A 21-year-old left-arm spinner of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, Zanden Jeh recently earned his maiden Australia A call-up for the series against Sri Lanka A—facing the land of his heritage at the international level for the first time. Ironically, it’s the same land his father and grandparents narrowly escaped following the brutal anti-Tamil violence of July 1983. The surname “Jeh” is a shortened form of “Jehoratnam,” adopted by the family during their life in the diaspora.
Zanden Jeh, who also works as a schoolteacher, was in the middle of a class when his phone buzzed with a call from national selector Tony Dodemaide. Initially missing the call and thinking it might be a prank, he returned it—only to receive life-changing news.
“I was teaching when I got the call,” Jeh recalled. “The first person I told was Dad—he was working in Hobart. It was pretty cool to share that moment with him.”
That father-son moment carries deeper meaning when placed against the backdrop of their remarkable family journey. Jeh’s father, Michael Pradeep Williams Jeh, was born in Colombo in 1968 and emigrated to Australia in 1983 at the age of 15, in the aftermath of the government-orchestrated pogrom that targeted Tamils across Sri Lanka. After graduating from Griffith University in Australia, he pursued postgraduate studies at Oxford University, where he also built his own cricketing legacy—playing first-class cricket for Oxford and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), following his earlier education at the prestigious S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia.
Michael's grandfather, Andrew Tissa Williams Jehoratnam, was a respected public servant who served as Controller of Exchange at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and later as a senior officer at the World Council of Churches in Geneva. His wife, Pooshana Jehoratnam, came from an affluent Tamil family and was a close relative of the legendary eye surgeon Dr. Sam Thambar.
Veteran Sri Lankan journalist Anne Abayasekara once recalled the terrifying events of July ’83, describing how Zanden Jeh’s grandparents and father barely escaped the mobs that rampaged through Colombo with state complicity. In a harrowing account, she wrote:
“At about 7 the next morning, the telephone rang. It was Vathana Thambar—Sam’s wife—her voice trembling. Her sister, Pooshana Jehoratnam, and her family in Narahenpita were under threat from a mob.
My husband and I got into our little Volks and drove to Elvitigala Mawatha, off which the Jehoratnams lived. The house at the top of their lane was burning, but there was no sign of a mob.
Inside the Jehoratnams' home, we found the elderly couple who had lived in the burning house, dazed. Tissa and Pooshana asked if we could take them, along with their young granddaughter and domestic aide, to the safety of a relative’s home in Mount Lavinia. Pooshana also placed a few valuables in our car.
As we turned onto Elvitigala Mawatha, we spotted a mob approaching from the right, so we quickly turned left, made our way to Galle Road, and reached Mount Lavinia without incident.”
Growing up in Brisbane, young Zanden was immersed in cricket culture from both sides of his family. His father was his first coach, mentor, and biggest supporter, with the family playing corridor cricket in their home. But it was Sri Lankan legend Rangana Herath who became his bowling idol, alongside India's Ravindra Jadeja.
"Jadeja is a really good one when I was growing up," Jeh explained. "Bowling-wise, Rangana Herath, Mitch Santner, and Australia's own Matt Kuhnemann – it was really, really cool to watch those guys go about their business."
What makes Jeh's story even more intriguing is his unique handedness. While right-handed in most activities, he bats and bowls left-handed – a quirk that has served him well in his rapid rise through Queensland's cricket ranks.
The young spinner's breakthrough came after impressive performances in Queensland's Second XI, including a five-wicket haul on debut and notably dismissing Australia's Glenn Maxwell at Junction Oval. His selection for the Australia A squad comes at a crucial time when the national team is desperately seeking left-arm spin options, with Matthew Kuhnemann recently injured and limited depth in this department.
