Sri Lanka-Born Physio Gets Doctoral Degree in Cricket Injury in Australia

Sri Lanka-born cricket physiotherapist Dulan Kodikara got his Phd.graduation in Australia. He has achieved a significant milestone as the first physiotherapist hailing from Sri Lanka to complete a doctoral degree in cricket injury epidemiology at Australia's prestigious Federation University.

Dulan's Ph.D. focuses mainly on head, neck, and facial injuries in Australian cricket. He earned a full scholarship from Federation University for his doctoral studies and received backing from Cricket Australia, notably from Dr. Alex Kountouris, head of sports science and sports medicine, who highlighted the importance of Dulan's research.

Incidentally, Dr. Alex Kountoris worked with the Sri Lanka's national team and was a part of the support staff of the team, which won the World Cup in 1996.

Speaking exclusively about his choice of research topic, Dulan explained, "In 2010, I was struck on my right eye while batting, nearly losing my eyesight. Then, the tragic death of Phillip Hughes in 2014 brought home the importance of head, neck, and facial injury prevention in cricket".

Prof. Dara Twomey and Dr. Mandy Plumb supervised Dulan's Ph.D. His research findings have been published in respected international journals. In light of current safety concerns in cricket, especially regarding head, neck, and facial injuries,

Dulan's doctoral work is timely, aligning with efforts by key stakeholders to ensure cricket's safety.

Recently, Dulan accompanied the Australia's Deaf Team to the UAE for the DICC T-20 Deaf Cricket World Cup 2024.