Veteran cricket coach Nelson Mendis will launch his autobiography on 21 February at the Malalasekera Hall at Nalanda College in Colombo. 

Mendis has been involved in cricket coaching for almost seven decades in Sri Lanka and has produced thousands of cricketers through his renowned training academy, the Nelson Mendis Cricket Academy. 

‘Disciplining Many,’ as he has decided to name his book, carries many interesting episodes of his inspiring story, which would certainly become life lessons for any young reader. 

He has described several incidents where he had used diverse tactics to control and correct many young students and guide them to become useful citizens of the country in later years. The book promises a fascinating flow of interesting chapters of his life.

Coach Mendis has guided 28 young cricketers who later played for Sri Lanka, while most of his cricket students have gone to the extent of becoming renowned match officials, cricket coaches, and administrators in Sri Lanka as well as abroad. 

Even at 87, Mendis still continues with his passion of mentoring and guiding young cricketers, who have the luxury of being coached by one of the most admired cricket gurus in Sri Lanka.

The official launching ceremony of ‘Disciplining Many’ will take place at 5 p.m. on 21 February at Nalanda College, the institution which Mendis recalls as a very important part of his life.

Hemaka Amarasuriya, former Chairman of Singer Sri Lanka, the organisation in which Mendis worked after he left Nalanda College, will attend the occasion as Chief Guest, while two leading international cricketers, Roshan Mahanama and Mahela Jayawardena – his former students and products of Nalanda – will be special guests at the occasion.

The event is bound to be a star-studded evening with many leading personalities from the cricketing arena gathering in one location to pay tribute to this great personality. 

Among them, several past cricketers as well as past students, fellow teachers, cricketers, coaches, umpires, and cricket administrators with whom Mendis had worked over the years are also expected to be present.