Dinuka Hettiarachchi is a Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

n cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

er. He is a right-handed batsman and a slow left-arm bowler.

Hettiarachchi began playing cricket in 1995 for Tamil Union. He represented clubs at every level from under-13s to under-19s and beyond to senior level. His left-arm spinners and inventive batting action led him to perform extremely well for the Colobmo Colts, but despite this the selectors favoured Rangana Herath

Rangana Herath

Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana Keerthi Bandara Herath, also known as H. M. R. K. B. Herath or Rangana Herath or Jack is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He was educated at Mayurapada Central College, Narammala and Maliyadeva College. He has also played cricket for Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club and Moors...

 and Niroshan Bandaratilleke

Niroshan Bandaratilleke

Mapa Rallalage Chandima Niroshan Bandaratilleke is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a left-arm slow bowler...

. Hettiarachchi was given his chance in the 1997 tour of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

, the 1998 tour of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, and the tri-series in 1999 against Pakistan

Pakistani cricket team

The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....

 in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...

. Having played against Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean cricket team

The Zimbabwean cricket team is a national cricket team representing Zimbabwe. It is administrated by Zimbabwe Cricket...

, he was called to play against South Africa

South African cricket team

The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...

and Pakistan, but was not called to represent either.