Bringing cricket’s glory days back-Rev. Br. Nimal Gurusinghe FSC Source:Island After several setbacks in cricket in recent years, the national cricket team is looking to regain past glories. I must congratulate the national selection panel headed by former fast bowler Pramodaya Wickramasinghe for some of the bold decisions they have taken over the past two months. In the Caribbean, the selectors handed the first Test cap to Pathum Nissanka, who made a hundred on debut and then last week in the second Test against Bangladesh, the selectors blooded in Praveen Jayawickrama, who took 11 wickets for 178, a Sri Lankan record for a debutant. It is also the tenth best figures by a player on debut in the history of Test cricket. ...

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How Arjuna spotted and nurtured Praveen Jayawickrama’s talent-by Rex Clementine Source:Island As Sri Lanka ended their Test win drought that had stretched for 16 months, they had an unlikely hero. Praveen Jayawickrama, a left-arm orthodox spinner on debut was Man of the Match, finishing with figures of 11 for 178, the tenth best bowling figures by a debutant in Test match cricket. Despite having played just ten First Class games before his Test debut, Jayawickrama bowled like a man who had been in the professional circuit for years. The turn he was able to produce was quite handful when the wicket started crumbling, but he also had control, guile and a clever arm ball. His rise has surprised many Sri Lankans but not World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who predicted a bright future for the youngster when he saw him a decade ago and took him under his wings. ...

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My teammates’ extensive backing helped me to perform well – Praveen-by Dhammika Ratnaweera Praveen Jayawickrama with the Man-of-the-Match award. Pic courtesy SLC Source:Dailynews Man-of-the-Match Praveen Jayawickrama said that the support from his teammates really inspired him to perform well in the second Test against Bangladesh, which concluded at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy yesterday. “I feel extremely happy to play for Sri Lanka and my entire family members are pleased because my childhood dream was to play for the country one day,” a smiling left-arm spinner said after the game. ...

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