Pomborneit's Sri Lankan imports to remain in Australia on student visas

Tharaka Sendanayake and Lahiru 'Larry' Fernando have played in two flags in their two seasons with the Bulls.

Captain Grant Place, who will lead the club again in 2020-21, said he was thrilled to have the pair back on deck.

"They are both still in the country. With COVID they kind of got stuck in Australia," he said.

"The Australian government is normally pretty strict on visas changing, you could never ever change your visa from a sporting visa to a student visa or anything like that.

"But because of COVID the Australian government allowed them to change and both of them are studying now. They are here for three years."

Fernando, who took 4-27 in the Bulls' grand final win against Camperdown in March, is working on Place's farm near Pomborneit and living in Camperdown.

Sendanayake is living and working in Melbourne.

"They are both definitely playing for us, that is locked in," Place said.

"When we find out a bit more about restrictions easing, then we can get 'Sender' back out of Melbourne and get him work down here for summer."

Place said it was important Pomborneit and the surrounding areas felt like a second home for Fernando and Sendanayake.

Sendanayake has a wife and two young children in Sri Lanka.

Place said Fernando missed an important family occasion last week.

"Larry does get a little homesick at times, just little things, like he said it was his grandpa's 98^th birthday yesterday," he said.

But there are positives.

"Larry was very excited to go to uni. He works Monday to Friday mornings because he has class on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays just online," Place said.

"The first nine months I think they have decided to do an English course and after that Larry was talking about transferring into some sort of business course and with Sender I am not too sure (what he is planning)."

Place said the pair had settled in well.

"Larry lives in Camperdown but our farm is just across the road from the cricket ground so he's working in Pomborneit, playing in Pomborneit so he's definitely a local," he said.

"I think most people around town would know who he was now."

South West Cricket is waiting for advice from the state government as to when its new season can start.