Lanka mourns ‘Uncle Percy’

Sri Lanka’s cricket stars and newspapers on Tuesday mourned the death of a beloved “super fan” who had become a one-man cheer leader and a permanent presence at international games.

Percy Abeysekara, 87, died at a hospital outside the capital Colombo on Monday following a brief illness, according to his family.

Former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene described Abeysekara as the “true 12th man for many generations of Sri Lankan cricketers”.

“He was there throughout my entire career, cheering us on, waving his flag and always, win or lose, making us laugh,” Jayawardena said.

“We will all miss you dearly ‘Uncle Percy’.”

Another ex-skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, said Abeysekara was as much a part of the Sri Lanka cricket set-up as the players.