Middlesex spinner Thilan Walallawita granted British citizenship

Walallawita moved to England from Sri Lanka aged 12 but has been unable to play for Middlesex as a local player until now

Middlesex spinner Thilan Walallawita has been granted British citizenship, bringing to an end a protracted process that has taken multiple years to resolve.

Walallawita, 23, moved to England aged 12 and came through the county's youth system, only to find his path to regular senior cricket blocked by bureaucracy that meant he could not be registered as a local player, forcing him instead to compete with Middlesex's overseas signings for a first-team berth.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time, and it feels like today a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders," he said, also thanking Middlesex for their considerable support.

He added: "[I] am looking forward to repaying their faith in me by delivering for them on the pitch. Hopefully I can play my part in what we all hope will be a successful period for the club on the field.

"I've been a part of this county for 10 years and since I first started it's been my ambition to play as a local player – at last that day has come.

"I can now concentrate fully on trying to cement my place in the side in all formats and no longer worry about things off the field that have been out of my control."

The Cricketer understands that Walallawita's citizenship was due to come through on April 19, but it has ultimately arrived three weeks earlier after much behind-the-scenes work.

The long road to resolving this issue included letters sent to Julian Knight MP, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Nadine Dorries, the secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and Oliver Dowden, Walallawita's local MP, who provided a direct response.

^{Walallawita's appearances have been restricted by bureaucracy until now (Jacques Feeney/Getty Images)}

It was hoped last year that the ECB would grant him discretionary status to play as a local cricketer, once he had applied for indefinite leave to remain in 2021. That request was turned down, however, with the left-arm spinner subsequently restricted to just four first-class appearances, six matches in the Royal London Cup and a solitary T20 Blast outing, where he picked up three wickets.

Walallawita, who narrowly escaped the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 as a child, graduated from Middlesex's academy and was the club's second-team leading wicket-taker in 2019, leading to a first professional contract. In 2020, once the season belatedly began in August, he was granted temporary "unqualified" status by the ECB, allowing him to be ever-present in the Bob Willis Trophy.

"We are absolutely thrilled that Thilan is now in a position to be registered as a local cricketer and his career with the club can continue to thrive," said Alan Coleman, Middlesex's head of performance cricket.

"He is a hugely popular member of the dressing room here, and he has had quite the journey to reach this point. It's great to see his patience and hard work rewarded in this way and he can now focus on developing and improving his game.

"As a left-arm spinner with immense talent, Thilan is a rare breed in modern day cricket, and is someone that we have high hopes for in the game. We look forward to supporting him through the next phase of his career."

A representative for Walallawita confirmed that further clarification was being sought to understand whether he will be eligible for Middlesex's first game of the season against Derbyshire and, if not, whether special dispensation might be made for him to be available for selection.

It is also hoped that he will be entered into the draft for The Hundred as a local player.