SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS-(JANUARY 2021)Compiled by Victor Melder Spinner Akila Dhananjaya, who was banned from bowling, has been cleared to bowl by the International Cricket Council (ICC) permitting him to participate in International Cricket. Dananjaya was banned from bowling in international cricket for 12 months following an independent assessment of his action in September 2019.(Daily Mirror Online, 8.1.2021) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) released the list of the squad that are selected for the 2-match Test series against England, which will begin on Thursday (14). The squad, under the captaincy of Dimuth Karunaratne, includes newcomer Ramesh Mendis while middle-order batsman Roshen Silva joins the Test squad after a long lapse. Kusal Mendis, who scored three back-to-back ducks in South Africa, too has been named in the squad, but is highly unlikely to make it to the playing XI. Regular opening batsman Oshada Fernando, though being named, will miss the first Test ...

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CRICKET IN SHAMBLES-by Rex Clementine Source:Island Yesterday, Hulstdorf was giving a ruling on a divorce case. The judge told the daughter of the separating couple, “Now that your parents are getting divorced, whom do you want to live with? I guess it’s your mother.” The girl replied, “No, my mother beats me.” Then the judge said, ‘So, I guess you want to live with your dad, “No he beats me up too,”  the girl said. Puzzled by this, the judge asked, ” So, with whom do you want to live? The little girl replied, “I want to live with the Sri Lankan cricket team. They beat nobody.” Which is devaluing faster? Cricket or the rupee? The decline of the rupee has been steady. It’s now 200 for the Dollar. So is cricket. Our batting has collapsed four times in the last four Tests now.  More time is spent by our ...

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No Selectors but Sri Lanka picks disputable squad to South Africa-BY CALLISTUS DAVY Lahiru Udara Igalagamage: Outsmarted the big guns but no place in the Sri Lanka squad Source:Sundayobserver Sri Lanka’s best in-form but internationally untested batsman Lahira Udara Igalagamage has been sent into cold storage after a 22-member squad was selected for a high-intensity training camp outside Colombo in preparation for next month’s tour of South Africa with no official sanction. The 22 players, some of them regulars and made up of seven fast bowlers, were picked on what is said to have been “internal advice” meaning recommendations given by Sri Lanka Cricket’s technical advisers in the absence of an official Selection Panel whose term expired two months ago. ...

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Left-arm quick from Hungama could be next big thing in cricket-by Rex Clementine Source:Island Left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka has suddenly become the talk in cricket circles after he was drafted into the Sri Lankan squad that will tour South Africa later this year for the Boxing Day and New Year Tests. The 22 players who will go on the tour will begin a week-long residential training camp in Pallekele later this week and all eyes will be on Madushanka. The 20-year-old hails from the fishing village of Hungama in the Hambantota district. His father is a fisherman and his talent was spotted by former fast bowling great Chaminda Vaas. A couple of years ago, Madushanka had turned up as a net bowler in Hambantota as Sri Lanka were training and Vaas referred him to former Test captain Hashan Tillakaratne, who was the Head Coach of the Under-19 side. ...

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    SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS – (JANUARY 2020) – Compiled by Victor Melder The national cricket team will undertake their first assignment of this year taking wings to India today for a three match T-20 series. The opening encounter will be played on Sunday (January 5) in the eastern city of Guwahati. The port city in the state of Assam is bordering China. The remaining two games will be played in Indore (January 7) and Pune (January 10). The team will fly to Madras today morning, where they have a five hour layover before taking the next flight to Guwahati. The Sri Lankan series is sandwiched between the tours of West Indies and Australia. Lasith Malinga’s side will not be playing in any of the major cities with all premier cricket centers allocated for the West Indies and the Australians. The tour was not on the Future Tour Programme ...

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Sri Lanka face uphill task against smarting Aussies – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE   Sri Lanka’s mission to the Southern hemisphere appears to be on a tragic course if the results in New Zealand are any indication.  They left empty handed after a winless tour in all formats and life for them appears bleaker as they take on an Australian team smarting from a historic whitewash at home at the hands of the high riding Indians.   While Sri Lanka’s aspirations are more in hope of improvement due to the immaturity in the current squad, the Kiwis and Aussies are proud defenders at home and are uncompromising against all-comers in battle.  The Sri Lankans feature in their first Pink ball Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on February 24 before travelling to Manuka Oval in Canberra for their final encounter which is incidentally the first Test in the Australian ...

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Hathurusinghe brings glad tidings to Sri Lanka cricket – By Trevine Rodrigo (Melbourne)         Trevine Rodrigo (Melbourne)   Chandika_Hathurusinghe Kusal Mendis in Action Looking at Sri Lanka’s new-found confidence with the same group of players now showing their real potential is proof enough that there is no lack of talent in the Island nation. Just the inability of those guiding their fortunes being able to work on their mindset and subtle tinkering of their talent.  The bowling which was of real concern appears to have been sorted out with the available talent led by veterans Suranga Lakmal and Rangana Herath at the helm ably supported by emerging stars Dhananjaya De Silva and Dilruwan Perera helping re-shape a reasonable attack.  But what has been most heartening is the increasing consistency of their batsmen who hammered the Bangladesh attack for 713 for 9 in reply to the hosts 513. ...

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