Pubudu Dassanayake was born in Kandy, on 11 July 1970. Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Pubudu Dassanayake was on the list of those players, who held the wicket-keeping positions for a brief period as the first-choice wicketkeeper. But due to poor batting performance, his position could not hold for a long time. He made his first-class debut at the age of 19.
Pubudu Dassanayake made his international debut in August 1993, playing three Tests and two ODIs in a home series against a powerful South Africa bowling attack. Dassanayake could not justify his batting at international standards which led to his being replaced. He could not accomplish his batting against the South African attack in 1994-95. Which had been demolishing the top-order batting as well?
Hence, he was replaced by Chamara Dunusinghe on the tour of New Zealand in that season. Although he was made a brief return to the Sri Lankan team against England A in 1998. He was a specialist wicketkeeper. So, Pubudu was at its best by recording six dismissals in an innings in a warm-up game for a Sri Lanka Board XI in 1993.
Dassanayake was selected on the tour of India, playing in three Tests and one ODI. In the 1994 Austral-Asia Cup in the UAE, he played ODIs against Australia and New Zealand for the first time. The next cricketing ties were a home series against Pakistan in August 1994. After that he was followed by the Singer World Series a quadrangular ODI tournament hosted in Sri Lanka), and then by a tour of Zimbabwe.
Pubudu Bathiya Dassanayake represented both Sri Lanka and Canada internationally. After immigrating to Canada in 2001, he made his international debut for Canada at the 2005 ICC Trophy held in Ireland. After retiring from cricket, he opts to select a coaching career.
He coached the United States national team and coached Canada and Nepal as well. He also represented Canada in ICC Intercontinental Cup matches against Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, acting captain in the absence of John Davison.
Pubudu Dassanayake represented Sri Lanka in eleven Test matches. He just manage to score 196 runs at 13.06 with the best score of 36 and held 19 catches and 5 stumps. In the 16 One Day International (ODI) matches, he scored 85 runs with the best score of 20* along with 9 catches and 4 stumps. His domestic career, which was played mostly for the Bloomfield Cricket, Sinhalese Sports Club, and Athletic Club, continued until the 2000–01 season.
