# Sri Lankan cricket coach dies after altercation with players 2026-08-13T20:16:21+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Veteran Sri Lankan cricket coach Sumith Fernando, 62, died in hospital after an altercation with young players at a Colombo cricket facility on August 8. The dispute reportedly began when players found no drinking water available. A 17-year-old school cricketer has been arrested and placed under child probation custody until August 17. Timesnownews reports Fernando had pre-existing heart disease, and post-mortem results are awaited to determine the exact cause of death. Fernando had coached several Sri Lankan players, including current ODI captain Kusal Mendis, during his long career. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com - news.abplive.com Tags: Colombo, cricket coach, investigation, player altercation, Sri Lanka, Sumith Fernando Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sri-lankan-cricket-coach-dies-after-scuffle-with-players/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sri-lankan-cricket-coach-dies-after-scuffle-with-players/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.