Singapore's cricket fraternity mourned former national cricketer and coach Arjun Menon who was "brutally murdered" on Saturday (May 10) night at his residence in Malawi, Africa.

On Monday (May 12), Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) members held a minute of silence in his memory before the start of the national league matches.

"His legacy lives on in the players he shaped and the communities he uplifted across continents," the association said in an earlier Facebook post on Sunday.

In the same post, SCA expressed “profound sadness” at his passing.

The association said that Menon’s career reflected his “unwavering dedication” to the development of cricket, both at home and abroad. 

“A passionate ambassador for Singapore cricket, he carried the Singapore flag with pride wherever he coached. And Malawi, where he passed on, was the beneficiary of his cricket contribution,” the post said.

Menon, 48, was coach for Malawi's national cricket team for five years and played a crucial role in the team's international success which led to three accolades during the Malawi Sports Awards.

In a Facebook post on March 1, Menon said clinching the awards was an "extremely proud moment" for him as the Head of Cricket operations at Cricket Malawi.

The Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) described Menon as a "dedicated coach" and a "passionate advocate for the development of cricket", adding that they "strongly condemn this heartless act of violence".

Reports said that Menon was allegedly "attacked by thugs" in the city of Blantyre, although the cause of death is still unknown.

Cricket origins

The SCA added that Menon was a "talented wicketkeeper" who started his cricket journey in St. Patrick's School.

As a student there in 1993, he was part of the Singapore Schoolboys Cricket tour to Perth, he had shared on Facebook on March 20.

He was "smitten" by the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) ground, and told his teammates he would love to work there one day. He found himself working there 14 years later. 

He added: "That trip and that particular day kneeling on the WACA ground having this photo taken set the course for me of where I find myself today."

Menon's cricket legacy in Singapore

Having represented Singapore both as a junior and senior player, he returned as a coach after pursuing his degree. He coached numerous national teams in countries such as Chile, Botswana, Indonesia and Malawi, but still "remained deeply connected" to Singapore, SCA said.

In 2017, Menon led the Singapore national team to a historic gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games.

In an interview with Straits Times, Menon said it was "one of the proudest moments in my life singing Majulah Singapura as I watched our nation's flag hoisted above the rest during the medal ceremony".

liv.roberts@asiaone.com

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