Daily Updated Cricket News

An ICL hand in the Indian Premier League 2009

2009-04-24T02:59:00.001-07:00

Phil Russell's status at the Kingsmead ground is unique - the much-respected curator is probably the only person involved with the IPL and its bitter rival, the ICL. Russell, who was the ICL's curator last season, is currently an advisor on the ground preparations at Kingsmead for the IPL tournament.

The antipathy of the Indian board - which owns the IPL - towards the ICL is famous: it has adopted a heavy-handed approach to players, officials, groundsmen and scorers, even commentators, involved with the unofficial league. It has even sought to influence other boards to adopt a similar stance. Somehow, Russell has slipped under the radar.

He entered into the reckoning when the ground's assistant curator was posted to Newlands to get that ground ready in time for the tournament and the Natal board sought someone with experience to fill the gap. Russell has been associated with the Kingsmead stadium for two decades and coached the Natal team, including Kevin Pietersen, for two years.

Then came the ICL. "He has been with us for the last two years," Kiran More, a member of the ICL's executive board, said. This year, too, we have asked him to come during July-August to take a look at the grounds and get them in shape for the November season."

Russell isn't the only ICL connection - the overhead sky cameras the IPL is using this season was used by the ICL in its last season. The camera - which slides on a cable approximately 40 feet above the centre pitch - is owned by the same company that loaned it to the ICL.

IPL Beginning - Hosts calm before the storm

2009-04-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's just calm before the storm, but it seems as though there's not enough buzz around the Indian Premier League's (IPL) organisation in South Africa. With only four days to go, you would expect administrators to be caught up in a whirlwind of documentation, eyes red and puffy from burning the candle at both ends, ears permanently attached to mobile phones and heart rates beating faster than a batsman about to face Dale Steyn. Not so. South African administrators are at ease as the 59-match tournament looms.

The Indian Premier League started on foreign soil with an explosion of entertainment and two cricket upsets at Newlands on Saturday. A sell-out crowd - although there were gaps in the IPL hospitality area - saw both last year's finalists defeated at the start of the five-week tournament moved from India because of security concerns.

Presumably South Africa's managers have every reason to be so laidback about staging a big event; they've done it all before. Elize Lombard, chief executive of the Titans franchise, said the IPL is essentially a continuation of the South African season. Having just hosted the Australians for three months, the South African stadiums, pitches, outfields and dressing rooms, while weary from their long season, are ready.

Cassim Docrat, CEO of the Durban-based Dolphins franchise, summed up the organisation of the event quite simply: "We are waiting on the IPL organisers; they will be giving us the plans." Other CEOs made similar comments. Lombard was among them, saying the blueprint for the tournament would be handed down by the IPL and that it would be largely uncomplicated. "They are just bringing what worked in India to South Africa," she told Cricinfo.

After a presentation by the captains of the eight competing teams dedicated to the spirit of cricket, there were speeches by IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and South African President Kgalema Motlanthe. Then came pop group Snow Patrol, acrobats, a laser show, fire dancers and a fireworks display. Batteries of multi-coloured lights and a high-tech sound system turned the ground into a giant stage. Modi proclaimed: "We have brought a taste of modern India to a sports-mad country." But he promised: "To the hundreds of millions of cricket fans in India - we haven't forgotten you. We will be back." Earlier the cricket was threatened by morning rain and the games were played under cloudy skies.

The IPL have set up offices at the Wanderers but, with just a few days to go before the event, very few staff members could be found there. It's certainly not the hive of activity expected around an event that had a little over three weeks to relocate countries. In fact, a few journalists who wandered in to check on the progress of their accreditation were met with lethargic responses. The sleepiness matched the general atmosphere of the stadium, which is preparing for South Africa's final one-day international against Australia on Friday.

Australian opener Matthew Hayden described the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the beginning of an “incredible journey” and said initial matches of the Twenty20 championship had set a very high standard for the rest of the tournament. Hayden, who is playing for Chennai Super Kings, said the high-scoring matches in the tournament have raised the bar for every team.

“In Mohali the other night, we saw over 400 runs scored in just 40 overs. We will see high scores regularly,” he said.

Hayden was referring to Chennai Super Kings’ 33-run win against Kings XI Punjab Saturday. The Super Kings scored 240 and Kings XI replied with 207.

On his IPL stint, Hayden reflected on his first visit to Chennai in 1997 with the Australian ‘A’ team and said that was the start of his “love affair” with India.

“I first visited Chennai in 1997 with the A team. Walking out to bat, I looked around at this stadium and dreamt of the day I will play for the Australian team. I have always had a soft corner for India and now, playing for Chennai Super Kings, my life has come a full circle as this city will be my base during the IPL.”

Hayden sought to play down the contentious issues that cropped up during India’s tour of Australia earlier this year.

When asked about his relationship with Harbhajan Singh who is playing for Mumbai Indian, Hayden said: “We have had a few fantastic battles in Australia, and now I am looking forward to renewing my rivalry with Harbhajan.”

Hayden said the non-availability of foreign recruits for the entire tournament would not affect the IPL.

“That’s the beauty of the IPL. You get to see almost all the top players in the world at some point in the tournament. I think, the IPL is the start of an incredible journey,” he said.

On playing under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy, Hayden said he had no issues and praised the Indian ODI captain as a “a fine thinker and a confident individual”.

“For me, it is a great experience sharing the dressing room with Indian players and learning how they go about their cricket,” he added.

Despite having that match as his first concern, chief groundsman Chris Scott does have the IPL in mind. He admitted the three pitches he would be using may take a bit of bruising but said it wouldn't be a problem because the tracks wouldn't recover during this period anyway because of winter. Scott's major challenge will be to keep the outfield healthy. "Even though there isn't a lot of rain about, the superb irrigation system should assist in that," he said. The field looks in mint condition and every bit as lush as it does during the summer months.

The rest of the Wanderers appeared as tranquil as day five of a Test match headed for a draw, perhaps with a few more cars than usual. Security officials strolled the perimeter and barely anyone even blinked as the Bangalore Royal Challengers practised.

It seems the teams are also staying below the radar. Amrit Mathur, the CEO of Delhi Daredevils, was the only team official who could be reached. He said the Delhi camp had not been inundated with fans swamping the hotel lobby, as is characteristic here when Asian teams tour. Mathur said the team "barely noticed anything", referring to the lack of hype surrounding the tournament. The team had not been out much and had, in fact, largely travelled between the hotel and practice sessions at the Wanderers stadium. He expects the vibe to pick up once the competition gets underway. "People have a lot of expectations around this event so we expect the interest will pick up and be sustained throughout the tournament."

The hype has certainly yet to take off. The only sign that the IPL has come to Johannesburg are a few bright yellow posters in the streets around the Wanderers. "The heat is coming," the advertisements proclaim. Little do they know a blistering, cold winter is about to hit the City of Gold.

Despite the seemingly serene environment leading up to the tournament, there was one issue of contention last week, when the IPL clashed with Cricket South Africa over the use of corporate suites. The IPL wanted exclusive use of the suites for its guests, while the stadiums had obligations to their suite holders. Despite the IPL offering the suite holders free stand tickets, food and beverage to the games, some threatened to lock their suites. Lombard says the matter is resolved at her stadium, while Alan Kourie, CEO of the Lions, told Cricinfo his board would be meeting on Wednesday night to discuss the matter.

While the only bit of action in Johannesburg appears to be the administrators' tussle over stadium suites, Cape Town is looking a little livelier. The warm-up match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Cape Cobras drew 10,000 people to the stands - a bigger crowd than most domestic matches produce. The opening ceremony, which takes place at Newlands on Saturday, is said to be sold out, along with a double header there on Sunday. Perhaps the storm is brewing around the IPL after all.

Sri Lanka honour 'hero' bus driver

2009-04-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

Meher Mohammad Khalil, the Pakistani driver of the Sri Lankan team bus that came under fire from terrorists in Lahore last month, was honoured at a ceremony in Colombo today. Khalil had displayed great presence of mind to speed the bus towards the stadium to help the Sri Lankan players reach safety. As a token of appreciation, Khalil and his family were given a sponsored holiday along with a $21,800 reward.

Khalil thanked Sri Lanka for having toured Pakistan - the team agreed to visit after India pulled out in the wake of the Mumbai attacks last November. "I did it for Pakistan," Khalil said. "I did it for Sri Lanka, who were our guests. By God's help I did not feel scared at all and never thought of jumping out of the bus to save myself."

The horrific attack on March 3 resulted in five cricketers, including Mahela Jayawardene, the then captain, and Kumar Sangakkara, his deputy, receiving minor injuries. Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paravitarana were also injured during the incident which killed six security men and two civilians.

Sangakkara said the players were lucky to have an "amazing" driver in Khalil. "We are here to thank one unarmed man for his courage, selflessness and quick thinking that enabled many of us to see another day," Sangakkara said. "We will always have a special place for you [Khalil] in our hearts."

"Khalil, you are our hero. We will always remember you with gratitude. Let's hope we are not put in that situation again," said Jayawardene.

New Captain with new theories

2009-03-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka's new captain Kumar Sangakkara has asked the players to do more to improve their own performances. "I will be stressing to the players the individual responsibility they must take on to improve and develop their games," Sangakkara said. "We need to make full use of the quality facilities and support staff we are fortunate enough have around us, to become better players and a stronger team."

Sangakkara, 31, who was appointed as captain on Wednesday, said his immediate focus was on the World Twenty20 series in England and building on the success of the last skipper, Mahela Jayawardene.

Sangakkara, who was the vice-captain for three years and has played 80 Tests and 246 ODIs, was always the frontrunner to succeed Mahela Jayawardene, who stepped down as captain at the end of the two-Test series in Pakistan earlier this month.

Sangakkara also hailed Muttiah Muralitharan's appointment as his deputy and said the spinner would be a guiding light for the team. "Murali's inspirational leadership and vast experience, coupled with his great integrity and complete trustworthiness, made him the ideal choice as vice-captain," Sangakkara said.

With the Pakistan series being cancelled after the terrorist attack on their team bus in Lahore, Sri Lanka do not have any international engagements till the World Twenty20 in June. But a number of players are expected to feature in the IPL next month.

The World Twenty20 gets underway on June 5, with Sri Lanka taking on Australia in their opening match on June 8 at Trent Bridge. West Indies are the other team in Group C.

Terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers will not stop the IPL

2009-03-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

None of them can know what he or she – for the Women's World Cup is being staged in Australia – is mourning exactly.

It could simply be the eight people killed in Lahore on Tuesday when the Sri Lankan team coach was attacked. Or the black armbands could mark the demise of cricket in Pakistan, which has produced more than its share of the sport's most exciting players. David Morgan, the International Cricket Council president, said:: "International cricket in Pakistan is out of the question for quite some time." Or, at the worst, the country itself could disintegrate, along with cricket's latest growth area, Afghanistan.

Whatever the future, cricket lost what was left of its innocence when the gunmen opened fire near the Gaddafi stadium and the number of security personnel who fired back, in defence of the Sri Lankan players and match officials, was suspiciously few. The process begun at Headingley in 1975, when protesters poured oil on the pitch on the fourth night of the Test against Australia, was completed last week. Nothing in cricket is sacred: everything and everyone is as vulnerable to violence as in ordinary life. Cricket is the most vulnerable of sports, partly because it takes the longest time, and there can be no stability in such an abnormal society as the present Pakistan.

Since the 1950s, the armed services have taken most of the country's budget – British High Commission officials estimate at least 70 per cent – before leaving the civilian government with the remnants. There is no state education, no health service: people are driven into the arms of wealthy extremist groups.

It is ironic that cricket's most influential administrator was born in Lahore. Inderjit Singh Bindra, as a Sikh, had to flee the violence there at Partition, and later created the stadium in the Indian Punjab, at Mohali, where England sought refuge in December after their Test at Mumbai was cancelled because of another terrorist attack. Not only the long-term brains behind Indian cricket, and a commissioner of the Indian Premier League, Bindra is 'honorary adviser' to the International Cricket Council, a post created specifically for him, and one of his briefs is the game's worldwide development.

"I was reading on the internet the other day about the Taliban and their attitude to cricket," Bindra said in Delhi yesterday. "They say that Muslims should use swords not bats. They say that cricket in Asia is like opium in China in the 19th century – a tool of the imperial powers. It is a very pernicious philosophy."

Bindra believes that Pakistan should not start on the very slippery slope of playing at neutral venues. "That is a booby-trap and they will cease to be a Test-playing country," he said. "How do youngsters watch and learn the game if Pakistan do not play at home? Give Pakistan a chance to get their act together – and they must ensure presidential-style security, not just talk about it. But ultimately this is something that cannot be tackled by cricket administrators but by the global powers."

Pakistan may not be given the opportunity of playing anywhere soon. Their tour of Bangladesh was postponed last week: the ICC had a fit when they saw the security plan as it featured the Bangladesh Rifles, who have just mutinied. Pakistan's one-day series against Australia in Abu Dhabi in April is likely to be called off on security grounds. For political reasons as well, the Indian government won't allow India to play Pakistan in bilateral series following the Mumbai attacks.

The England and Wales Cricket Board, even before the events in Lahore, were keen to stage some of Pakistan's matches in England. The chairman Giles Clarke had identified Headingley as particularly appropriate. The summer of 2010 might well see a few one-day internationals between Pakistan and Australia, but Test matches are not going to make money as Pakistan supporters in this country have never turned up for them.

Bindra knows the game's finances like no-one else: "In Pakistan's television contract, if they play against India they receive an extra amount. If they are not playing against India, they don't make more than a nominal amount. As far as their [abandoned] series against Sri Lanka was concerned, the Pakistan board was only breaking even."

So will the next World Cup be staged in Asia two years from now?

A magical wand will have to be waved by President Obama for Pakistan to be one of the four scheduled hosts. Bangladesh? Maybe the Rifles will have ceased to mutiny. Sri Lanka? The Tamil Tigers, cornered though they may be, still send aircraft to bomb Colombo. And then there is the question of Afghanistan...

In South Africa, in April, Afghanistan will be one of 12 countries competing for the last four places in the World Cup. "For a part of the world which has been in the news for other reasons, this is a great story," said the ICC's Global Development Manager, Matthew Kennedy.

Recruiting players who had learned the game in refugee camps in Pakistan, Afghanistan won Divisions Five, Four and Three of the World Cricket League to reach the play-offs: they even play, on the roughest of grounds, in the areas controlled by western forces. But if Afghanistan qualify for the 14-team World Cup of 2011, and the Taliban still prefer them to wield swords not bats, the security implications will be massive.

Bindra however says that the World Cup will go on in India, if nowhere else. "We won't jump to that conclusion, but if the situation is bad, India is big enough to stage the competition. The IPL has 59 matches spread over eight franchises, the next World Cup has 49 matches."

Doubts were expressed last week about the second IPL taking place. But Muttiah Muralitharan, due to play with Andrew Flintoff for Chennai Super Kings, joked that he is "going to wear a bulletproof jacket for future journeys on team buses". All the Sri Lankans signed for the IPL will, at this stage, go to India – Thilan Samaraweera, the most badly injured, is not contracted – because they believe security in India will be far tighter than in Pakistan.

Among England players, Ravi Bopara, contracted with Kings XI Punjab for $450,000, "still plans to play in the IPL," according to his agent Mike Martin of Paragon Sports. "He will naturally listen to security advice from the PCA and the ECB as well as from his franchise, but unless this produces additional information, he doesn't foresee any reason to change his current plans to participate."

Flintoff's agent would not comment, but it would be a surprise if the other England players think differently.

"I am 100 per cent certain the IPL will go ahead," said Bindra. "Each of the venues except one has already got clearance from the Indian government. I foresee no problem." The show will go on – in India. Whatever the security situation in the rest of Asia, too much money is involved for it not to. And the more violence there is, the more people need an escape from it.

Jayawardene and Samaraweera hammer Pakistan

2009-02-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

On a warm day in Karachi, when Test cricket returned to Pakistan after 16 months, the Sri Lankan top order indulged themselves to reach a strong position by the end of the opening day. Mahela Jayawardene presented a visual treat, Thilan Samaraweera and Kumar Sangakkara accumulated steadily, and Malinda Warnapura thrilled with a breezy knock as the visitors cashed in after winning the toss on a perfect batting pitch.

There is something extremely graceful about Jayawardene's batting. Perhaps, it's the economy of movement, his ease, and the languid flow of his bat's movement that catches the eye. There was a delicious straight drive on the up off Umar Gul today that captured his innings in a nutshell. The ball landed short of a length outside the off stump. Sachin Tendulkar, or even Sangakkara, imparts velocity to such deliveries with a fierce thump at the point of impact, whereas Virender Sehwag would rely on tremendous bat speed. Jayawardene seems to just caress his shots. Today, he waved his bat forward to meet the ball with the middle and it sped away. Just like that. And he did it repeatedly through his innings to compile his first Test hundred against Pakistan, the only country missing from his list of centuries.

Jayawardene was reprieved on 43 and 123 off the debutant Sohail Khan. On both occasions he played away from his body but Misbah-ul-Haq, who held three sharp catches including a diving effort to dismiss Warnapura, spilled the first and Shoaib Malik dropped the second. Those two errors apart, Jayawardene was compact in defence. He might have struggled in recent ODIs but he has revelled in Tests, averaging over 55 in the last 12 months.

Jayawardene's innings built on the platform laid by Sangakkara, who played an assured innings after coming in to face the fifth ball of the day after the debutant Tharanga Paranavitana was out for a first-ball duck. Sangakkara utilised every run-scoring opportunity, playing an upper cut against Sohail Khan, a punchy drive on one knee off Yasir Arafat, and a straight drive against Gul. He even lofted Danish Kaneria over the infield but holed out to midwicket while trying to repeat the shot.

Sangakkara's wicket was a vital moment for Kaneria. He began to test the batsmen - Thilan Samaraweera in particular - with series of legbreaks, occasional googlies, and the odd slider delivered from the front of the hand. Samaraweera, however, was up to the task and grew in confidence, producing a whippy on-drive against Kaneria and another drive through cover off Arafat. As Samaraweera grew in composure, Kaneria started losing his and began to deliver a boundary ball every over.

Kaneria changed tack in the last session, going round the stumps in an effort to frustrate the batsmen. It nearly worked as Samaraweera skied a slog-sweep and then edged between the wicketkeeper and a wide first slip. Samaraweera, nicknamed Mr Glue for a Test strike-rate of 43.96, put those lapses past him and began playing straight again. The pitch and the match situation demanded he raise his game and he did so, allowing Jayawardene to drop anchor. He reached his hundred with a lofted stroke over mid-off against Shoaib Malik.

Among the Pakistan seamers, Arafat stood out for his consistently tight line and length. He repeatedly got the new ball to cut in and also to hold its line and combination almost worked. In the first session, he hit Sangakkara's back leg with a delivery that cut from leg stump towards off but the appeal was turned down by the umpire. Sangakkara, on 43 then, was lucky to get away. Arafat also found reverse-swing with the older ball, though his lack of pace made it hard to breach the batsman's defences.

Gul and Sohail were guilty of erring in length. They overused the tactic of peppering Warnapura with bouncers initially and then tried to compensate by pitching too full. Warnapura took advantage, and kept driving them to set up Sri Lanka's innings.

Despite the run-fest, Younis Khan set attacking fields through the day, conceding plenty of runs in the vacant third-man region. The two slips for Danish Kaneria seemed a luxury at times but you could sense he wanted to be aggressive on the first day of his captaincy. He perhaps took the conventional means of attack to an extreme and the ploy failed to work.

Jayawardene to step down

2009-02-12T02:54:00.000-08:00

In a surprise move, Mahela Jayawardene has announced that he will resign as Sri Lanka captain after the upcoming two-Test series against Pakistan. The decision, announced on Wednesday, comes three days after Sri Lanka lost 4-1 to India in their home ODI series.

Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Duleep Mendis said Jayawardene's decision had been accepted and a new captain would be appointed for the one-day home series against Zimbabwe, which follows the Pakistan tour.

Jayawardene, who sat out Sri Lanka's Twenty20 international against India on Tuesday, called for a meeting with the selectors on Wednesday morning and proposed that the time was right to hand over the captaincy, ensuring his successor had sufficient time to build the team for the 2011 World Cup. He was asked to reconsider but reiterated the time was right, given the heavy season ahead.

He then met Mendis and informed his teammates.

"This is something I have been considering for some time as it has been my long-held belief that my successor should have at least 18 months in the job to imprint his vision on the team for the 2011 World Cup," Jayawardene said in a statement.

"I have concluded that the time has come for fresh leadership to takeover. It was not an easy decision to make because being the Sri Lanka captain has been the source of enormous pride. I hope to play a major part in the team's success as a batsman."

Jayawardene had hinted at the decision last August, in an interview to Cricinfo. "This is a job that I won't do for a long time," he said. "There have to be different challenges. The longer your career progresses, the more you need to focus on your own game and your family."

It is not immediately clear who will succeed him but the obvious choice will be Kumar Sangakkara, the current vice-captain and a close personal friend of Jayawardene's. In that interview, Jayawardene clearly spelled out his ideal succession plan. "Kumar is definitely a suitable person to lead Sri Lanka. His knowledge of the game and his approach is brilliant. He has been a brilliant deputy too. We talk a lot about planning and strategising, so there is not much difference in our thinking, which is very important. If I suddenly lose the hunger to lead then ideally Kumar should take over."

Jayawardene was appointed ODI captain in 2004 and took over the Test captaincy full time from Marvan Atapattu for the 2006 tour of England. One of his best achievements was guiding Sri Lanka to the World Cup final the following year and in 2008 they won the Asia Cup, beating India in the final.

Sri Lanka's away record improved under his leadership, as the team drew Test series in England, New Zealand and the West Indies. He led the team in 26 Tests, winning 15 and losing seven and his win ratio of 62.5% is the highest for any Sri Lankan captain in history. Although his recent one-day form had been patchy, he still scored heavily in Test cricket, averaging 64.70 as captain. Nor did he let his wavering form in one-day cricket affect his captaincy. In 94 ODIs under him, Sri Lanka won 54 and lost 35.

Teams switch on to Twenty20 mode

2009-02-09T23:36:00.000-08:00

The Big Picture

It's the first Twenty20 international in Sri Lanka. India overwhelmed the home side in the five-match ODI series and are again favourites for the Twenty20 game. India are winners of the ICC World Twenty20 and Sri Lanka are without several key players, but the format gives the underdogs an outside chance to spring a surprise. More than the result, however, this match allows Sri Lanka to try out a few players. The return of Lasith Malinga is undoubtedly the high point and Dilhara Lokuhettige, reputed to be a Twenty20 specialist, should get a chance to show his skills.

For India, it's a nice way to round up a successful tour. Everyone in the squad has got at least one game in the ODI series and it could be just a fun night in the park for the Indians.

Watch out for ...
Dilhara Lokuhettige You can't be a bad Twenty20 player when your favourite cricketing stroke is the lofted drive. In 2007, he was a big hit in the Hong Kong sixes and increased his reputation in the inaugural Twenty20 provincial tournament in 2008. Lokuhettige is a low order batsman who can be a more than useful seam-up bowler.

Virender Sehwag Yuvraj Singh is the easy pick for this slot. However, Sehwag, who has failed in his last two ODIs, will seek to finish the tour on a high. He averages 21.50 from nine games, with a highest of 68.

Teams
India are likely to bring in Zaheer Khan for L Balaji. Sachin Tendulkar has already returned to India and Ravindra Jadeja, who made an immediate impression on ODI debut, should get a spot tomorrow.

India: (likely) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Yuvraj Singh 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk),6 Yusuf Pathan 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Rohit Sharma Pathan, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Praveen Kumar 11 Ishant Sharma 12 Irfan Pathan.

Dilshan is slated to keep for Sri Lanka, even though 35-year-old Indika de Saram, a wicketkeeper-batsman who played a few games for Sri Lanka between 1999 and 2001, is in the squad. Mahela Udawatte, Malinga Bandara and Jeevantha Kulatunga are not likely to play.

Sri Lanka: (likely): 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt/wk), 3 Chamara Silva, 4 Chamara Kapugedera, 5 Jehan Mubarak, 6 Farveez Maharoof, 7 Dilhara Lokuhettige 8 Kaushalya Weeraratne, 9 Thilan Thushara, 10 Dilhara Fernando, 11 Lasith Malinga.

Malinga ready for first big step after miracle cure

Lasith Malinga is back and ready for Tuesday's Twenty20 game, the first big step on his return from injury. The hair is as wild and woolly as ever, the highlights are intact - as is the confidence, despite a year's lay-off due to a dodgy knee.

The journey out of anonymity, though, has been a roller-coaster ride - and with a few mystical moments. He first noted the pain in his right knee on February 22 during a CB Series game in Australia. It was diagnosed as a swollen bone but it didn't prove so simple. He was out of action for nine months.

No running, no gym. For nine months, the man known for his sprint in and a furious whirlwind of rotating arms, couldn't run or bowl or train. He couldn't even climb stairs - the shooting pain was unbearable.

Malinga underwent treatment in Australia but while the pain diminished, recovery wasn't complete. It was then that Sri Lanka's president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, intervened. And this is where the story takes a mystical turn.

"The president introduced me to Dr Eliyantha White. He works with supernatural powers and herbs," Malinga said. "I don't know what he does and how he does it but it works. I am very grateful to him and the president." The treatment lasted five days and the pain disappeared. Malinga was fit to start his training. Dr White has since successfully treated Sanath Jayasuriya for a long-standing back problem.

My opening will benefit the team - Dilshan

Tillakaratne Dilshan, who will juggle captaincy and wicketkeeping in the upcoming Twenty20 international against India, has said Sri Lanka will benefit by persisting with him as an opener. In 11 matches as an opener, Dilshan averages 56.22 with one hundred and three half-centuries at a strike rate of 94.57, but felt there were a few issues that needed smoothening.

"I opened the batting in school. It is not something new for me to go and face the new ball," said Dilshan. "There are a few mistakes which I need to rectify. I think the team will benefit a lot by promoting me as opener.

"All these years as a middle order batsman I had to bat in the final 10-15 overs. I think as an opener I can make a bigger contribution to the team. I began going as opener in one-day matches for my club Bloomfield last season and I had indicated of my desire for that spot to my captain Mahela [Jayawardene]," Dilshan said. "I hope I can remain in the openers slot for a long period but I am prepared to bat in any position the team wants me. If you become a cricketer you should be able to adjust to the needs of your team."

Dilshan said he had gained plenty of confidence since promoted up the order, and especially with the explosive veteran Sanath Jayasuriya at the other end. "As an opener it is easy to score runs off the first ten overs against the quick bowlers because the field is up and you can have only two fielders outside the circle," said Dilshan. "Batting with Sanath is a plus point. He is also an attacking batsman who goes for his shots and it makes the bowlers think before bowling at us because both are attacking the loose balls from either end."

Dilshan will captain Sri Lanka in their first Twenty20 at home, with Chamara Kapugedera as his deputy. He had previously led Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 game against Pakistan last October, a match in which he also donned the wicketkeeping gloves. "I have been asked to keep wickets by the selectors to balance the side, which is a little inexperienced in this type of game," said Dilshan. "Wicketkeeping is also important because whenever the team needs one I am there ready to take over."

PAK tour of SL

2009-01-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka's itinerary for a three-match trip to Pakistan has been revised once again, at the request of the Sri Lankan cricket board.

The three ODIs will now be played in Karachi and Lahore, with the port city hosting the first two ODIs back-to-back. "We have received a request from SLC for the change and it has been agreed upon," Salim Altaf, chief operating officer PCB, told Cricinfo.

In the new schedule, Sri Lanka arrive in Karachi as planned on January 18. Karachi's National Stadium then hosts the first two ODIs on January 20 and 21. The third ODI will be played in Lahore on January 24 before the visitors return home a day later, to complete a quickfire week-long trip. Faisalabad - or Multan - thus miss out as a venue.

Altaf gave no reason for the latest change but it is likely that the confirmation of a five-match ODI series between Sri Lanka and India has been factored in. The two agreed yesterday to India's tour, which will include a Twenty20 international as well.

Sri Lanka will return after the Indian series to play two Tests in Pakistan, likely to be towards the end of February.

Match Won Bcoz of Experts

2009-01-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful was left ruing what could have been, after the hosts looked to be on course to pick up their first tri-series trophy, only to be pipped at the post by Sri Lanka who held on for a two-wicket victory in the final in Mirpur.

"It is a sinking feeling," he said. "Defending 152 is very tough but when Shakib ran Sanath Jayasuriya out first ball then we all felt that it could be our day. We believed in ourselves and we knew that the the Sri Lankan top-order was not in the best of form. Our plan was to bowl straight and to be at our best in the field."

Sri Lanka had delayed taking their Powerplay and Muttiah Muralitharan, with a batting average of 6.01 coming into this game, picked the perfect time to make his highest ODI score with Sri Lanka reeling at 114 for 8.

He took apart Rubel Hossain, hitting him for three fours and a six in the 46th over, but Ashraful's move to persist with Rubel for the last power play as well, horribly backfired as Murali clouted another four and a six to level the scores with two overs to spare.

"The same bowler had been outstanding in the same situation in the last match," said Ashraful. "We had planned on giving him the ball in the Powerplay because he has the extra pace and he can bowl the bouncer and the yorker effectively. With Muralitharan on strike, I backed him to get a wicket but he couldn't pitch it in the spots he wanted. In the end it was an unbelievable innings from Murali."

Batsman Shakib Al Hasan admitted that nerves did play a part during the final but Bangladesh would still take heart from their strong showing. "We were excited and also a touch nervous probably because we have not been in a situation like this before," he said. "I thought we brought out our best in the field. I thought this final was fantastic education for us and we will benefit from this. We have improved a lot, we the players feel it and we are getting better and stronger all the time. I think it is showing."

Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara believes Sri Lanka's experience of playing in finals proved decisive as they managed a narrow two-wicket win against Bangladesh in the final of the Tri-Nation Tournament. "It is tough on them [Bangladesh] especially after trying so hard," he said, "but it was not to be. I guess our experience in finals won us the game."

Having shot out Bangladesh for 152, Sri Lanka were tottering at 6 for 5 at one stage during the run-chase, but Sangakkara's gritty 59 off 133 balls, along with a cameo from Muttiah Muralitharan, proved to be crucial as Sri Lanka held on for victory.

"I just wanted to bat as long as possible and try to get as close to the target as possible," said Sangakkara. "We rarely see a collapse like that and it was unexpected because we have some of the best batsmen in the world but that's cricket and we had an off day. The key was to try and fight it out."

When Sangakkara departed with the score on 114 for 8, the game was by no means secure, but Muralitharan's breezy 33 off 16 balls saw the visitors through. "It was amazing. I thought he should have been the Man of the Match," said Sangakkara. "He turned the game around and won us the final. We are used to seeing him win matches with his bowling and now he has won us a game with the bat."

Mahela Jayawardene, was more relieved than happy after Sri Lanka had come out trumps. "We probably did not deserve to win after doing the things we did today but at the end of the day we won and hats off to Kumar [Sangakkara], [Farveez] Mahroof and Murali. I never thought we would win but we kept fighting, fighting and fighting and came out winners."

"It was a small target and we wanted to be positive. I don't think we handled the situation very well. We knew that the wicket would have something for the new ball bowlers and the Bangladeshi bowlers bowled in great areas and run scoring was very tough."

It was the perfect way to cap off the tour of Bangladesh, having previously won both matches in the two-Test series and Jayawardene was pleased with the efforts of the team. "It was a great final and a very good game of cricket," he said. "Our guys bowled well and they were brilliant throughout and put the ball in very good areas. Then from 6 for 5, I think we handled it pretty well to win. We have spent four weeks here now and played a Test series and a tri-nation tournament. We set out to win both and we have done it. As a captain I am very happy."

He also commended Bangladesh on putting up a strong challenge, even managing to beat them in their league fixture, and singled out Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan for praise.

"They should be very proud of their performance especially in the Tri-Nation Tournament. Shakib was brilliant in the Tests and the ODIs, but I think the unsung hero was Mashrafe. Every game, be it the Tests or the ODIs, he created opportunities with the new ball and took crucial wickets. He was consistent throughout the tour.

"Bangladesh have had some very good individual performances and they have improved a lot in the last two years. They realize now that they can beat any of the top teams and the key for them would be to continue working hard and improving."

Dilshan Rocks Against Bangla Tigers

2009-01-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

A cricketer who has played both test matches and one day internationals in his career. His test debut was in 1999, when he played against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo. That's TM Dilshan, the Sri Lankan cricketer, who was born in 14 October, 1976. The ODI debut of TM Dilshan was in 1999, with the match against Zimbabwe. He had scored an unbeaten 163, which was quite remarkable for a starter. The talent of this man was instantly recognized who was fast paced, a fast bowler, had firm wrists and a natural sense of timing. TM Dilshan is known to be technically accurate when is comes to cricket.

TM Dilshan Profile:

The birth place of TM Dilshan is in Kalutara in Sri Lanka. For eager cricket fans the full name of this cricketer is Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan. However earlier he was known as Tuwan Mohammad Dilshan after which he converted to Buddhism.

The bowling, batting and fielding skills of TM Dilshan is highly commendable and his career has seen many ups as well.

This was a match Tillakaratne Dilshan made his own. He set up Sri Lanka with 162 and 143 and completed the job by wiping out the Bangladesh lower-order and finishing with figures of 4 for 10 to wrap up the series 2-0 and script the fifth-biggest margin of victory in Tests in terms of runs. Set an improbable 624 to win in five sessions, Bangladesh wilted first to the spin of Ajantha Mendis before Dilshan struck. It was all over in two sessions.

It could have ended even earlier but Sri Lanka delayed their declaration till lunch, by when their lead stretched to mammoth proportions. The expected tactic in the morning was to allow Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera to reach their respective hundreds before declaring, though only one of them managed to do so. The declaration came after Chamara Kapugedera reached his second half-century of the match and the lead stretched beyond 600.

Bangladesh were left to chase 521 in Mirpur and made a fist of it thanks to telling contributions by three batsmen. Mushfiqur Rahim, the only common link between that game and this, was left to steer a sinking ship on his own. With the target out of reach, the best Bangladesh could have done was to save the game but Mushfiqur, in the end, was had too much to do.

A strong and steady start was required from the openers but the only promising element was a textbook cover drive by Tamim Iqbal off Dilhara Fernando in the second over. The excitement was short-lived when both openers perished with just 22 on board. Mahela Jayawardene went in for the kill by introducing Mendis in the eighth over and he struck immediately, getting Imrul Kayes to edge to first slip. Tamim fell in identical fashion to his first-innings dismissal, edging Chaminda Vaas to the wicketkeeper and it was the curtain raiser to an all too familiar story.

The incoming batsmen weren't allowed to settle in as Mahela crowded fielders around them, something his counterpart Mohammad Ashraful failed to pick up on yesterday. Slips were employed for the spinners but the placement was different for Dilhara Fernando. Due to the slow nature of the surface, the possibility of slip catches were unlikely, so Mahela stationed them in close catching positions on the on side at silly mid-on, short square-leg and short midwicket. Though the fielders didn't necessarily come in to play, one could sense that Mahela was trying to make things happen and that may have psychologically played a part in Bangladesh caving in.

Junaid Siddique was trapped in front off Mendis and Ashraful, trying to cut loose, failed to pick the googly off the same bowler. Raqibul Hasan was then squared up by a deadly reverse swinging yorker from Fernando. At that stage Bangladesh had lost half their side for 52 and the prospect of wrapping up the game by the afternoon was inevitable.

The decibel levels went up when Mushfiqur and Shakib Al Hasan came together and added 92 for the sixth wicket. Shakib had a packed off side field that he pierced with firm punches off the backfoot off Fernando. In such an insoluble situation, attack seemed the best form of defence. He picked on their best bowler, Mendis, by regularly making room, targeting him on the off side and straight down the ground. Mushfiqur was solid in defence off a very off-colour Muttiah Muralitharan, who didn't quite possess the sting and bite of his partner Mendis.

Mushfiqur tucked away deliveries with the turn and pushed the singles while his partner took the aggressive route. Dilshan was introduced just before the final drinks break and drew Shakib forward with the flight, only to have him stumped off Prasanna Jayawardene, whose glovework has improved this series. Dilshan fired his offbreaks from round the wicket and sliced through the tail with the same exuberance he displayed with the bat. The adjudicators for the Man of the Match and series couldn't have had it easier.

He missed the chance to score two scores of 150 plus in a Test when he was squared up by a brute of a delivery from Enamul Haque Jnr which spun from the rough outside the legstump, skidded and clipped the offstump before he could even react. When he slashed Shahadat Hossain past backward point, he joined Duleep Mendis, Aravinda de Silva, Asanka Gurusingha in the list of Sri Lanka batsmen who have scored centuries in both innings of a Test.

His overnight partner Samaraweera wasn't so fortunate to record a century as he was trapped on the backfoot by a vicious delivery by Shakib which turned square. Kapugedera charged the spinners, threw them off balance with reverse sweeps and paddles and marched on to record a half-century. A declaration was expected after he got to his fifty but curiously, there were no signs of it before lunch. The field was spread out and the whole situation seemed very farcical as the batsmen blocked their way till the interval. It seemed as if Bangladesh's brave attempt at 521 in Mirpur had prompted Mahela to delay the declaration and an amused Ashraful was seen chuckling. By the afternoon though, he wasn't smiling any more.

Dilshan puts his hand up on 2nd Test

2009-01-03T18:16:00.001-08:00

Tillakaratne Dilshan's sixth Test hundred rescued Sri Lanka from a potentially embarrassing first day against Bangladesh in the second Test in Chittagong. Bangladesh had continued in much the same spirit of their brave last-innings chase in the first Test and had Sri Lanka reduced to 75 for 4, before Dilshan intervened.

It was some intervention as well, for defying the traditionally dour rearguard, he sped along mostly at over a run a ball, finally ending with a strike-rate just a touch under. And though it was captain Mahela Jayawardene's 100th Test, mostly overlooked was the fact that it was Dilshan's 50th. More than a present for the skipper, it was one for himself.

"It was an opportunity for someone to put a hand up and I am happy to have contributed," Dilshan said. "Every game is important for a Test cricketer. It was also my 50th Test match and very important for me also."

Sri Lanka's troubles had been caused by a slow surface, though Dilshan made it look a lot better as the day wore on. It wasn't chanceless; an innings of that much aggression rarely is but Imrul Kayes' drop at mid-on, when Dilshan was on 78, was a costly one. "That's part of the game. It gives you an opportunity to capitalise and if you get a let off you should then try and make a big score.

"The wicket is very good. It is a good Test wicket but maybe a bit on the slower side."

That chance was one of a few Bangladesh fluffed and it was the one thing they couldn't afford were they not to slip from the heights of the last Test. Enamul Haque jnr, the left-arm-spinner who came in at the expense of the seamer Mahbubul Alam, eventually dismissed Dilshan, but his return to the Test side after nearly a year wasn't a particularly memorable one.

"It [the day] could have been a lot better if we hadn't dropped three catches and missed a stumping chance," Haque said. "Still I think we are in it. The situation I should say is 50-50 after day one and if we can bowl them out early tomorrow and bat well then we should be back in the game. We just need a big effort from the batsmen.

"I think our fielding has improved a lot. Today was one of those days and there are days when we take difficult catches and miss easy ones. I am sure that if you give Imrul ten such catches he'd take each and every one of those. The misses today were just accidents."

At some point tomorrow, Bangladesh will be properly introduced to the threat of Ajantha Mendis, who is back himself in the side after an injury. The pitch will deteriorate as the Test progresses and the combined threat of Muttiah Muralitharan and Mendis, said Dilshan, will be considerable.

"I think it will turn for those two. The bounce could be a bit uneven later on and they [Bangladesh batsmen] haven't played Ajantha much. So I hope both bowlers will do well here," said Dilshan.

Prasanna's the best keeper in the world - Sangakkara

2008-12-24T21:03:00.000-08:00

Kumar Sangakkara, the wicketkeeper-batsman, believes the Sri Lankan Test team has benefitted by having him play as a specialist batsman and letting Prasanna Jayawardene take charge behind the stumps. Sangakkara remains Sri Lanka's first-choice keeper in the limited-over games, while Prasanna has been impressive with his glovework behind the stumps in the longer version.

"We have got Prasanna Jayawardene who right now would be the best keeper in the world by far," Sangakkara told the Daily Star. "He's doing the job for us. So it is a win-win situation for everyone."

Prasanna, 29, has played 21 Tests for Sri Lanka. He averages 26.78 with the bat, and has also taken 41 catches and 15 stumpings. Prasanna was superlative standing up to the two spinners, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, during Sri Lanka's last Test series, against India at home in August. Although he made his debut in 2000, Prasanna only featured in five Tests till the home series against South Africa in mid-2006.

Sangakkara was the keeper for Sri Lanka in the period, but his increasing vital role with the bat made it necessary for him to hand over the role to Prasanna. The move has worked wonders, with Sangakkara raking up big scores consistently since then. "Statistics show that I bat better when I don't keep in Tests," Sangakkara said. In 48 Tests as a keeper, Sangakkara's average is 40.48 , which soars to 83.05 in the 28 Tests he has played as a specialist batsman.

Sri Lanka are in Bangladesh for a two-Test series and a tri-nation ODI tournament. However, foggy conditions ruled out play on the first day of their only tour game, against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI. The weather has also hampered the team's outdoor practice sessions.

Bangladesh Tour Comments by Sri Lankan Cricket Captain

2008-12-08T21:42:00.000-08:00

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, has said the upcoming Test and ODI series in Bangladesh will be taken "very seriously" given the lack of international cricket for his team.
"We are approaching this series very seriously. Bangladesh has come a long way especially in the last six months," he told the Sunday Times. "In addition we do not have any international cricket for about four to five months after this series, thus it takes on even more significance and obviously we will be going all out to win both the Test and tri-nation series."
Sri Lanka will play two Tests and an ODI tri series, also involving Zimbabwe, in Bangladesh. The tour begins with a three-day warm-up game on December 21, followed by the Tests.
"We are going in with an open mind to Bangladesh," said Jayawardene, "and obviously the challenge for us collectively is to adjust to the different conditions and play to the best of our ability. If we can execute that plan I do not see any reason why we cannot emerge victorious."
Sri Lanka's batting struggled in Zimbabwe. Mahela Udawatte and Upul Tharanga, the preferred openers, both averaged below 20, and Jayawardene scored 19 runs in four innings, including two ducks. Chamara Kapugedera, long regarded as a player with immense potential, again disappointed.
"You cannot judge the batting based on one series. I agree the batting was a bit disappointing. The wickets we played on in Zimbabwe were under-prepared," said Jayawardene. "People need to understand that every time we go out, we cannot post a 300-plus score. Having said that I do believe that we fell about 30 to 40 runs short in each game."
Sanath Jayasuriya's return, in place of Udawatte, will be a handy boost for Sri Lanka, who surprisingly struggled in Zimbabwe. "This is a big plus point for us as he has a lot of experience," said Jayawardene. "Only he [Sanath] will know and time will tell whether he will be available for the World Cup. As you know we tried Mahela Udawatte on the Zimbabwe tour and the opening slot is not much of a problem as Kumar Sangakkara has also opened and we have about three to four other guys who can come in. One slot is taken care of with Upul Tharanga coming back into form."
Chaminda Vaas's exclusion from Sri Lanka's one-day squad was a surprise, but Jayawardene said the door had not been closed on him. "The selectors have spoken to him and he has said he will fight for his place which is very good news because no one can deny the fact that he is a major asset. Overall what I believe is that we have a very good team and can defeat any side if we play to our potential."

Ajantha knoking to set new world record

2008-11-29T09:19:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis is set to break the world record for the fastest bowler in One-Day Internationals to take 50 wickets. The 23-year-old Sri Lankan soldier has been mesmerizing opponents since his debut early this year and so far has claimed 48 ODI victims in 17 matches leading up to Sunday’s fifth and final ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare.

The record is held by India’s Ajit Agarkar, who in 1998 went pass Dennis Lillee’s record that had stood for 18 years. Lillee had taken 24 matches to claim 50 victims while Agarkar did it in 23 games.

Mendis has enjoyed a successful series so far having claimed 15 wickets in four games at a miserly 7:06 apiece.

Ever since he made his debut against the West Indies in April this year, Mendis’ mixture of off-breaks, leg-breaks, googlies, flippers and top-spinners has troubled the world’s best batsmen.

He claimed six for 29 on Thursday in Harare, the eighth best bowling figures by a Sri Lankan in one-dayers.

He also broke a World Record that had stood for 62 years on his debut series when he claimed 26 wickets in a three match series breaking Sir Alec Bedser’s record that had been established in 1946.

Changes likely for Sri Lanka

2008-11-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

Zimbabwe finally showed some mettle in a truncated third ODI, pushing Sri Lanka to the finish as the visitors just about managed to snatch a five-run win. Hamilton Masakadza starred with a blistering 77, and Tatenda Taibu continued to look good, as the home team made amends for their abysmal batting in the first two games. However, the big test for Zimbabwe is to display consistency in the upcoming matches and prove to their critics that the thriller in Harare was not a flash in the pan.

A 28-over game perhaps offered Zimbabwe their best opportunity to cause an upset but they collapsed yet again, losing 5 for 32, and squandering a dominant position of 134 for 1. But they will be encouraged by the manner in which their batsmen, particularly Taibu, handled Ajantha Mendis and Mutthiah Muralitharan. The sweep and the reverse-sweep continued to be used with aplomb as Sri Lanka's spinners struggled to restrain the Zimbabwean top-order.

Sri Lanka will be a touch concerned with the performance of their fast bowlers who faltered after an impressive display in the second ODI. Farveez Maharoof, Thilan Thushara and Nuwan Kulasekara conceded 105 runs between them in 16 overs at a run-rate of over 6.5. With the series in the bag, and the reserve players still to be given a look-in, some changes in the bowling department are inevitable.

Sri Lanka overpower dismal Zimbabwe

2008-11-26T07:31:00.000-08:00

HARARE (AFP) — Two days after a senior ICC delegation turned up to assess Zimbabwe's suitability for a return to Test cricket the country's batsmen ruined everything by cobbling together only 67 runs in a backs-to-the-wall 31 overs against Sri Lanka here Saturday.

Their dismal nine wicket defeat followed one that was barely better on Thursday in the first of the five match ODI series when Zimbabwe struggled to reach 124.

They have thus made fewer than 200 runs in two innings while the tourists have required only five completed individual innings, leaving some batsmen short of batting practice and with others getting none at all.

Home skipper Prosper Utseya won the toss and decided to bat, defying the accepted tradition at Harare Sports Club in taking the field.

It was, on the evidence of what followed, a bad move.

The Sri Lankans disdainfully knocked off the required 68 runs to win by nine wickets and go two up in the five-match ODI series.

Their score, reached just 10 balls after lunch, was 71-1 in 31 sedate and casual overs.

Zimbabwe brought in Sean Williams to bolster their middle order and he made 10 runs. Tatenda Taibu was top scorer with 12. The Zimbabweans lost their first three wickets for 22 and it was desperately uphill from there.

Ajantha Mendis took four for 16 in six overs while Farveez Maharoof captured three for 26 in eight.

Sri Lanka almost polished off Zimbabwe even before lunch.

They were just 16 runs short of victory when the umpires decided to take the break despite Upul Tharanga and Kuma Sangakkara, who were at the crease, wanting to deliver the coup de grace.

However, the two umpires Aleem Dar and Kevin Barbour chose bureaucracy and hunger over an even earlier conclusion to the match. In doing so they only just avoided a gathering rainstorm as the players resumed the field.

The two Sri Lanka batsmen made 29 and 26 respectively after Sri Lanka lost an early wicket.

The ICC visit, made by chief executive Haroon Lorgat and West Indies board president Dr. Julian Hunte, will surely have to produce a negative report after this despite the cricket website "cricinfo" predicting a whitewash.

Zimbabwe certainly appear no nearer Test cricket since it was obliged to withdraw from the five-day game more than four years ago when Sri Lanka, followed by England and Australia, refused to play Tests against them.

Several senior Zimbabwe players had been lost at the time following acrimonious allegations of racism and financial mismanagement. Several are now prominent in other countries.

The third ODI will be at Harare on Monday.

Murali and Mendis rout Zimbabwe

2008-11-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

Zimbabwe's captain, Prosper Utseya, may have suggested that Muttiah Muralitharan was "not as effective" as he once was, but that assertion came back to haunt his team during the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Harare. Ripping the ball with all the mystery and venom of old, Murali claimed figures of 4 for 14 in four overs, as Zimbabwe lost their last seven wickets for three runs in four overs. They tumbled from 124 for 3 to 127 in the blink of an eye, leaving Sri Lanka to coast to their target with six wickets and more than 16 overs in hand.

The scorecard tells a sorry tale of Zimbabwe's bamboozlement. Each of their last six batsmen made ducks, with no-one surviving more than four deliveries, as Murali and his new spinning sidekick, Ajantha Mendis, made swift work of a wafer-thin lower-order. Mendis, the ICC's Emerging Player of the Year, was almost as effective as his senior colleague, finishing with 3 for 26 in six overs, and though Upul Tharanga, in reply, made it seven ducks in a row by running himself out in the first over of Sri Lanka's innings, a leisurely 46 not out from Kumar Sangakkara meant the result was never in doubt.

Zimbabwe were always going to be up against it in this series. Although the selectors decided, in the end, to ignore the claims of their talented but temperamental opener, Sean Williams, who announced his availability earlier in the week, they were at least bolstered by the return of Tatenda Taibu, who had threatened to miss the match after a dispute with the board. Even so, Sri Lanka were not threatened by their opponents, as Mahela Jayawardene showed by asking Zimbabwe to bat first after winning the toss.

Though Vusi Sibanda fell early to Nuwan Kulasekara for 9, the rest of Zimbabwe's top five all made starts. Hamilton Masakadza struck three fours in his 15 before being run out by Tharanga; Chamu Chibhabha accumulated steadily for his 25 from 35 balls, while Stuart Matsikenyeri clobbered Mendis back over his head for six as he raced along to 21 from 20 balls. But two balls after that blow, Matsikenyeri fell, bowled off the inside-edge by Murali as he attempted a cramped cut shot, and - with Taibu parked at the non-striker's end - the innings swiftly fell apart.

With his next delivery, Murali struck again, as Elton Chigumbura fumbled forward to the quicker delivery and was pinned lbw in front of the stumps. Though he missed out on the hat-trick, Murali claimed his third wicket with the final ball of the same over, as Timycen Maruma gormlessly turned a big ripper from around the wicket into the hands of backward short leg.

Taibu had been progressing serenely up until that point, unbeaten on 33 from 52 balls, but he then contributed to the collapse by taking a single from the first ball of the next over, bowled by Mendis. Utseya, eager to impose himself, drove hard-handedly at a flighted delivery, missed, and was adjudged lbw for a golden duck. The veteran, Ray Price, survived three balls, but was then comprehensively suckered by one of Mendis's many variations, as he was dragged down the pitch and stumped for yet another duck.

Five wickets had fallen in the space of 12 balls, but yet again Taibu chose to take a single from the first ball of an over. Murali needed no second invitation to give the new batsman, Tawanda Mupariwa, a thorough working-over. After three tangled defensive prods, Mupariwa attempted a clumsy sweep, inside-edged onto his pads, and Tharanga claimed a dolly at silly point. That left Mendis to apply the coup de grace. Taibu blocked the first three balls of his next over and took a single from the fourth, but two deliveries was more than enough to clean up the No. 11, Christopher Mpofu, who was bowled through the gate to lose his off stump.

Sri Lanka's response with the bat was hardly emphatic, but it didn't need to be. Tharanga tried to steal a non-existent run to short midwicket and was beaten by a sharp shy from Mpofu, but Mahela Udawatte provided some measured aggression in the 10 overs available before lunch with 28 from 34 balls, including two fours and a swatted six over backward point. He eventually holed out to cover ten runs later, and Price marked his comeback with the prize wicket of Jayawardene, bowled for 15.

But the end was already nigh. Kapugedera slammed two sixes in a 15-ball cameo before picking out long-off as he sized up a third, but it was left to Sangakkara - barely noticed throughout his 93-ball stay - to pick off the winning runs and seal a comprehensive victory.

Sri Lanka women stars 'jobless'

2008-11-18T07:28:00.000-08:00

Five members of Sri Lanka's women's cricket team claim to have lost their day jobs because they refused to give up their cricket careers.

They include the captain Shashikala Siriwardene, a human resources assistant for clothing firm Slimline.

Siriwardene told the BBC: "They told me to chose either cricket or the job."

Her team-mates Chamari Polgampola, Sripali Weerakkody, Chamika Bandara and Dilani Manodara have also been made jobless by the same company.

Siriwardene said her employers had previously been supportive: "For over two and a half years, the company helped me - offering duty leave, transport, medicine and sports facilities."

Unlike their male counterparts, Sri Lanka's women get no financial assistance, whether from the national cricket board or sponsors.

However Sri Lanka Cricket chairman Arjuna Ranatunga has pledged to find the players new jobs, Siriwardene explained.

Slimline's HR director, Shanaz Freena, said the players had voluntarily submitted their resignations.

"They submitted their resignations saying they got some other job offers and the team wanted to stay together. We just accepted their resignations," she said.

The team are preparing for their second international tournament this year, against West Indies.

"Money is not the main concern. We are currently focused on winning against international teams and developing ourselves," added Siriwardene.

"We would like to see Sri Lankan fans come out to support us against West Indies."

Fernando and Mendis hurt Zimbabweans

2008-11-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka began their tour of Zimbabwe in bullish fashion, dismissing a Zimbabwe Select XI for 159 on a rain-affected first day of their warm-up match in Bulawayo. Ajantha Mendis picked up four wickets and in reply, Upul Tharanga and Mahela Udawatte propelled the tourists to 50 without loss in 14 overs.

The umpires twice suspended play because of drizzle and eventually ended the day 20 minutes early due to bad light.

Zimbabwe's innings began poorly when Chamu Chibhabha steered a very wide delivery to gully, and it never gained any real momentum other than a brief seventh-wicket renaissance of 46 from Elton Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya which lent the score a degree of respectability. They missed the experience and bravery of Tatenda Taibu, who was dropped in rather odd circumstances. Dilhara Fernando took full advantage early on, picking up two of the first four wickets to fall, including the promising Hamilton Masakadza leg-before for 26.

It wasn't long before Mendis was brought into the attack and he soon bowled Regis Chakabva to get his name on the scoreboard. When he followed that up with the wicket of Keith Dabengwa, also bowled, Zimbabwe had slipped to 90 for 6. However, Chigumbura and Utseya staved off the collapse with a vital seven-wicket stand of 46.

Aware of the situation, both players dropped anchor and gradually shovelled Zimbabwe's total past 100, but Fernando returned to have Utseya caught behind for 22 while Chigumbura - who had spent over two hours at the crease - was beaten by Mendis. Angelo Mathews mopped up a flaccid tail.

Zimbabwe squandered an early chance when Mahela Udawatte edged Christopher Mpofu but Stuart Matsikenyeri at second slip failed to hold onto a routine catch. Tharanga went on the attack and cracked five fours in his unbeaten 31 while Udawatte ended on 17 as Sri Lanka made brisk headway to reach 50 in 14 overs.

Unless the weather plays a major part, this match appears unlikely to go into a fourth day.

Taken From: Cricinfo

Board officials knew about IPL contracts - Labrooy

2008-11-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

The Sri Lanka Cricketers' Association (SLCA) has claimed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), including chairman Arjuna Ranatunga, was informed during a meeting in June that some of the country's leading cricketers had committed to the IPL for the next three years. However, in July, the SLC finalised a tour of England in 2009 - currently put on hold by sports minister Gamini Lokuge - despite assuring its cricketers during that meeting that they would keep a window free for the players' participation in IPL till 2010. The tour announcement was made in July, a month after the meeting.

"We see this not as a one-off thing; we feel there is something more to it," Graeme Labrooy, the SLCA secretary, said at a press conference in Colombo that was also addressed by Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, and vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara. "Unfortunately, even in 2008, when the players had been given permission by Sri Lanka Cricket to play in the first IPL, SLC tried its best to play a one-day series in Pakistan that would have led to a direct confrontation with IPL. So it is not just the 2009 England tour."

Labrooy, Jayawardene and Sangakkara said they had decided to go public with their views after recent comments from SLC officials, including Ranatunga, questioned their commitment to playing for the country. Sangakkara said he was "disturbed" by the ongoing controversy over the players' participation in IPL.

Labrooy said that SLC's only demand from the players during the June 12 meeting was they commit to playing 75% of the provincial season. SLC then agreed to tour England for two Tests and three ODIs after the ECB suspended bilateral ties with Zimbabwe, who were due to tour in 2009. Labrooy said Zimbabwe were slated to play three ODIs but the ECB were keen to add two Tests to give the players some practice ahead of Australia's visit. "We were prepared to compromise and play three one-day games but England wouldn't want to go with that. They were keen on playing two Test matches.

"The key stakeholders of the game are the players. Knowing the players had signed contracts during the same period, SLC should have come back with the England proposal and sat with the players and the cricketers' association and thrashed out the matter. It would have been resolved to a great extent and wouldn't have gone so far."

Sangakkara and Jaywardene, who were given permission by the SLC to speak at the press conference, said they wanted to clear the air over the issue and present their "side of the story". "We always try as players to stay away from controversy, to do what is right and to play our cricket in peace," Sangakkara said. "There are certain things that we can ignore and take and not worry about it and make any comments. But when we are accused of misleading the public and the government of Sri Lanka, it is time for us to come out into the open and state our side of the story."

Jayawardene said the players had signed for IPL as individuals and not as part of the Sri Lankan team. "So therefore I am not the captain of this IPL group," he said. "I am the captain of the Sri Lanka team and I am responsible for the decisions which I make on and off the field regarding the team. Above and beyond that, it's not my responsibility. All these players have their own managers or agents and they have individually written to SLC and got permission and signed with IPL."

Taken From: www.cricinfo.com

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2008-11-05T16:59:00.000-08:00