The touring Indians beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to win the fifth and final One Day International played at the R.Premadasa Stadium, Khettarama, Colombo. Scores:

Sri Lanka – 238 in 49.4 Overs (Thirimanne 67, Mathews 55, Tharanga 48, Bumrah 2/45, Chahal 1/36, Yadav 1/40)

India – 239/4 in 46.3 Overs (Kohli 110no, Jadhav 63, Pandey 36,  de Silva 1/29, Malinga 1/35, Fernando 1/40, Pushpakumara 1/40)

India won the 5-match series 5-0.

Player of the match: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (India)

Player of the Series: Jasprit Bumrah (India)

The touring Indians beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets to win the one and only T20 International played at the R.Premadasa Stadium, Khettarama, Colombo. Scores:

Sri Lanka –  170/7 in 20 Overs (Munaweera 53, Priyanjan 40no, Dickwella 17, Chahal 3/43, Yadav 2/20, Kumar 1/36, Bumrah 1/38)

India – 174/3 in 19.2 Overs (Kohli 82, Pandey 51no, Rahul 24,  Prasanna 1/25, Malinga 1/31, Mathews1/33, Udana 1/36)

Player of the Match: Virat Kohli (India)

T20 debut: Virat Kohli (India) and S.M.A.Priyanjan (Sri Lanka)

Former fast bowler Graeme Labrooy is expected to be named as the Chairman of Selectors on Monday by Minister of Spots Dayasiri Jayasekara. SLC were discussing names like Jerry Woutersz, Gamini Wickramasinghe, Malintha Warnapura, Vinothan John and Jayantha Seneviratne to form the new selection panel after Sanath Jayasuriya’s committee resigned following the humiliating series loss to India. Cricket Manager Asanka Gurusinha also had stepped down, but he will be recalled. Gurusinha will function as the selector on tour. Labrooy, a regional ICC Match Referee has never functioned in the role of a selector before. “I had been asked four times before to be a selector and I declined on all four occasions. This time I said yes because if someone has to do it, this is the time to do it,” Labrooy said. After the Sri Lankan team’s recent slump, there have been intense criticism that the selection process is manipulated by prominent members within SLC Ex-Co. Labrooy is seen as a man who will not suffer fools gladly. The previous selection panel had used more than 40 players during their tenure to represent the country, with several players from a Colombo based cricket club going onto make their debuts. The task ahead of the 53-year-old former fast bowler is not mean as Sri Lankan cricket is going through its worst phase with a series of embarrassing defeats. In 2017, Sri Lanka were whitewashed 3-0 in Tests and 5-0 in ODIs in South Africa while India beat them with the same scoreline at home. Sri Lanka also suffered a first ever Test defeat to Bangladesh followed by a maiden series defeat to Zimbabwe. Labrooy’s first task will be to select a team for the upcoming Test series in UAE. Educated at Maris Stella College, Negombo, Labrooy represented Sri Lanka in nine Test matches, all of them at home. He also played in 44 ODIs and retired after the 1992 World Cup at the age of 27. With international exposure few and rare for Sri Lanka those days, Labrooy decided to concentrate on a corporate career. Since retirement, Labrooy was involved with the now defunct Sri Lanka Cricketers’ Association. (Sunday Island 17.9.2017)

Despite having stepped down from his role as Sri Lanka selector just weeks ago, cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha has been reappointed to the position, along with three new selectors. Graeme Labrooy, the former Sri Lanka seamer, had already been confirmed as the head of the committee on Friday. The remaining members are former national team manager Jeryl Woutersz, former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Gamini Wickremasinghe, and Sajith Fernando, who was once a prolific allrounder at domestic level. Gurusinha had been part of the Sanath Jayasuriya-led selection committee since April, and had resigned alongside that committee, saying: “When the others are stepping down, I can’t stay there.” His reinstatement affirms that SLC are happy for him continue in his powerful, tri-partite position. As cricket manager, Gurusinha effectively fulfills the roles of a team director, a team manager, and now, again, selector. Woutersz, meanwhile, had been team manager as recently as January last year, before he was replaced by Charith Senanayake. The new selectors’ first assignment will be to choose the squad for the Tests against Pakistan – the first of which begins on September 28. The team is scheduled to depart on Sunday. (Cricinfo)

Sri Lanka’s preparation for the bilateral series against Pakistan suffered a massive blow yesterday as former captain Angelo Mathews was ruled out of the Test series that gets underway later this month. Mathews hurt his calf during training and was diagnosed with a grade-one tear. Although Mathews could be fit by the second Test in Dubai, where Sri Lanka’s first-ever day-night Test will be played, the selectors are not taking any chances with a heavy season ahead. A source told ‘The Island’ that Mathews will now work towards gaining full fitness ahead of the ODI series. Immediately after the Pakistan tour, Sri Lanka will travel to India for a six-week long tour followed by a series in Bangladesh. Mathews has been plagued by calf, hamstring and ankle injuries the whole of this year and missed a significant part of the games. The 30-year-old tore his calf muscle during the home series against Australia and missed last year’s tour to Zimbabwe. He captained the side in South Africa but returned home prior to the ODI series with a hamstring injury. He went onto miss the Test and ODI series against Bangladesh, but was expected to feature in the T-20 series, but the calf injury resurfaced. He started bowling during the ODI series against India and the latest set back will leave Sri Lanka thin on experience. Sri Lanka also miss the services of all-rounder Asela Gunaratne and wicketkeeper batsman Kusal Janith Perera due to injuries. Their availability for the ODI leg of the tour will be known later next week. Sri Lanka have had a tough 2017 and just managed to gain automatic qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 after West Indies lost the first ODI against England at Old Trafford on Tuesday. (Daily Island 21.9.2017)

Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said that he will soon appoint a three member panel to implement a report that will bring in sweeping changes to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) .Accordingly, former SLC Chairman and ex-boss of Singer Hemaka Amarasuriya, former captains Anura Tennekoon and Aravinda de Silva will form the panel. The panel will help SLC to implement a report that was drafted on the recommendations made at a gathering of several leading individuals associated with the sport two weeks ago at Water’s Edge. “I do agree that we have too many votes at the cricket AGM. The number of votes need to be limited,” Jayasekara told The Island. “Several respected individuals have given out their opinions and I am of the view that we should have something like 75 votes,” Jayasekara further said. (Daily Island 26.9.2017)