[caption id="attachment_51453" align="alignnone" width="580"]DSC07292 India coach Ravi Shastri caught up with Sri Lanka's oldest cricket fan Percy Abeysekera at the SSC grounds. Image Source: Xtra Time[/caption] Debasis Sen, Colombo: An old familiar face was seated at the stands today adjacent to the tunnel where the players come out of the dressing room here at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground. He is no one but the Super fan of Sri Lanka cricket Percy Abeysekera. Percy, who celebrated his 81st birthday a couple of days back, was present today during the India practice at the SSC. He was gifted a bat signed by the entire Indian team on the occasion of his birthday. The old man still has enough energy left within him when he cracks a joke at Shastri on meeting him. He was at the ground to show Ravi an article on him which was carried in the newsletter released by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board. Both of them first met back in 1980 when Shastri was in his U’19 days. And their friendship has stayed on till today. According to Percy, “The greatest quality of Ravi is he will call a spade a spade as he is a very much straight forward guy. I admire him because of that.” Talking about his friends appointment as Team India coach, Percy has no doubts whatsoever in his mind that the Indian team will do well under him. “I don’t think India can get a better manager than Ravi,” says Percy. It has been a good start for newly-appointed India coach Ravi Shastri winning the Galle test match. And, not only on the pitch but off it too, Shastri had a good time because of gentleman like Percy. The old man cannot hide his emotions to see the sorry state of the Sri Lanka Cricket. But is confident the present generation of cricketers can take Sri Lanka cricket forward.