SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS
(OCTOBER 2017)
Compiled by Victor Melder
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 21 runs to win the first Test played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (Sri Lanka’s tour of United Arab Emirates & Pakistan). Scores:
Sri Lanka, 1st Innings – 419 (Chandimal 155no, Karunaratne 93, Dickwella 83, Perera 33, Abbas 3/75, Shah 3/120, Ali 2/88, Sohail 1/51)
Pakistan, 1st Innings – 422 (Ali 85, Sohail 76, Masood 59, Aslam 51, Herath 5/93, Lakmal 2/42, Fernando 2/77, Perera 1/92)
Sri Lanka, 2nd Innings – 138 (Dickwella 40no, Silva 25, Mendis 18, Shah 5/51, Abbas 2/22, Shafiq 1/7, Sohail 1/7, Ali 1/21)
Pakistan, 2nd Innings – 114 (Sohail 34, Shafiq 20, Ahmed 19, Herath 6/43, Perera 3/46, Lakmal 1/12)
Player of the match: Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)
Sri Lanka Cricket Thursday slapped a six-match ban on all rounder Danushka Gunathilaka for “misconduct” during the recent series against India which the islanders lost 9-0. The cricket board had ordered an investigation last month following a complaint from team manager Asanka Gurusinghe against the 26-year-old player. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said Gunathilaka was also fined 20 percent of his annual contract fee for violating the board’s constitution as well as the terms of his contract. “The charges relate to misconduct and behaving in a manner unbecoming of a player, and the breach of several clauses of his contract which relate to fitness and discipline,” an SLC official told AFP. An SLC statement said Gunathilaka pleaded guilty to the charges without spelling out what exactly they were. Sri Lanka suffered the embarrassment of losing all nine international matches in their home campaign against India. Virat Kohli’s visitors took the Test series 3-0 and then won a one-day international series 5-0 before triumphing in the lone Twenty20 international by seven wickets in Colombo earlier last month. Gunathilaka has also been dropped from the squad for a five-match ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE. Gunathilaka, who made his international debut in 2015, averages 42.41 in 12 ODI matches he played this year. (Daily Island 6.10.2017)
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 68 runs to win the second Test played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, (Sri Lanka’s tour of United Arab Emirates & Pakistan). Scores:
Sri Lanka, 1st Innings – 482 Karunaratne 196, Chandimal 62, Perera 58,Dickwella 52, Shah 6/184, Abbas 2/100, Riaz 1/62, Amir 1/74))
Pakistan, 1st Innings – 262 (Ali 59, Sohail 56, Shah 24, Perera 3/72, Herath 3/84, Gamage 2/38, Lakmal 2/41)
Sri Lanka, 2nd Innings – 96 (Mendis 29, Dickwella 21, Herath 17, Riaz 4/41, Sohail 3/1, Shah 2/47, Abbas 1/6,)
Pakistan, 2nd Innings – 248 (Shafiq 112, Ahmed 68, Perera 5/98, Herath 2/57, Fernando 1/21, Gamage 1/29, Lakmal 1/35)
Sri Lanka won the 2-match series 2-0
Player of the match: Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)
Player of the series: Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 83 runs to win the first One Day International, played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. (Sri Lanka’s tour of United Arab Emirates & Pakistan). Scores:
Pakistan – 292/6 in 50 Overs (Azam 103, Malik 81, Zaman 43, Hafeez 32, Lakmal 2/47, Vandersay 1/47, Gamage 1/49, Dananjaya 1/51)
Sri Lanka – 209/8 in 50 Overs (Thirimanne 53, Dananjaya 50no, Perera 21, Ali 3/36, Raees 3/49, Khan 1/26, Hafeez 1/32)
Player of the match: Shoaib Malik (Pakistan)
Sri Lanka’s players have indicated strong reluctance to travel to Lahore for the third T20I against Pakistan, by signing a letter that requests the match be moved to a neutral venue. SLC officials, however, are likely to attempt to convince the players to tour. Though the players have not definitively ruled out traveling to Lahore, the mood in the dressing room is one of firm objection. “I don’t think the players will change their stance,” a cricketer, who was among the 40 contracted players who signed the letter, said. Not only were Suranga Lakmal and Chamara Kapugedera physically present on the bus that was attacked in Lahore in 2009, the other players are aware of the trauma suffered by those on board. The current players also believe the 2009 team suffered a singular attack in the world of sport, and are unwilling to be among the first teams to return to Pakistan. SLC CEO Ashley de Silva said player security remained the board’s primary concern, and that “a decision will be made at the ex-co meeting taking into account all the security information”. But other officials, such as president Thilanga Sumathipala, appear very keen on the team traveling to Pakistan. Both parties have tread softly so far, out of a desire not to incense the other: the players have stopped short of issuing a categorical refusal; the board has at no stage indicated there would be punishments for players who decline to travel. But for the other major party in the equation – the PCB – a refusal from Sri Lanka’s main players would amount to a setback, given the progress they had recently made in bringing back international cricket to the country. SLC officials were quick to point out that not only have Sri Lanka’s players been promised the same level of security afforded to the World XI team in September, but that the ICC was also content to now send its match officials to Pakistan. If the majority of players are unconvinced by SLC’s overtures, however, the board may consider sending a second-string team comprised of those who are willing to travel. Thisara Perera, who played in the World XI series, is understood to be favourable towards traveling to Lahore again. The chances of a full-strength Sri Lanka team playing in Lahore, however, have diminished with the signing of this letter. For the administrators of both boards, who had all spoken with optimism about this match going ahead, that is (ESPN Cricinfo)
Sri Lanka’s Head Coach Nic Pothas has justified his decision to not to travel to Lahore for the one off T-20 International against Pakistan later this month. Pothas along with seven other players and the team’s physiotherapist Nirmalan Dhanabalasingham pulled out of the Lahore leg of the tour. SLC named a new-look side under the leadership of all-rounder Thisara Perera for the entire series. “It was a family decision. My family is not very happy about me going. For me my family comes first,” Pothas said .Sri Lanka were outstanding in the Test series which they won 2-0 to end Pakistan’s unbeaten run in UAE. However, in ODIs, Sri Lanka have failed to compete. If the team loses today’s final ODI, it will be their third whitewash this year having suffered similar results against South Africa and India in 2017. Sri Lanka’s batting has been a concern as in the last 11 games they have not been able to score 240 runs even once. The bowlers have done a decent job while fielding has shown signs of improvement, but the batters have failed to back them up. “It is pretty obvious. It is not rocket science. We just want the batters to be a little more positive about the way they go about things. We also understand we need to be in the right mental frame of mind to be there. So our job is to try and give the players the freedom to be able to play their way. It is going to be a very good wicket again and it is not the biggest boundary in the world. So we are always looking to just improving,” Pothas added. (Daily Island 23.10.2017)
Pakistan offspinner Mohammad Hafeez has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action during Wednesday’s third one-day international against Sri Lanka, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Thursday.The legality of the 37-year-old’s bowling action was questioned by the match officials in their report, which was handed to Pakistan’s team management. “Hafeez’s bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC illegal bowling action regulations,” the ICC said in a statement. “He is required to undergo testing within 14 days, and, during this period, Hafeez is permitted to continue bowling in international cricket until the results of the assessments are known.” Hafeez was suspended on two previous occasions for the same offence and served a 12-month ban, starting in July 2015, after his action was found to be illegal by the ICC for the second time within a two-year period. (Daily Mirror 23.10.2017)
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed was approached by a bookie who made a spot-fixing offer to him during the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka in UAE, sources disclosed.Sarfraz rejected the offer and immediately reported the approach to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), sources said. A day ago, it was reported that an “important” member of Pakistan squad had been approached by an international fixing syndicate, but the cricketer had foiled the spot-fixing bid and alerted the ACU officials. Sources revealed later that the cricketer in question was skipper Sarfraz, who was shopping with his family at a mall in Dubai when he was approached by a bookie ahead of the second ODI against Sri Lanka. The bookie came up to the captain, who first thought he was a fan requesting for a selfie. The man, however, made a spot-fixing bid to Sarfraz who turned it down on the spot and reported the approach to PCB’s security officials staying with the team. Sarfraz also reported the approach to Director Security Colonel Azam in Lahore.The board, following the incident, tightened security measures for the team and issued fresh instructions to the squad to stay away from irrelevant people. According to reports, the ICC will interview players including Sarfraz and team management. PCB chairman Najam Sethi confirmed the approach, without naming the player. “A player was approached. As per rules he immediately reported to PCB who informed ICC. Matters are jointly in hand. No further comment,” he tweeted. The bookie who allegedly made a spot-fixing bid to Sarfraz is believed to be an employee of Sharjah cricket stadium. According to source the suspect hails from Karachi and has been identified as Irfan Ansari. He offered spot-fixing related to bowling changes, the sources said.The Sharjah stadium management has reportedly decided to take action against the employee in question. Irfan is considered well known in the cricket circles in UAE and Pakistan. (Daily Mirror 23.10.2017)
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 13 runs to win the second One Day International, played at Sheikh Zaved Stadium, Abu Dhabi (Sri Lanka’s tour of United Arab Emirates & Pakistan). Scores:
Pakistan – 2919/9 in 50 Overs (Azam 101, S.Khan 52no, Gamage 4/57, Perera 2/34, Lakmal 1/42, Vandersay 1/44)
Sri Lanka – 187 in 48 Overs (Tharanga 112no, Vandersay 22, S.Khan 3/47, Malik 1/17, J.Khan 1/21, Hafeez 1/24, Ali 1/32, Raees 1/37
Player of the match: Shadab Khan (Pakistan)
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets to win the third One Day International, played at Sheikh Zaved Stadium, Abu Dhabi (Sri Lanka’s tour of United Arab Emirates & Pakistan). Scores:
Sri Lanka – 208 in 48.2 Overs (Tharanga 61, Perera 38, Thirimanne 28, Ali 5/34,.Khan 2/37, J.Khan 1/32, Hafeez 1/39)
Pakistan – 209/3 in 42.3 Overs (Imam-ul-Haq 100, Hafeez 34no, Azam 30, Zaman 29, Perera 1/22, Gamage 1/35, Vandersay 1/43)
Player of the match: Imam ul-Haq (Pakistan)
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets to win the fourth One Day International, played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium (Sri Lanka’s tour of United Arab Emirates & Pakistan). Scores:
Sri Lanka – 173 in 43.4 Overs (Thirimanne 62, Lakmal 23no, Dickwella 22, Dananjaya 18, Ali 3/37, Wasim 2/13, S.Khan 2/29, J.Khan 1/22)
Pakistan – 177/3 in 39 Overs (Malik 69no, Azam 69no, Gamage 1/27, Dananjaya 1/29, Prasanna 1/44)
Player of the match: Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 9 wickets to win the fifth and final One Day International, played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium (Sri Lanka’s tour of United Arab Emirates & Pakistan). Scores:
Sri Lanka – 103 in 26.2 Overs (Perera 25, Thirimanne 19, Prasanna 16, U.Khan 5/34, Ali 2/19, S.Khan 2/24)
Pakistan – 105/1 in 20.2 Overs (Zaman 48, Ul-Haq 45no, Vandersay 1/30)
Pakistan won the 5-match series 5-0
Player of the match: Usman Khan (Pakistan)
Player of the series: Hasan Ali (Pakistan)
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets to win the first T20 International, played at Sheikh Zaved Stadium, Abu Dhabi (Sri Lanka’s tour of United Arab Emirates & Pakistan). Scores:
Sri Lanka – 102 in 18.3 Overs (Prasanna 23no, Samarawickrama 23, Ali 3/23, Hafeez 2/10, U.Khan 2/20, Ashraf 1/6, S.Khan 1/14, Wasim 1/26)
Pakistan – 103 in 17.2 Overs (Malik 42no, Hafeez 25no, Shehzad 22, Sanjaya 2/20, Pathirana 1/25)
Player of the match: Usman Khan (Pakistan)
T20 debut: S.Samarawickrama (Sri Lanka)
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 2 wickets to win the second T20 International, played at Sheikh Zaved Stadium, Abu Dhabi (Sri Lanka’s tour of United Arab Emirates & Pakistan). Scores:
Sri Lanka – 124/9 in 20 Overs (Gunathilaka 51, Samarawickrama 32, Munaweera 19, Ashraf 3/16, Ali 2/31, S.Khan 1/14)
Pakistan – 125/8 in 19.5 Overs (Ahmed 28, Shehzad 27, Hafeez 14, Perera 3/24, Udana 1/17, Pathirana 1/18, Sanjaya 1/32)
Player of the match: Shadab Khan (Pakistan)
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 36 runs to win the third and final T20 International, played at Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore (Sri Lanka’s tour of United Arab Emirates & Pakistan). Scores:
Pakistan – 180/3 in 20 Overs (Malik 51, Amin 45, Azam 34no, Zaman 31, Munaweera 1/26, Udana 1/32, Sanjaya 1/41)
Sri Lanka – 144/9 in 20 Overs (Shanaka 54, de Silva 21, Prasanna 16, Amir 4/13, Ashraf 2/19, Hafeez 1/11, Wasim 1/30, Ali )
Pakistan won the 3-match series 3-0
Player of the match: Shoaib Malik (Pakistan)
Player of the series: Shoaib Malik (Pakistan)
