SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS (DECEMBER 2019) – Compiled by Victor Melder Pakistan will be hosting Test cricket for the first time in more than ten years, that too against a full-strength Sri Lanka line-up, in December 2019. Dimuth Karunaratne will lead the Sri Lanka side, with experienced batsmen Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal present in the 16-member squad. The team leaves for Pakistan on December 8 to play two Test matches that will count towards the World Test Championship. Less than three months ago, Sri Lanka had toured Pakistan for a series of limited-overs matches, but as many as ten high-profile players had opted against travelling. The Test series was originally scheduled for October at a neutral venue because of security concerns, but the PCB requested Sri Lanka to play the entire bilateral series in Pakistan. The white-ball games were played as a test of sorts for the security ...

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  Malinga, Perera, Mendis, Dickwella return for Australia tour SOURCE:-Island Cricket With an eye on World T20 qualification, Sri Lanka have recalled four players who missed the winning series in Pakistan. Lasith Malinga will return as skipper of the T20 side, replacing Dasun Shanaka along with Kusal Janith Perera, Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella. Shanaka, who successfully led Sri Lanka in Pakistan to record a rare 3-0 win in the series, will however retain his place in the 16-man squad. Wicket-keeper batsmen Sadeera Samarawickrema and Minod Bhanuka, all-rounder Lahiru Madushanka and middle-order bat Angelo Perera traveled to Pakistan but are likely to sit it out making the way for the four seniors to re-enter the squad. ...

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Lasith Malinga returns to captain Sri Lanka in Australia T20 series Text Source: SportingNews Lasith Malinga returns to captain Sri Lanka, while Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Oshada Fernando have retained their places in the Twenty20 International squad for the series in Australia. Malinga was among a host of players who opted out of the recent tour of Pakistan, which Sri Lanka ended with a historic 3-0 whitewash of the top-ranked T20 side in the world.   Dasun Shanaka skippered an inexperienced team in Malinga’s absence, but the paceman is set to resume leadership duties in a three-match series that starts at Adelaide Oval on October 27.   Batsmen Rajapaksa and Oshada are also among the 16 players selected after making their debuts in Pakistan. Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera and Niroshan Dickwella are among the other names to come back into the squad. Sri Lanka squad: Lasith Malinga (captain), Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, ...

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    SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS (AUGUST 2019)Compiled by Victor Melder Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to terminate the contract of Chandika Hathurusingha, the Head Coach of the national cricket team, after the two parties failed to come to a mutual agreement to sever ties. Following the ICC Cricket World Cup where Sri Lanka finished sixth, SLC had indicated to the Head Coach that they were looking for a replacement but Hathurusingha was interested in staying on till the end of his contract in December 2020. SLC had agreed to pay him six months of his salary to bring an early end to the contract but Hathurusingha maintained that he could still help development of players. Hathurusingha is expected to fight his case in courts, much like Geoff Marsh, who successfully sued SLC eight years ago after being unceremoniously dumped from his job. Interestingly, it took Marsh four weeks since ...

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  Lasith Malinga in action for the last time   Much improved Sri Lanka exit before semis – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE England grabbed the World Cup in controversial manner after an epic final against a plucky New Zealand and debate will rage into the next episode about the fairness of the competition rules which crowned them champions for the very first time. After scores were tied at the end of the England innings and tied again after the super over it seemed a travesty of justice that the number of boundaries scored by the two sides ultimately decided a winner. To make matters worse one boundary by a deflected default in the crucial stages. All in all, it was a wonderful competition highlighted by some close encounters and apart from quickly emerging Afghanistan, there was little to choose from the other competing teams which augurs well for the ...

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Lankans slip sliding from World Cup heroes to near zero BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE Sri Lanka’s triumphant Test match euphoria has quickly dissipated into the previously familiar role of eating humble pie as the South Africans exacted revenge for their embarrassment in the Tests by grinding their opponents into the dust leading 3-0 in the one-dayers in a relentless display of ferocity. Already, the series has moved into a dead rubber situation with two games remaining as the struggling Sri Lanka lineup find that their horses for courses squad does not match up to the heroes that dethroned the hosts in the two Test series a few weeks prior. One- day skipper Lasith Malinga’s desperate move to publicly scorn his squad for their lack of respect at being given national selection and reminding them of the pride associated with donning the Sri Lanka cap appears to have added more ...

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Lakmal the shining light as Sri Lanka bats falter – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE     Going into a Test with pre-conceived nightmares of a bouncer barrage from the Australian quicks, Sri Lanka’s mindset destroyed their ability to make the first Test a contest as they let themselves be bundled out for an under par 144 and gave the home side the initiative at the Gabba on day one. By the end of day two, the Australian batsmen demonstrated what patience and application can deliver as they meticulously built up a commanding 179 run lead throwing down the gauntlet to the visitors to show some guts and determination or perish within three or four days in what is turning out to be a predictably lopsided contest. Suranga Lakmal Photo Source: espn cricinfo (photo source: Stuff.co.nz ) Just two players stood out for Sri Lanka in their disappointing show and ...

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SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS – (DECEMBER 2018) – Compiled by Victor Melder Sri Lanka’s off-spinner Akila Dananjaya has been suspended from international cricket with immediate effect after an independent assessment has found his bowling action to be illegal, the International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced. The ICC said the assessment revealed that his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations. “In accordance with Article 11.1 of the ICC Regulations For The Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspect Illegal Bowling Actions, Dananjaya’s international suspension will also be recognised and enforced by all National Cricket Federations for domestic cricket events played in their own jurisdiction. However, according to Article 11.5 of the Regulations and with the consent of the Sri Lanka Cricket, Dananjaya may be able to bowl in domestic cricket events played under the auspices of the SLC,” it said. Dananjaya was reported with a suspect ...

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Wounded Lions seek solace in New Zealand and Australia – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE          Gunatilleka has much to prove. Dimuth Karunaratne will be key to Sri Lanka’s revival.   Sri Lanka’s wounded Lions desperately seek some form of solace on their tour of New Zealand that has just begun after a humiliating home series drubbing by the Englishmen recently.   And if New Zealand looms large, the Lankans face the acid test of pitting themselves against Australia followed by similar hostilities in South Africa in the beginning of next year.   Two Tests against the New Zealanders followed by three one-dayers and a T20 game will set them up for the tougher encounters against the Australians , two Tests before they depart to the African leg which will test their worth.   Indifferent form, bad selection and a huge question mark hanging over coach Chandika Hathurusinghe ...

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