How much has Sri lanka Cricket really lost?

Arjuna Ranatunga took over the helm of Sri Lanka Cricket in January of this year. He claimed he would stamp out corruption, audit SLC expenditure and "Be The Man". Twelve months into the post he has successfully managed to turn the players against him, drag Sri Lanka Cricket into a legal battle with Ten Sports and by hastily planning a tour - with little or no research - he managed to make an absolute mockery of the Sri Lankan cricket establishment in England. That’s just the tip of the iceberg folks when you consider the fact that Arjuna has also managed to destroy the good relations which existed between the Indian and Sri Lankan cricket boards.

Most of us have not fully grasped what the SLC has really lost. It is much more than the loss of a few cricket matches, soured relationships or half full pockets of the IPL contracted players. Arjuna has repeatedly pointed out what Sri Lanka Cricket has lost from the postponement of the tour to England ($2M). He fails to mention the losses incurred by the board due to the scheduling of a tour that would collide with the IPL. He has also failed to mention the price SLC is paying for his irresponsible comments directed towards the Indian backed IPL tournament. By not being supportive of the IPL, Sri Lanka Cricket over all, including the players, will loose out on revenue from the Champions League ($4M), Indian tour of Sri Lanka 2009 ($15M) and the proposed Indian tour in 2010, another whopping figure of fifteen million dollars.

Even in hindsight - knowing that going to England would bankrupt a board running on a huge over draft – would not have changed Arjuna’s stance. There lays the problem.

When the England – IPL tour conflict first arose India proposed a deal which was to secure Sri Lankan participation in the IPL for a lucrative price. Arjuna’s negative comments towards the IPL even after such a gracious endeavour by the Indian board pushed the Indians to put a hold on the deal. For a man running a cricket board on negative Rs. 375 Million Ranatunga cannot afford such confrontations and then claim his stance is for the benefit of Sri Lanka Cricket. Not when the facts are this obvious. No expense should be spared to researching a decision. The lack of any proper planning and complete hot headed vindictiveness has left Sri Lanka Cricket in dire straights. Such actions should not be over looked or ignored.

My stance has always been one of calling it as I see it; I don’t belong to either the pro Ranatunga party nor the anti Ranatunga brigade. I am merely calling it as I see it.

by Hilal +/- Expand Post

'We were given assurances that no tours would be added to Sri Lanka’s FTP that would clash with dates for the IPL' - Mahela

In a letter to The Island publication Mahela Jayawardena reveals that SLC had assured the players tours outside of the ICC's Future Tours Program will be scheduled in a manner that it will not clash with the 2009 and 2010 seasons of the Indian Premier League.

We had a meeting on 12 June, weeks before the ECB offered an England tour, with SLC Chairman, Chief Executive, Interim Committee members, SLCA representatives and several senior members of the Sri Lanka National squad in which we openly discussed our three-year IPL contracts and were give assurances that no future tours would be added to Sri Lanka’s Future Tours Program (FTP) that would clash with dates for the IPL in 2009 and 2010. At the same meeting, the players also committed to playing over 75% of the Provincial Cricket and also accepting a central contract salary freeze in lieu of our availability for the IPL. - The Island

Posted by Hilal

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Players speaks out on SLC - IPL conundrum

Arjuna's comments against the players' sports agents, and his suggestion that the SLC will eventually be the sole representative of all national players has not gone down too well with the players.

Secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricketers Association (SLCA) Graeme Labrooy termed this move as a direct intervening by the SLC on the players’ fundamental rights.

“It is the choice of the individual players to ascertain as to who is to be his manager. Managers for various sportsmen have been around for well over the past four decades handling various aspects of their careers. Some sportsmen even have their own media managers,” he said. - Sunday Times

Labrooy stated that the job of the sport's agent was to market the player and also ensure the player has financial income long after the player's days as a national sportsman has ended. “For this, every single sportsman has the right to choose his own manager,” said Labrooy.

In another twist to the story Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara were part of a press conference in which the players spoke out in regards to an article published by the local press. Some quarters in the media claimed the players duped the public and the sports minister in claiming the SLC was aware of their 3 year IPL contracts when they agreed to the tour of England. The SLC claiming no knowledge of a 3 year deal subsequently issued a press statement which claimed the players had only received a 1 year no objection certificate to take part in the inaugural season of the IPL.

"Yes, we were auctioned (with IPL) for three years. We were auctioned at a certain price and every single player who played in the IPL signed a three year contract," said Sangakkara. - PTI

Sangakkara made it clear that the SLC knew of the 3 year contract with the IPL but the players only sought clearance for 2008 as they were only bound by annual contracts with Sri Lanka Cricket.

"The SLC knew that we had signed a three-year contract, but our contract with the SLC are yearly contracts," Sangakkara said on Thursday.

"I was very perturbed by what went on in these months as a player. You always try as player to stay away from controversy, to do what is right and to play our cricket in peace," he said.

"But there was an article in a newspaper under the heading 'did the country's top cricketers dupe the public and the government'. (The article also published the letter written by Jayawardene and the SLC)."

"There are certain things that we can ignore and take and even though we worry about it basically (we are) not making any comments. But we may be accused of misleading the public and the government of Sri Lanka. I think it is time to clear that," Sangakkara said. - PTI

by Hilal Suhaib

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Arjuna Vs The Cricket Mafia

Lets look at some facts

-SLC is running at a 600 million rupee bank over draft.

-SLC sets up a potentially money earning series with England and the ECB for May 2009 to help in their financial troubles.

-Which clashed with the IPL also set for May 2009, meaning most of the big names from SL would miss the 2nd IPL season.

-The ‘Players picking IPL over country’ debate begins.

-Lalit Modi and BCCI have were going to have none of this and set up a 70mil dollar deal for the SLC, over ten years for letting the SL players take part in the IPL and the Champions League.

-Arjuna meanwhile goes on a trigger happy crusade against the IPL 2020, calling it nothing more than instant noodles - which we must all agree is one of the best analogies ever made.

-Arjuna then goes on to blame the IPL 2020 for India losing the test series in SL.

BCCI and Lalit Modi start to dislike Arjuna

-ECB’s David Morgan says SLC’s agreement with the BCCI over the 70mil is ‘unacceptable’ stating the ICC reaffirmed that Test Cricket was to be the number 1 priority for the boards.

-Arjuna says the English test series will go ahead.

-And then does the unthinkable and lifts the ban on ICL players playing domestic cricket in SL.

BCCI and Modis dislike Arjuna even more.

-Modi and BCCI say the deal will not go ahead if Arjuna is around.

-Threatens to cut bi-lateral ties with SL.

-Hints it can “buy off” any Sri Lankan player if it wants to.


Dead Lock.


The message is clear. India control the money and they have the power. They are kinda like the Mafia of the cricketing world right now. Threatening to bump off or buy off anyone who dares to go against them. Their reach is growing and its all about muscling out who ever they want to, to make as much money as possible.

India’s reputation of threatening to cut ties, boycott series and tours is growing. They exercised this power in Australia- Got their way.

They are doing the same with lowly SLC- surely they will win this time as well.

Arjuna is caught in the middle. He needs to make money for the SLC. Please the ECB, Please the BCCI and the IPL and his players all at the same time. That will never happen.

We argue a lot over the fact that cricket is only about the money these days. In this case- it HAS to be about the money. SLC needs money and its quite obvious that the most amount of money will flow from the IPL and the BCCI at the moment.

When Arjuna came into power I thought it would be a good thing. He always spoke about how the game in SL needs to improve to play with the big teams around the world. He seemed to have a vision.

But somewhere between his triple up sized breakfasts and predicting India will win the 2007 WC, he seems to have lost his mind.

The IPL and the BCCI don’t care about cricket, they care about Break Even points and balance sheets and we are nothing but a small country in Political turmoil and financial crisis. When big brother offers a hand this big I think we ought to take it.

The England series was never in the schedule. Arjuna dug him self a hole by hastily arranging it. And although I was ecstatic that we would tour England again and annoyed that players seemed to be picking the IPL over the country on hindsight you have to try and see the bigger picture.

The big picture is that the IPL will give the SLC more money over a longer period of time than one test series in England ever could. What Arjuna should have done instead of shooting his potty mouth is to have initiated discussions with the BCCI and IPL regarding the participation fees he claims the SLC never got.


And SLC needs money.

Its strange because ONLY the SLC have publicly announced that they did not get any fee. Were the other boards given this money and SLC ignored ?

Arjuna is not a business minded man, he has a big ego and does not enjoy anyone going against him. He is revered in SL cricketing circles because of what he achieved as a player. And he enjoys using that power to get his way to the front of the buffet line- so to speak.

But he is clearly not the man to lead the SLC, he runs his mouth which makes the board and the country look bad.

If I were Arjuna I would step down , because that would be in the interest of cricket in Sri Lanka. It is however unlikely and as long as he heads the board Sri Lankan cricket will be in turmoil in one way or the other.

by DamithS

Sri Lanka Cricket +/- Expand Post

Modi Vs Ranatunga

Lalit Modi's abrasive and confrontational approach is fuel to the fire for a bloke like Arjuna Ranatunga. Recent media reports stated that Lalit modi had withdrawn a lucrative financial deal between IPL and SLC due to comments made by Arjuna Ranatunga. Modi claimed the comments were damaging to the Indian Premier League.

Earlier Modi and Co offered SLC a lucrative package in order to secure the participation of Sri Lanka's top cricketers in the IPL, this subsequently led SLC to postpone a tour of England. Modi then pulled out of the proposed dealing with SLC claiming SLC chairman Ranatunga's comments were hurting the IPL and the BCCI. The BCCI then chose to 'put a hold' on future tours to Sri Lanka scheduled outside of the ICC's future tours programme.

Sri Lanka Cricket gains nothing financially by allowing it's players to take part in the IPL - the cash strapped board regularly sets up tours outside of the ICC's future tours programme in order to fund it's development. As such the last minute tour of England which collided with the second season of IPL was not something that was constructed by Ranatunga due to his disliking for T20 Cricket. It was more a genuine attempt to fund a cricket board running on it's bank over draft.

Ranatunga has been quoted in recent media reports stating that SLC lost 3 Million USD due to the IPL- Clearly he has scant regard for Modi's opinion and he doesn't mind making statements that are detrimental to the IPL.

"The SLC would have got USD 3 million including USD 2 million for TV rights which we have been deprived off as our senior players are contracted to play for the Indian Premier League and our tour to England has been cancelled," Ranatunga told PTI.

He said it was "unfair" the SLC does not gain any money for releasing its players for the IPL even while agents get commissions from the fee paid to players taking part in the BCCI-backed tournament.

"One thing the players should remember is that they are employees of SLC. Every year, we sign about 40 cricketers from the national and 'A' teams. We give them very attractive contracts.

"It is SLC that looks after the players from the junior level and brings them to the level of national cricket by spending a lot of money. SLC should get some money from these cricketers rather than allow them to make payments to some outside agent.

"This way, we will safeguard our cricketers and make use of the money for cricket development," - PTI

Unlike Cricket Australia which bent over backwards to accommodate the BCCI and it's boorish ways Sri Lanka cricket will not. This is a certainty with someone like Ranatunga at the helm - in his playing days and as captain of Sri Lanka Ranatunga always stood firm in what he believed was the best option for Sri Lanka cricket. This time wont be any different.

He has already spoken of doing away with 3rd parties who act as the players Sports Agents. Ranatunga claims the agents stand to gain more by signing the players up for tournaments like the IPL when the SLC looses out. More importantly Ranatunga will have more control over player participation in tournaments like the IPL.

“We are going to help the players by being their agent from next year. At the moment various individuals who have no connection with the development of cricket are lurking in the shadows and grab the players to become their agent. They make a cool ten percent commission by exploiting the player. We are hoping to a put a stop to it” said Ranatunga.

“SLC is bringing the player up to the international level by supporting them from the grassroot level. So, it is only just that SLC should get a commission if there is any. We have planned this as a mode of income generation for the next year” explained Ranatunga.

It is clear that Ranatunga will eventually even the playing field with Lalit Modi and Modi may have to reconsider his stance with SLC if he wishes Sri Lankan participation in the event.

"Ranatunga is totally unjustified in his continuous blasting of IPL," Modi said speaking to Cricinfo earlier today.

"Ranatunga is totally unjustified in his continuous blasting of IPL," Modi told Cricinfo. "At a meeting held in Bangkok a few weeks ago where BCCI officials met the Sri Lankan management - both board and government representatives - the BCCI secretary (N Srinivasan) had clearly pointed out that it had no idea why such hostility exists. We are looking for answers. We hope to find a solution which is beneficial to both boards at the earliest. The officials were also quite perturbed that the situation had escalated to where it is today and were also looking for answers."

Modi and the BCCI seem to have this preconceived notion that Sri Lanka agreed to tour England due to Ranatunga's disliking for the IPL. As I mentioned previously SLC has always planned tours in haste in order to fund it's cricket. Sri Lanka's ODI series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi after a gruelling World Cup 2007 campaign springs to mind. Not to mention the ODI series tour to Netherlands following a long tour of England. Furthermore the SLC has always maintained that it had cleared it's players for the first season of IPL - SLC claims they never authorised a three year contract which the players have subsequently signed into.

This stand off between Modi and Ranatunga may hurt the players income significantly and the players stand to loose out the most. Sri Lanka Cricket's pay package is barely lucrative in this day and age, the players require their agent's assistance to source sponsors and much needed revenue. The IPL has always maintained that it's tournament is no place for retired cricketers for it does not want to be the reason behind a mass exodus with players leaving International cricket for the IPL - so an early retirement is not an option. It will be interesting to see how all this will pan out. One would hope that for the sake of our sport that Modi and the BCCI comes back to the discussion table to bring some life in to their defunct proposal.

By Hilal

Sri Lanka Cricket

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India - Sri Lanka ties fall apart over IPL

Miffed at the "hostile" statements from Sri Lanka Cricket officials against Indian Premier League, the BCCI has decided to put on hold India's all future bilateral series against Sri Lanka. - PTI

According to news reports from the Press Trust of India the BCCI has decided to 'put a hold' on future tours involving the two nations. The decision apparently stems from what Lalit Modi and Niranjan Shah deem as 'damaging statements' made by SLC officials towards the IPL and Arjuna Ranatunga's 'attitude' towards the IPL.

"Mr Modi and Mr (Niranjan) Shah were very puzzled and shocked at the attitude of Sri Lankan cricket towards the BCCI and had serious concerns with regards to some of the press statements which had been released by some SLC officials," - PTI

It has now come to a state where one cannot express any dislike towards the Indian cricket board or it's IPL tournament without serious repercussions. This is not the first time India has threatened to boycott or call off tours if it did not get it's way. Earlier this year the BCCI threatened to call off it's on going tour in Australia if Harbhajan Singh was found guilty of racially abusing Andrew Symonds. Click here to read The Sydney Morning Herald's piece titled 'Cricket's Day of Shame'.

WORLD cricket authorities have caved in to the game's financial superpower, India, and Cricket Australia has incurred the wrath of its own Test players by pressuring them to drop a racial slur charge against Harbhajan Singh.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India had even chartered a plane to take its players home tomorrow if the Indian player's three-Test suspension - for calling Australia's Andrew Symonds a monkey during the Sydney Test - had not been overturned at yesterday's appeal in the Federal Court in Adelaide.

Cricket Australia was anxious to have the charge dropped because it feared its board would be sued for a figure understood to be about $60 million if India quit the tour. - SMH

It could be argued that as chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket Ranatunga was duty bound to agree upon and sign the deal with the ECB. With SLC running on it's bank over draft it would have been ridiculous for Ranatunga to turn down such an offer for the IPL tournament. The player's representation in the IPL did not benefit Sri Lankan Cricket or it's governing authority financially.

I previously mentioned that the IPL's stance was one of International Cricket first and IPL second. This reaction from the BCCI and the IPL has put an end to that perspective. Ranatunga's comments may have been detrimental to the image of the IPL and BCCI but the actions of the BCCI's hierarchy has caused damage to more than just their image.

By Hilal


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IPL gives SLC the finger

Sri Lanka's sports minister Gamini Lokuge and The Sri Lanka Cricketers' Association (SLCA) worked out a proposal which could bring in $70M over the next few years - in return the IPL would be guaranteed Sri Lankan representation for all it's T20 events. The deal if worked out would have put a definite end to Sri Lanka's 2009 tour to England and seriously jeopardised the ICC and it's International tours.

The move was criticised by David Morgan president of the International Cricket Council. Speaking to the Telegraph Morgan said that the deal was "quite unacceptable behaviour against the background of Sri Lanka's signed agreement with the ECB".

A four man team comprising SLC's CEO Duleep Mendis, Sidath Wettimuny, Greame Labrooy and S. Liyanagama have just returned from a meeting with Lalit Modi and other IPL officials in Bangkok. The IPL has not agreed to such a deal.

Shock?? Not!

The IPL's stance has always been one of International Cricket first and IPL second. Therefore it does not surprise me that this proposal failed. The IPL cannot afford to play a game of tug-o-war with the ICC. In order to function on the long term as a successful business entity the IPL requires every bit of support from the ICC and creating a rift in the cricket world would not be the way to go.

This is an eye opener to players considering IPL over international cricket. Any move on the part of these individuals to jeopardise international cricket by choosing IPL over national representation may result in an abrupt end to their careers leaving them with a less lucrative alternative. The IPL may consider terminating contracts of those who bring the IPL into disrepute -- Lalit Modi and crew would hate the IPL to appear as the death of Cricket. That is just not the kind of image you would want for any business. The IPL stands to gain more on the longer run with the ICC on it's side and the loss of 10 players would not harm it on the longer run.

by Hilal


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England tour crisis deepens - Lankan cricketers will not change their stance

Pramodya Wickremasinghe president of the Sri Lanka Cricket Players Association speaking to the Sunday Times states that changes to the tour itinerary is the only option that SLC has put forth thus far - that change however is not feasible as the next T20 World Cup begins on the 5th of June 2009. Pramodaya goes on to state that with the current situation the only available option is to play a 3 match ODI series between May 26 and June 5 2008.

The IPL tournament is scheduled to end on the 26th of May 2009

Posted by Hilal


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Doubts persist over Sri Lanka series

Richard Hobson of The Times writes of the chaos associated with Sri Lanka's ill planned tour to England. Scroll below for a few excerpts of the article. Read it in full here.

The situation in Colombo appears to have reached an impasse with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), which is understandably keen to press on with a trip that would earn a fee of about £1 million from the ECB. Players, on the other hand, insist that before the England tour was agreed they were promised the chance to play in the IPL.

Gamini Lokuge, the Sports and Recreation Minister, instructed SLC this week to stop its IPL-contracted players touring England while at the same time saying that he did not want the series to be cancelled. Twelve players have signed for the franchises, the latest being Ajantha Mendis, the ICC Emerging Player of the Year.

The situation was further confused yesterday when the Pakistan Cricket Board announced details of a three-year deal to play triangular limited-overs matches against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the new Dubai Sports City stadium from next April - another possible clash with the IPL, due to run from April 10 to May 29.

Posted by Hilal


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SLC lifts ban on ICL players but...

Sri Lanka Cricket has lifted the previously imposed ban on players who took part in the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

The Indian Premier League which is the official 20Twenty tournament organised by the Indian Cricket board is the only T20 tournament to be recognised by the ICC in India - the privately operated ICL is yet to be approved as it does not have the blessing of the Indian board, it's rivals.

"We keep getting requests from private organisations for allowing them to organise events. ICC traditionally allows its members to run cricket. ICC does not interfere if a member board disciplines or does not discipline its players," Malcolm Speed was heard stating to the press in 2007.

In August of 2007 Sri Lanka Cricket decided to ban player's taking part in the ICL stating they were worried that player's would have issues maintaining two employers.

"It will be a problem if the players start going into different leagues and they can't have two employers," Mathivanan said speaking to AP in 2007.

Mathivanan the former secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket also went on record in 2007 to state that the ICC has asked individual national bodies to decide their own policies on the issue independently.

So it comes as no surprise that after much thought and with the ICL heading into it's second season that the board has decided to soften it's stance on the players involved. They now have the ability to represent their domestic teams within Sri Lanka however international cricket appears to be some distance away.

Why prohibit them from playing international cricket when the ICC has no issues with players representing the ICL.?

Since when was it illegal to represent a leaugue which stands as competition to a league organised by the Indian cricket board? Are players just out of luck if they aren't picked up by an IPL franchise? Do I hear you scream illegal monopoly!?

The second season of the ICL kicks off on the 10th of October 2008 players such as Russel Arnold, Marvan Atapattu, Avishka Gunewardena and Upul Chandana can be seen in action. Click here for the official ICL website.

By Hilal



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Mutiny on board Sri Lanka Cricket

By Hilal

One of the plus points of the IPL T20 were the riches on offer; International cricketers were given lucrative pay packages to play during off season. Sri Lankan cricketers earned wages on par with other prominent international sportsman.

The IPL's second season and a hastily planned tour to England in 2009 is on a collision course, there is talk of players contemplating retirement to honour their IPL contracts.

In a new twist to the tale Arjuna Ranatunga in an interview with the Observer appears to call talks of retirement bluff.

“As far as Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is concerned we will not change our decision to send the Sri Lanka team to play in England. We have signed an MOU with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and we have to honour that,” said Ranatunga

“They need to sign a two-year contract with the ICC and SLC even if they are to retire and go to the IPL,” contended Ranatunga.

The players with current IPL contracts are Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralidaran, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando, T.M. Dilshan and Ajantha Mendis.

In recent times Andrew Symonds who is embroiled in a disciplinary issue with Cricket Australia also threatened to call quits to his career to concentrate on the IPL.

The Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi's statement to the Sydney Morning Herald has not only squashed Symonds' plans but it has also squashed the plans of the Sri Lankan Cricketers who utilised retirement as a bargaining tool.

"I would advise him to stay on with his country. It's very important to be playing for your country," Modi told the Herald.

"We need players who are playing international cricket. We don't need a whole bunch of retired cricketers in the tournament. Cricket Australia has the right to refuse that he plays in the IPL for two years after retirement."

Ranatunga also insists that the media has distorted the facts and claims President Rajapakse never demanded the players be allowed to play in the IPL over an official tour to England.

“That was a wrong information. The President never asked us to cancel the England tour and let the players go for the IPL.

What the President told me was to try to make a shift so that they could play in both,” Ranatunga told the Sunday Observer.

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Sri Lanka to tour England in 2009

Posted by Hilal

SLC has chosen to honour it's Memorandum Of Understanding with the England & Wales Cricket Board and will tour England next year.

Fox Sports reports, Sri Lanka's cricket tour of England will go ahead as planned next year despite the dates clashing with a lucrative Indian Twenty20 tournament, officials said.

“We have a memorandum of understanding with the England and Wales Cricket Board for the tour and we must honour that,'' Sri Lanka Cricket chief Arjuna Ranatunga said.

The hastily arranged tour is opposed by top Sri Lankan players like captain Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara, who want to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April-May, reports the News24 website.

The players argued their IPL contracts were signed before the England tour was finalised, and said they stood to lose thousands of dollars if they did not take part in the Indian Twenty20 tournament.

However, Ranatunga, the former Sri Lankan World Cup-winning captain, said his body would honour the commitment made to England in July.

Sources in the Sri Lankan sports ministry said the government wanted a compromise by which players can take part in the IPL and also play in the England series.

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[Video] Tillekeratne Dilshan weds in India

Click the Title above if no video is visible

Video courtesy of Delhi Daredevils. The video appears to be of Dilshan and his bride dancing at the wedding.

The Hindu: New Delhi: The agonising wait for Rajasthan Royals’ last-ball win over Mumbai Indians that booked it a place in the IPL semifinals turned out to be quite enjoyable for the Delhi Daredevils, who found a perfect getaway from the tension at teammate Tillakaratne Dilshan’s wedding here last night.

The 31-year-old Dilshan got married at a city hotel last night and the Daredevils came out in full force to wish the Sri Lankan all-rounder and his bride.

The marriage was conducted under Hindu rituals and turned out to be a refreshing experience for the team’s other foreign recruits.

“It was mesmeric. The music, the clothes that they wore, the atmosphere was completely a new experience for me. I had a good time,” said Australian pacer Brett Geeves.

And while they were enjoying the wedding, the Daredevils’ happiness was doubled by the arrival of the news that Rajasthan beat Mumbai in a last-ball humdinger.

Needing three runs of the last ball, Rajasthan benefited from a misfield and a spilt run-out chance to romp home and continue with its winning streak.

The Daredevils’ hearts would have definitely skipped a few beats during the close match but Dilshan’s wedding made sure that the team found a getaway from the tension. — PTI +/- Expand Post

[Video] Murali on the catwalk

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Murali: One day cricket will fade

Foxsports: Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan believes one-day cricket is in danger of being eclipsed by the Twenty20 format of the game.

The veteran bowler is in India participating in the inaugural Indian Premier League as the bowling spearhead for the Chennai Super Kings.
He claims the short length of Twenty20 and IPL games will increase the sport's popularity.

"This is going to be the future of cricket," Muralitharan told the News.

"I think Test cricket will stay. All players and cricketers love to play Test cricket but one-day cricket will fade a bit.

"I think because of the IPL and Twenty20 more people will watch cricket. It is the 21st century and people do not have the time to watch five-day and one-day matches."

Muralitharan, the world record holder for most Test wickets, says he is well adapted to the multicultural nature of his IPL team.

The Kings beat Kings Eleven Punjab in Mohali at the weekend and Muralitharan posted figures of one for 33.

"When I play for Lancashire I play with many cricketers," he said. "I have learnt how to cope with these things in the dressing room. It is a happy dressing room with youngsters."

The spinner also expects further battles with Kumar Sangakkara, his Sri Lanka team-mate who was his prized wicket on Saturday.

"It was not easy to bowl to him as he knows what I do," Muralitharan added. "Still, I have to bowl and he has to hit the ball.

"I think in this battle I won. It may be in future that he might win."

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Murali, the team-man, to the fore | IPL

The Sunday Island (LK): In a gesture that captured the essence of Muttiah Muralitharan’s spirit, the legendary spinner sprinted to the ground with bottles of mineral water for his teammates.

Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker he might be, but Muralitharan did not mind being the 12th man, at least for the moment. Muralitharan, the team-man, came to the fore on a hot, sweltering Monday at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

The occasion was the practice game for the Chennai Super Kings, the squad being split into two groups. And Muralitharan was the cynosure.

Soon, the Sri Lankan off-spin wizard began his stretching routine. Not much later, he was into the ground again, bringing with him more sunshine and extraordinary skills.

"He adds so much to the side. He is probably the best spinner in the world," said Australian batsman Michael Hussey.

Muralitharan said, "It is a good side. I feel at home here. Let’s wait for the matches to begin."

Former India captain and brand ambassador of the Chennai Super Kings, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, said, "Despite his achievements, Muralitharan is such a humble person. He is simple and very approachable."

Good cricketing brain

Srikkanth was seen having a lengthy conversation with Muralitharan in the pavilion. "We were discussing the various combinations in the IPL, their strengths and weaknesses. He has an excellent cricketing brain. His inputs off the field, in terms of strategy, will be very valuable too. I am happy that the son-in-law of Chennai is playing for Chennai," he said.

The practice match produced some entertaining cricket. The big and strong Jacob Oram sent the ball soaring over the stands. Parthiv Patel played some cracking strokes at the top of the order. Young paceman Manpreet Singh Goni generated some speed and extracted bounce. Of course, there was Muralitharan.
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