a lot of thought went into making sure that the activities on the non-playing days gave the tour members a chance to enjoy unique experiences that reflected the best of Sri Lanka – my son and I will never forget being able to release 3 day old turtles into the ocean at dusk or having a wild elephant wander past us within touching distance at the safari park. A tuk tuk ride through downtown Colombo is also an experience I can highly recommend.
Cricket
Obviously, this was the main reason for the trip and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
It is always a challenge working with players from different schools, of different ages and with varying levels of ability but Amita did an outstanding job in bringing together two teams that I believe exceeded expectations with their performances. It was clear that the boys responded well to the principles laid out by Amita at the training sessions before the tour – learning, fun and respect – and it was a pleasure to watch the camaraderie between them grow as the tour progressed.
As far as the games were concerned, all were played on quality grass wickets and most were at venues with facilities that I believe are equal to (if not better than) most first-class grounds in New Zealand – it was also a treat to have official umpires and scorers and even attendants who kept the scoreboards up to date. As wide eyed as our boys were to be playing at these amazing venues, it was great to see that the opposition teams were just as excited to get the opportunity to play on these grounds as well.
The standard of cricket was also very good – the senior players in the U17 team rated it as equivalent to the First XI competition in Auckland – and Amita did an excellent job of making sure everyone got their opportunity with both bat and ball. It was also pleasing to watch the boys adapt so quickly to the different conditions and to see knowledge and learnings being freely shared between team members.
Final Thoughts
If the opportunity presents itself, I would unreservedly recommend this tour to any secondary school age cricketer that is serious about improving their game while also enjoying some once in a lifetime experiences. I think it is a credit to Auckland Cricket that you stand behind these tours and I believe you will see the benefits in future years as the boys apply learnings from these trips when they return to their school and club teams as better cricketers and better young men.
If you or any prospective participant in a future tour has any questions about any aspect of the trip, I’m happy to be contacted to answer them.
Best regards
Hi Amita
It’s hard to believe we’ve been back for over a week already.
I just wanted to send you this short note on behalf of our family to say a very big thank you for organizing such a fantastic trip to Sri Lanka. Like many of the parents, this was our first trip to the country and we can only say the tour was exceptional. You clearly put an enormous amount of planning and effort into the organization of the tour and the result was a trip which introduced us to the culture and essence of Sri Lanka while helping our boys gain cricket experience that will stay with them all their lives.
Dan was very nervous before we left but quickly gained in confidence after the first game. I think the experience for him was enormous and he made some great friends along the way. As soon as we arrived back in Auckland Dan said he would like to go again.
Phil and Dinesh did indeed go the extra mile too. It wouldn’t be an easy job managing such a group with so many hotels and transfers and Phil made everything run like clockwork. Dinesh was excellent with the team, providing excellent feedback and coaching and the boys all liked and respected him.
Thank you for making the trip such a memorable occasion. We will certainly be back to Sri Lanka and will give much thought over the next few weeks to joining next year’s tour. You may find you’ll have three cricket teams to deal with soon as everyone keeps returning. The chartered jet might be on the cards!
Kindest Regards
Kerry, Bronwyn, Will and Dan Titchener