Sri Lanka in Canada next month - Lasith Malinga declared fit

Posted by Hilal

The Times of India reports that Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies and Canada will feature in a T20 tournament in Toronto next month.

The news item also goes on to state that Lasith Malinga is fit and will most likely be on the tour.

"Sri Lanka will be participating in the quadrangular T20 competition involving Pakistan, West Indies and Canada as hosts from October 10-13," a top Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) official said on Friday.

The final decision came after a two hour meeting of the SLC board membershere, headed by Chairman Arjuna Ranatunga.

The Lankan pace attack will be boosted by the return Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando who have been declared fit.

The four-nation tournament was earlier scheduled for August 14 to 17, but later on it was deferred due to sponsorship problems.

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The most feared Sri lankan bowler

Posted by Hilal

It is not everyday that Sri Lankan Cricket gets a mention in the Cayman Island press but Mystery Spinner AJantha Mendis seems to have the whole world talking.

In a column titled 'On The Cricket Pitch' Phillip Hackett discusses the magic of Mendis. Click here to read it in full.

While the 23-year-old Mendis is yet to stand the Test of time, the manner in which he has taken the cricket world by storm is nothing short of amazing. Playing alongside the great Muralitharan he has made the veteran off spinner almost seem ordinary by comparison.

The pair combined for 28 wickets in the Asia Cup recently, 17 of them to Mendis. His strike rate (balls per wicket) at 14.8 was almost twice as impressive as Murali’s 26.1.

It was Mendis who bowled the Sri Lankans to victory in the final against India [video], with figures of six for 13 off eight overs. If his performance in ODIs didn’t provide enough evidence of his class, he went on to torment India in the three Test series with a record-breaking 26 wickets.

Muralitharan bowled five overs fewer and the bowling partners produced almost identical economy rates (Mendis 2.92, Murali 2.90) but Mendis was comfortably ahead in strike rate (37.6 to Murali’s 45.9) and bowling average (18.38 to Murali’s 22.23).

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[Video] 'We don't need to hide Mendis' - Mahela Jayawardena

Posted by Hilal

Himanshu Singhal spoke to Mahela Jayawardena recently for CNN-IBN. The video of the interview is located in two parts - part 1 can be found here & part 2 of the interview here.

CricketNext features the transcript of the interview in an article titled 'We don't need to hide Mendis' below is a few excerpts.

Himanshu Singhal: Ajantha Mendis is a huge discovery for the Sri Lankan team. What are the things that you will keep in mind as a captain when you handle Mendis, especially about over-exposure.

Mahela Jayawardne: Nothing like that. What you need to realise is that Murali has been there for us more than 15 years and we haven't tried to control Murali. We have just managed Murali and that's about it.

And the same will be done with Mendis depending on the number of overs he bowls. He is still young and we will just like to carry him through injury free.

When it comes to exposure, we are really not thinking about it. He has got his opportunity and we will play each and every game, touch wood, unless he is injured. There is nothing to hide.

He will be a good challenge for the opposition and it will be a good challenge for Mendis as well. It's just the start for him. He can improve and learn from each and every game he plays. It's great he has so many variations and by each time, he will get to learn how to use those variations.

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South Africa turns down tri-series

Posted by Hilal

Karachi, Sep 5 (IANS) Pakistan cricket officials received yet another setback Friday when their South African counterparts finally rejected a proposal to host a tri-series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka later this month.

A source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told IANS that Cricket South Africa (CSA) declined the proposal saying that their players needed a break after a marathon away series against England.

The PCB had proposed to CSA to host a triangular tournament in the second half of September. Pakistan is desperate for some international cricket after the International Cricket Council (ICC) postponed the Champions Trophy which was supposed to take place in the country from Sept 12-28. The eight-nation tournament was switched to next October because of security concerns expressed by five competing nations.

Pakistan was banking on South Africans to host the series that would have given their cricketers an opportunity to play some top-class international cricket. The Board would also have earned a profit of over one million dollars from the series.

But following South Africa’s negative response, PCB officials are now working on other options that includes having a tri-series in Abu Dhabi or on home soil.

A PCB spokesman said that a decision on the issue will be made next week. Meanwhile, South Africa’s coach Micky Arthur welcomed CSA’s decision against hosting the proposed tri-series.

‘A lot of the senior players have played a helluva lot of cricket this year, it’s taken its toll and they need a break,’ Arthur told reporters in Johannesburg.

‘I’m sure the tri-series is not going to take place and, in retrospect, it’s a relief the Champions Trophy was called off because we would have been back on a plane flying out on Sunday,’ he said.

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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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Dilhara Fernando to play county cricket

Posted by Hilal

According to BBC sport, Worcestershire have signed Sri Lankan paceman Dilhara Fernando as the club's overseas player until the winter.

"The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has been very helpful as they want Dilhara to play some cricket rather than rest. It has been a rush to get the paperwork in place but we're there."

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[Video] Nuwan Kulasekara 4/40 Vs India 2008

by Hilal



Nuwan's 4-40 is his best bowling figures in ODI Cricket thus far.


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SLC demands $1Million to participate in Tri Series

Posted by Hilal

The ExpressIndia reports that the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has set an exorbitant figure for it's teams participation in the Tri Series in South Africa.

Sources said Pakistan had offered a fee of USD 300,000 to the cash strapped Sri Lankan Board to take part in the tri-series but it had asked for one million dollars.

"The interesting thing is that even the Pakistan Board is close to a financial crunch and not in a position to shell out one million dollars for this one series," revealed one source. Sources also say that PCB is doing all what it takes to make the series happen.

"Pakistan is now trying to first rope in sponsors and broadcasters for the series and have asked them to up their prices to meet the Sri Lankan's demand," the source said. However, it is not only the monetary hurdles but the internal administrative problems which the PCB is countering in organising the series.

"The fact that the Pakistan board is presently operating without a Chairman has not helped matters," the source said adding "obviously before committing such a huge amount to the Sri Lankans the board officials have to get the approval of the international cricket committee and the governing body members."

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