WDCA star all-rounder Jason Perera signs with Ragama in Sri Lankan first-class competition

That's the well-credentialed view from Port Fairy coach Brian Medew about his returning gun all-rounder and two-time association player of the year Jason Perera.

The 29-year-old all-rounder - who will return to Avery's Paddock this summer after missing last season - has signed with first-class cricket club Ragama in Sri Lanka where he will play before coming to Australia for the WDCA season.

It's the former international under 19's first foray back into professional cricket since 2015, with five first-class matches and 12 List A games already listed next to his name in his homeland.

"It's obviously really exciting for him to be back playing at that level where he deserves to be," Medew told The Standard.

"Hopefully it all goes well for us, and for him and he can get out there and crunch a few big scores, and hopefully he might even come into consideration (at international level) some day down the track.

"He represented Sri Lanka in the Under 19 World Cup and cricket for a variety of reasons got put on the back-burner, and that's always been his angst I suppose about wanting to play at that higher level which he's no doubt been good enough.

"He's not played at that level for a few years and hopefully he can put his head down and have a good year."

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Medew said it was exciting to have Perera back for the 2022/23 season after missing him in 2021/22 due to border restrictions.

The leftie has a formidable record in the WDCA competition, having taken 167 wickets from 79 matches at an incredible average of 12.99 and 2232 runs at 31.89 including three centuries.

He has also featured seven times at Country Week level for the association.

"He's locked in to get here in September, so from what I've spoken to him about in the last week or so, it won't impact on him getting here in time for our season," he said.

"In his first year here he was playing at that level and I think he got here two or three matches in, and still won the WDCA player of the year award."

The Pirates coach said preparations for next season "never stop" and the club was hoping to further bolster the playing list.

"We've been doing a fair bit of work, talking to lots of players, reviewing current players and hopefully we'll get a few across the line recruitment wise," he said of the club's off-season strategy.

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