The Island (subscription): Kevin Rudd, Australia’s new Prime Minister, was host to a gala reception at his residence – The Lodge in Canberra – on Tuesday, January 29, and he followed this up with a grand luncheon at the Manuka Oval when the visiting Sri Lanka cricket team played the Prime Minister’s Eleven on Wednesday, January 30.
This was the very first time when Sri Lanka were invited to play against the Prime Minister’s Eleven, a tradition started by Bob Hawke many years ago.
Kevin Rudd erased all memories of any hostility, between the two cricketing nations, when he spoke with affection about the long history of friendship between Australia and Sri Lanka, formerly named Ceylon. He went on to say that he even has advised Sri Lanka bowler Muralitharan on his bowling skills.
Rudd certainly was no cricket tragic! His grand reception to the visiting team was spiced with anecdotes about his days of playing cricket in China when he was a diplomat. He acknowledged Sri Lanka High Commissioner in Australia, K. Balapatabendi, who had enlightened the Aussie PM on important facts like the first ever cricket match played in Colombo.
Kevin Rudd went to the extent of inviting three of the famous "Invincibles" of the famous 1948 Aussie cricket team –Neil Harvey, Sam Loxton and Arthur Morris- who are still with us. They spoke with great delight about the match played against the then Ceylon Eleven when the above Aussies had made a twenty-four-hour stop-over in Colombo on their way to England by ship. Such was the reminiscences of the years gone by and they will forever remain as memorable events in the history of world cricket.
Rudd went on to wish Sri Lanka well and said that the Sri Lanka cricket team had cricketers of every race and religion which showed that cricket itself was a strong unifying force in this era.
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Saturday, February 2, 2008
Ensure security, Lanka tells Cricket Australia
Sunday Times LK: Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday fired out a strong e-mail to Cricket Australia in the aftermath of an attack on Sri Lankan cricketers and officials by the Australian public on Friday night in Hobart, Tasmania. The incident occurred when a group of Australians ambushed the Lankan cricketers and officials who were returning to their hotel after dine out and stared jeering and throwing objects at them.
Speaking to The Sunday Times on the incident, Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary K. Mathivanan said, “Yes, we are perturbed by the incident and we already have cautioned Cricket Australia through e-mail urging them to ensure the security of our cricketers on and off the field. However when it happens in a public area there is very little that any one can do.”
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka was dealt with another major blow when veteran Sanath Jayasuriya was struck on the Jaw by a bouncer bowled by Tasmanian fast bowler Tim MacDonald.
Jayasuriya was struck while trying to pull a MacDonald bouncer in the eighth over and left the field for six stitches. However according to Mathivanan, Jayasuriya in spite of his injury will be playing in their tour opener against India on Tuesday. Sri Lanka Cricket President Arjuna Ranatunga will join the tour party on February 20 while Secretary Mathivanan is also expected to join him.
On Friday evening Ranatunga met former national players and appealed to them to come forward to help take the game in the island to greater heights.
Ranatunga along with some members of the Cricket Committee was present at SSC grounds on Friday when their teenagers went down meekly to Pakistan yet again in the Under 19 Tri-nation final.
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Speaking to The Sunday Times on the incident, Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary K. Mathivanan said, “Yes, we are perturbed by the incident and we already have cautioned Cricket Australia through e-mail urging them to ensure the security of our cricketers on and off the field. However when it happens in a public area there is very little that any one can do.”
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka was dealt with another major blow when veteran Sanath Jayasuriya was struck on the Jaw by a bouncer bowled by Tasmanian fast bowler Tim MacDonald.
Jayasuriya was struck while trying to pull a MacDonald bouncer in the eighth over and left the field for six stitches. However according to Mathivanan, Jayasuriya in spite of his injury will be playing in their tour opener against India on Tuesday. Sri Lanka Cricket President Arjuna Ranatunga will join the tour party on February 20 while Secretary Mathivanan is also expected to join him.
On Friday evening Ranatunga met former national players and appealed to them to come forward to help take the game in the island to greater heights.
Ranatunga along with some members of the Cricket Committee was present at SSC grounds on Friday when their teenagers went down meekly to Pakistan yet again in the Under 19 Tri-nation final.
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South Africa's pull out caused huge financial losses
AFP reports state a top official at SLC has disclosed that South Africa's pull out of Sri Lanka following a Tamil Tiger suicide attack on Pakistan's top envoy to Sri Lanka has resulted in loss of 11 million dollars.
"We lost 1.2 billion rupees (11 million US dollars) due to South Africa's pulling out. That was the only revenue forthcoming in 2006," Kangadaran Mathivanan, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary, told AFP.+/- Expand Post
The triangular series was due to take place in August 2006 between the hosts, South Africa and India. India stayed to play Sri Lanka, however rain disrupted the matches.
Mathivanan's remarks came after his new boss, Arjuna Ranatunga, who took over the reins of SLC last month, said that the governing body of the sport here had no money left and was banking on financial support from India to stay afloat.
Mathivanan added an out-of-court settlement with a television company cost the SLC five million dollars.
It was in addition to unbudgeted expenditure such as the development of a new stadium at Pallekele in the central district of Kandy and the refurbishment of the Galle stadium devastated by the 2004 tsunami.
"Pallekele cost us 225 million rupees and Galle another 500 million rupees. These are the expenditures that made us operate on an overdraft," Mathivanan said.
"The total shortfall in revenue and additional expenditure totalled 2.3 billion rupees," Mathivanan said.
Ranatunga said SLC was currently surviving on a six-million dollar bank overdraft, but India's Test and one-day tour of Sri Lanka in July-August would boost his organisation's finances. - AFP
Chanaka Wijesinghe cracks double ton
Chanaka Wijesinghe of NCC cracked the first double ton of the Rupavahini Premier League cricket tournament, he slammed a 307 ball 250 with included 32 boundaries and three sixes against Tamil Union at P. Sara Stadium.
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It is not often that you find a batsman making a double-century in the opening round of a tournament, but that's exactly what Chanaka Wijesinghe achieved for Nondescripts. In their first innings of 194, he top-scored with 61 not out and, after Nondescripts had conceded a first-innings lead of 31, he gave them an outside chance of victory by compiling 250 off 307 balls in the second innings. That NCC failed to achieve victory (falling short by one wicket) could not be blamed on him. Wijesinghe, 25 who hails from Kandy has been around for some time representing Kandy Youth CC, Ragama CC and Moors SC before coming to NCC.
"What is so striking about Chanaka's batting is that he has tightened his defence and is prepared to wait for the loose balls to make runs," Ranjith Fernando, the former Sri Lanka batsman, said. "If Chanaka can show a degree of consistency during the season with his batting and make some really big innings it will be rather difficult for the selectors not to have a closer look at him." Wijesinghe's previous highest score in 39 first-class matches was 146. - Cricinfo
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Jayasuriya cops one in the face, requires stitches
Sanath Jayasuriya retired hurt after being hit on the jaw during the Lankans' clash Vs Tasmania.
According to Cricinfo this morning Jayasuriya was struck when trying to pull a Tim MacDonald bouncer in the eighth over, left the field for six stitches and later went for an x-ray, which cleared him of a fracture. +/- Expand Post
According to Cricinfo this morning Jayasuriya was struck when trying to pull a Tim MacDonald bouncer in the eighth over, left the field for six stitches and later went for an x-ray, which cleared him of a fracture. +/- Expand Post
Eggs and abuse hurled at Murali in Australia
Cricinfo: Members of the Sri Lankan camp in Australia for the CB series were the target of verbal abuse and had eggs thrown at them on Thursday night in Hobart. Muttiah Muralitharan and a team selector were part of a group walking from a restaurant to the team hotel and the selector was hit on the back by an egg. As a result, the Sri Lankan board has asked Cricket Australia (CA) to tighten security around the team.
"Muralitharan, along with one of the selectors and the team masseur, were walking on the street in Hobart when suddenly from nowhere a car passed them and the guy starts abusing," a source close to the team confirmed to Cricinfo.
"He then came back a few more times and repeated this and suddenly he started throwing eggs in their direction. One landed on the back of the selector. The team management has lodged a protest with the cops but fortunately nothing untoward happened on the ground."
It is not clear whether Muralitharan was the target of the attack, though Sri Lanka's manager, Sriyan Samararatne, suggested it was unlikely, arguing it was dark and that the car was travelling at too great a speed for recognition.
"I don't know the exact motive. I doubt whether they recognised Murali but unfortunately he was there," Samararatne told the Fox Sports website. "We told Cricket Australia about it and they were very upset." Samararatne added also that nothing untoward had occurred when Sri Lanka played a Test in Hobart last November.
Muralitharan's presence is bound to complicate matters. The spinner, who is the world's leading Test wicket-taker, has had a difficult time in Australia in the past. His action was no-balled early in his career in 1995-96, since when crowds have often heckled him at various venues. The reaction was so hostile Muralitharan refused to tour Australia in 2004, but he returned for Sri Lanka's series last November when the heckling seemed to have eased off.
K Mathivanan, the SLC secretary, said the board had informed CA about the matter and had asked for security for the team to be enhanced. "We have drawn the attention of Cricket Australia to this incident yesterday. They have already given the team security. But we have asked the authorities whether this can be beefed up further," Mathivanan told PTI.
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"Muralitharan, along with one of the selectors and the team masseur, were walking on the street in Hobart when suddenly from nowhere a car passed them and the guy starts abusing," a source close to the team confirmed to Cricinfo.
"He then came back a few more times and repeated this and suddenly he started throwing eggs in their direction. One landed on the back of the selector. The team management has lodged a protest with the cops but fortunately nothing untoward happened on the ground."
It is not clear whether Muralitharan was the target of the attack, though Sri Lanka's manager, Sriyan Samararatne, suggested it was unlikely, arguing it was dark and that the car was travelling at too great a speed for recognition.
"I don't know the exact motive. I doubt whether they recognised Murali but unfortunately he was there," Samararatne told the Fox Sports website. "We told Cricket Australia about it and they were very upset." Samararatne added also that nothing untoward had occurred when Sri Lanka played a Test in Hobart last November.
Muralitharan's presence is bound to complicate matters. The spinner, who is the world's leading Test wicket-taker, has had a difficult time in Australia in the past. His action was no-balled early in his career in 1995-96, since when crowds have often heckled him at various venues. The reaction was so hostile Muralitharan refused to tour Australia in 2004, but he returned for Sri Lanka's series last November when the heckling seemed to have eased off.
K Mathivanan, the SLC secretary, said the board had informed CA about the matter and had asked for security for the team to be enhanced. "We have drawn the attention of Cricket Australia to this incident yesterday. They have already given the team security. But we have asked the authorities whether this can be beefed up further," Mathivanan told PTI.
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Friday, February 1, 2008
We were always going to play: Jayawardene
ABC News: The Sri Lankan cricket captain has denied his team planned to pull out of the one day triangular series if the racial vilification ban imposed on Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was not dropped.
It was reported the Indian team had chartered a flight out of Australia and Sri Lanka was also planning to leave if the ban was upheld.
But Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene says that is not the case.
"We were not spoken at all about anything like that, our board never got to us about any of those things," he said.
"We were just getting ourselves prepared for tournament, we didn't know exactly what was going on. I saw the article as well but we have no idea about that."
Jayawardene also says he believes on-field verbal disputes between players should be settled by the players.
His comments were in response to questions about the handling of the racial vilification case involving Harbhajan and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
Jayawardene says there is a place for sledging in cricket, as long as it is not too personal.
"I think it should be part of the game, that's why cricket has been there for some time and that's why some teams have been on top of some other teams - because they have been mentally tougher, much stronger," he said.
"If it becomes a bit too personal then I think the first thing would be to try and sort it out between yourselves, have a chat to the guys and say 'you know you're going too far'."
Sri Lanka plays Tasmania in its final warm-up match at Bellerive Oval on Saturday. +/- Expand Post
It was reported the Indian team had chartered a flight out of Australia and Sri Lanka was also planning to leave if the ban was upheld.
But Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene says that is not the case.
"We were not spoken at all about anything like that, our board never got to us about any of those things," he said.
"We were just getting ourselves prepared for tournament, we didn't know exactly what was going on. I saw the article as well but we have no idea about that."
Jayawardene also says he believes on-field verbal disputes between players should be settled by the players.
His comments were in response to questions about the handling of the racial vilification case involving Harbhajan and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
Jayawardene says there is a place for sledging in cricket, as long as it is not too personal.
"I think it should be part of the game, that's why cricket has been there for some time and that's why some teams have been on top of some other teams - because they have been mentally tougher, much stronger," he said.
"If it becomes a bit too personal then I think the first thing would be to try and sort it out between yourselves, have a chat to the guys and say 'you know you're going too far'."
Sri Lanka plays Tasmania in its final warm-up match at Bellerive Oval on Saturday. +/- Expand Post
SLC is broke - Arjuna
Arjuna Ranatunga, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chairman, has revealed his board has no money left and is banking on financial support from India to stay afloat.
Read more on Cricinfo
Ranatunga, who was appointed head of SLC by the country's President Mahinda Rajapakse earlier this month, said the board was surviving on bank borrowings.
"We are now surviving on a six-million dollar bank overdraft," Ranatunga told AFP in an interview this week. "We also plan to ask for a short-term loan from the Indian cricket board to be set off against some of our future tour revenues."
Allegations of kickbacks have dogged Sri Lanka's cricket administration for years and Ranatunga has asked a team of auditors to investigate the board's finances. SLC wasn't short of sponsors after they won the World Cup under Ranatunga's captaincy in 1996, but the kitty has been running dry in recent times.
Most of the money that the SLC earns these days is through prize money won by the national team. Ranatunga, however, was confident he will meet his target to streamline the administration and nurture new talent.
Ranatunga said he looked forward to India's Test and one-day tour of Sri Lanka in July and August to help boost his organisation's finances. "India visits us this year and we are looking towards the Indian tour to earn some money," he said. India has financial muscle due to the massive captive [domestic] television audience. They have also helped us financially.
"While we work closely with other countries, India plays a strong role in keeping our finances afloat."
Ranatunga, a strong campaigner for a radical shake up in domestic cricket, fears that there may not be enough money to spend on developing younger players. The previous administration, headed by businessman Jayantha Dharmadasa, had said it could raise 30 million dollars in worldwide sponsorships within the next five years by way of commercial rights for television.
But Ranatunga was dismissive of the claim. "I don't know where those figures came from," he said, adding he was also reviewing the current deal with Dubai-based satellite broadcaster, Ten Sports, for home internationals.
Ten Sports' US$50million deal ends in 2009 and there were allegations that the previous administration had extended it till 2012 without a proper bidding process.
© Cricinfo
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Read more on Cricinfo
Ranatunga, who was appointed head of SLC by the country's President Mahinda Rajapakse earlier this month, said the board was surviving on bank borrowings.
"We are now surviving on a six-million dollar bank overdraft," Ranatunga told AFP in an interview this week. "We also plan to ask for a short-term loan from the Indian cricket board to be set off against some of our future tour revenues."
Allegations of kickbacks have dogged Sri Lanka's cricket administration for years and Ranatunga has asked a team of auditors to investigate the board's finances. SLC wasn't short of sponsors after they won the World Cup under Ranatunga's captaincy in 1996, but the kitty has been running dry in recent times.
Most of the money that the SLC earns these days is through prize money won by the national team. Ranatunga, however, was confident he will meet his target to streamline the administration and nurture new talent.
Ranatunga said he looked forward to India's Test and one-day tour of Sri Lanka in July and August to help boost his organisation's finances. "India visits us this year and we are looking towards the Indian tour to earn some money," he said. India has financial muscle due to the massive captive [domestic] television audience. They have also helped us financially.
"While we work closely with other countries, India plays a strong role in keeping our finances afloat."
Ranatunga, a strong campaigner for a radical shake up in domestic cricket, fears that there may not be enough money to spend on developing younger players. The previous administration, headed by businessman Jayantha Dharmadasa, had said it could raise 30 million dollars in worldwide sponsorships within the next five years by way of commercial rights for television.
But Ranatunga was dismissive of the claim. "I don't know where those figures came from," he said, adding he was also reviewing the current deal with Dubai-based satellite broadcaster, Ten Sports, for home internationals.
Ten Sports' US$50million deal ends in 2009 and there were allegations that the previous administration had extended it till 2012 without a proper bidding process.
© Cricinfo
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