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Tendulkar dismisses ODI retirement reports
2007-09-07 03:11:00
Tendulkar dismisses ODI retirement reportsNEW DELHI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - India batsman Sachin Tendulkar dismissed media reports on Thursday that he was set to retire from one-day cricket.The Indian Express daily reported on its front page, quoting unnamed sources, that one-day cricket's leading batsman had discussed quitting the format with friends in order to extend his test career.“I am batting brilliantly at the moment. Even the thought of retirement has not crossed my mind,” Tendulkar told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency in London.Tendulkar, who top-scored in India's win in the penultimate game over England at The Oval on Wednesday, was even contemplating making the move at Lord's on Saturday when the tour ends with the decisive final match, the report said.“I am still enjoying the game very much and want to play for as long as I can. Cricket means a lot to me,” Tendulkar told PTI.Tendulkar, 34, has recently spoken about how difficult it was to recover for b...
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Upul Chandana slams cricketing establishment and bows out
2007-09-05 22:40:00
Upul Chan dana slams cricketing establishment and bows out Sri Lankan allrounder Upul Chandana quit in disgust yesterday blaming the establishment for what he claimed was a raw deal given to him during his career which spanned 13 years.The 35-year old Chandana did not name anyone responsible for the shabby treatment meted out to him but told reporters that they were in the best position to pass judgement.“You have seen and continue to see what is taking place. You all know who performs and who does not and who should be in the team and who should not”, Chandana told reporters.He said he was retiring in utter frustration and disappointment and accused administrators and selectors of leaving room for a few players, which he did not name, to take matters into their own hands.Chanadana said that as a player it was appalling to note how players with Test ability were drafted into the one-day team and players with one-day ability were picked for the Test team.“The selections were abs...
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Sixth one-day international, India Vs England , India Won !
2007-09-05 22:28:00
Sixth one-day international, The Oval: India 317-8 (49.4 ovs) bt England 316-6 (50 ovs) by 2 wktsBy Jamie LillywhiteTendulkar fell in the 90s for the second time in the seriesIndia recorded a pulsating two-wicket win over England with two balls to spare at The Oval to level the seven-match one-day series at 3-3.Owais Shah hit a maiden ton and shared 106 with debutant Luke Wright (50), while Dimitri Mascarenhas hit five successive sixes in England's 316-6.Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly shared 150, but Tendulkar (94) missed out on a century as cramp set in.With 10 needed from the final over, Robin Uthappa (47) hit two boundaries.India's powerhouse opening pair soon set about their formidable target with relish.The fifty came up in the eight over, and after a prolonged verbal confrontation with Stuart Broad, Ganguly launched the paceman over his head for six.Shah was quite often unorthodox but was highly effectiveWith his strike bowler James Anderson conceding 44 from his first ...
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Technical Committee confirms Dilruwan Perera can replace Muttiah Muralidara
2007-09-04 22:21:00
Technical Committee confirms Dilruwan Perera can replace Muttiah Mural idaran in Sri Lanka squad for robICC World Twenty20James FitzgeraldThe ICC has confirmed the Technical Committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2007 has approved Dilruwan Perera as a replacement player for Muttiah Muralidaran in Sri Lanka's squad for the tournament, which runs from 11 to 24 September in South Africa.The confirmation was conveyed to Sri Lanka Cricket in an email sent on behalf of the tournament Technical Committee today (Tuesday).Perera replaces Muralidaran after medical reports were received indicating that Muralidaran had sustained an injury to his right distal bicep and would not be fit in time to take part in the event.Perera, the 25-year-old uncapped off-spinner, is the second replacement player to be called up for the tournament so far after Ben Hilfenhaus was approved to replace Shaun Tait in the Australia squad. The process required for approving any player involves that player's home board ma...
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Mineka wins first Gold for Sri Lanka
2007-09-04 00:26:00
Mineka wins first Gold for Sri Lanka Leslie FERNANDO reporting from PakistanSWIMMING: Mineka Karunaratne won the first Gold medal for Sri Lanka at the first South Asian Swimming and Water Polo Championship conducted by the Pakistan Swimming Federation held at the Jinnah Sports Complex swimming pool here yesterday.Mineka swimming in her pet event won the Gold in 100 metres Breast stroke open blessed with a perfect start from the blocks she swam in fine style to lead from the outset to the finish clocking 1:19:85 secs. Jessica Bole of India won the Silver 1:22:91 secs and Aqsa Tariq of Pakistan took the Bronze with a time of 1:28:26 secs.Mineka was thrilled and happy and said that winning a Gold for the country was her main aim from the beginning of the meet. She also added that she was confident of the Gold due to hard training under Julian Bolling and Ruwan Manawadu.Islamabad, Monday
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Susanthika to train in Los Angeles
2007-09-04 00:23:00
Susanthika to train in Los Angeles Plans to start her Olympic training soon:Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from JapanATHLETICS: Celebrated woman sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe, who created history by winning her second IAAF World Championship medal after a decade, plans to commence her Olympic training in the United States before the end of this year.The 31-year-old Lankan sprint queen said she would go to Los Angeles before the end of this year to undergo intensive training in her lead up for the 2008 Olympic Games in China.In an exclusive interview with the ‘Daily News’ yesterday, two days after her women’s 200m bronze at Nagai Stadium, Jayasinghe said a comprehensive training program is a must to make a world class athlete.“If I had got at least one fourth of the superlative training my world class opponents get, I would have done wonders. Though I won a medal here, I did not have proper training in my lead up for the World Championship, except for that last one month in the ...
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World's athletes say sayonara to Osaka
2007-09-04 00:19:00
World's athletes say sayonara to Osaka Channaka de Silva reporting from Osaka, JapanThe 11th Athletics World Championships which ended here at the Nagai stadium on Sunday will forever be etched in the minds of twenty million Sri Lankans for the magnificent performance of the country's most valuable sportswoman's legendary medal winning run on August 31, 2007.For a country ravaged by a crippling war and squeezed by an alarming financial crunch, Susanthika Jayasinghe's medal would serve as a soothing balm while for a victory-starved world's largest continent with a population of nearly four billion or 60 percent of the world's population, it came as a relief.As the United States once again underlined their sporting strength to the world with a runaway lead at the top of the medals table of the world championships with a whopping 14 gold medals, Asian athletes managed a total of mere eight medals with just two of them golds.Even the hosts Japan, who were in danger of ending the ch...
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Ponting out as Aussies leave for Twenty20 World Cup
2007-09-04 00:05:00
Ponting out as Aussies leave for Twenty20 World Cup BRISBANE (AFP) -Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting may miss the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa because of undisclosed family reasons.The Australian squad was due to leave for South Africa on Monday morning but Cricket Australia said Ponting would not make the flight.Vice-captain Adam Gilchrist will lead the Australian squad and a decision on whether Ponting joins them for the tournament is expected later in the week.All-rounder Shane Watson and paceman Stuart Clark will also remain behind and may join the squad later in the week.Watson has a hamstring injury, while Clark's son has been taken ill.Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said “a private family issue” had arisen with Ponting during the weekend.“The situation is expected to be clearer later in the week, at which time Ponting's availability would be re-assessed,” Sutherland said.“Any decision on whether or not a squad re...
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Murali thinks surgery not necessary for his injury
2007-09-02 22:55:00
Murali thinks surgery not necessary for his injuryCRICKET: Sri Lanka’s champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan believes he will need only rest not surgery for his nagging shoulder injury after he was ruled out of the inaugural ICC Twenty/20 World Cup which starts in South Africa on September 11.Muralitharan returned to Colombo as scheduled yesterday from his English county duties at Lancashire and will be examined by Sri Lankan team physio Tommy Simsek. Muralitharan’s manager Kushil Gunasekera said that the off spinner needs rest for about four week’s in addition to physiotherapy.Gunasekera also said that the next course of action will depend on Simsek’s advice. He said that Muralitharan is also in contact with Dr. David Young who successfully operated on his shoulder in Australia.Muralitharan was ruled out of the ICC World Twenty/20 Championships in South Africa next month following muscle pain on his right shoulder.But he should be fit for the home one day series against...
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Susanthika elected to IAAF Athletes Commission
2007-09-02 06:23:00
Susanthika elected to IAAF Athlete s Commission Pockets US Dollars 20,000 for women's 200m bronze: Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from JapanSri Lanka’s bronze medalist Susanthika Jayasinghe celebrates on the podium after the women’s 200m final, 31 August 2007, at the 11th IAAF World Athletics Championships, in Osaka. USA’s Allyson Felix won ahead of Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell and Sri Lanka’s Susanthika Jayasinghe. AFPAthletics: OSAKA Sep.1 - Sri Lanka's most celebrated athlete, Susanthika Jayasinghe was today elected to the Athletes Commission of the International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF), the world governing body for track and field.She will also pocket a handsome cash prize of US Dollars 20,000 (over Rs. 2.24 million) for her women's 200m bronze medal won last night.The 31-year-old Lankan sprint queen got this rare honour only a day after winning women's 200m bronze medal at the 11th IAAF World Championship here. According to Secretary of the AASL, Prema...
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Three Lankans figure in Warne’s list of ‘greats’
2007-09-02 06:20:00
Sachin Tendulkar topped Shane Warne’s countdown of greatest cricketers edging out Brian Lara, who was placed second. Curtly Ambrose, Allan Border and Glenn McGrath rounded out the top five in Warne’s Times column.Warne rated Tendulkar ahead of Lara on account of his mental toughness and hailed him as a “great player and a great man”. He wrote, “Outside grounds [in India], people wait until he [Tendulkar] goes in before paying to enter. They seem to want a wicket to fall even though it is their own side that will suffer ... He [Tendulkar] grew up under incredible weight of expectation and never buckled once - not under poor umpiring decisions or anything else.”Warne and Tendulkar clashed several times on the field, but their most famous battles were on Australia’s tour to India in 1997-98.Five Australians were placed in the top ten, including three of Warne’s captains - Border, Ricky Ponting and Mark Taylor. Ian Healy, tenth on the list, was described as the best wick...
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Twenty20 will revolutionise world cricket - Mahela
2007-09-02 06:11:00
Twenty20 will revolutionise world cricket - MahelaBy Sa’adi Thawfeeq- The Nation reportsSri Lanka has in its midst after quite a long time a captain who can think straight and is not afraid to put across his opinion about any subject.One of the nominees for the ICC’s Best Captain of the Year award for the second consecutive year Mahela Jayawardene aired his views to The Nation on the inaugural Twenty20 World Cricket Championships to be held in South Africa from September 13-25 and he made no bones about what he thought of the tournament.For Jayawardene nothing comes better than Test Cricket. His personal opinion: “As an individual person I feel that Test Cricket is the challenge for any cricketer. One-day cricket is excellent. It develops skill that needs a different challenge. For every player who wants to play cricket and for his country the ultimate goal is to play Test Cricket and challenge themselves to be better cricketers.”Jayawardene’s views on the new format that ...
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The little wizard versus the Aussies...on and off the field - TONY GREIGS C
2007-09-02 06:07:00
The little wizard versus the Aussies ...on and off the fieldEach day it seems that someone wants to make an observation about Muttiah Muralitharan and how the Australian crowds will behave toward him when he tours Australia for the Test series later this year and then again in early 2008 for the One Day Internationals.Now that he is injured it may just be that the focus will move to how much the Aussies will miss seeing this little genius bowl again if he doesn’t recover in time to make the tour. I do know that every cricket lover in Australia will be bitterly disappointed if he doesn’t make the trip.It all started with Murali’s county cricket teammate and Aussie all-rounder Andrew Symonds appealing to the Aussie public not to boo Murili when he bowled. Symonds went so far as to suggest that if they did it would be embarrassing.Murili on the other hand has been quoted as saying it wont bother him in fact he has said it will spur him on to greater things. That I do find a little...
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When Susie pulled another rabbit out of the hat
2007-09-02 06:01:00
When Susie pulled another rabbit out of the hat- The Sunday Times“My strength is the people of my country who love me. It is the greatest blessing I have” Jayasinghe said after her win on Saturday, though she knows the same people hate her with their might when she fails to deliver.Channaka de Silva reporting from Osaka, JapanSusanthika JayasingheSusanthika Jayasinghe was on the familiar path of Sri Lankan sportsmen at the twilight of their careers - ignored, uncared, condemned and forgotten.Nobody was willing to give her a second chance. But then, who gave her a first chance?Her fame, glory, recognition, achievements were the result purely of her courage, dedication skill against a society that was waiting to trample her down.Jayasinghe has won unprecedented glory for Sri Lanka and Asia with two world championship and an Olympic medal, all of which interestingly came when they were least expected.But none more out of the blue than her latest triumph, against odds on Friday nigh...
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Murali has not, and will not join ICL
2007-09-02 04:24:00
Murali has not, and will not join ICLESPN reports Murali joining ICL for US $ 2.5 millionBy Marlon Fernandopulle- The Sunday times reports Murali needs only 9 more wickets to become the all time greatSri Lanka’s champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was surprised and furious over a news item in an International Sports Channel ESPN which stated that he has signed a contract with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) for US $ 2.5 million.In a purportedly exclusive report ESPN said on Friday night that the star spinner has signed the contract and will be a part of the ICL’s controversial Twenty-20 tournament. Reacting to the news Muralitharan’s Manager Kushil Gunasekera contacted the spinner who is currently in England and later told The Sunday Times that the news report is false and Murali has no intentions in joining the ICL.“Murali was surprised and angry as to how and why his name has been linked with ICL at this stage. He categorically denied the report. He is still a contra...
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Susanthika Jayasinghe - finished third in the women’s 200 metres final at
2007-08-31 21:26:00
It’s BLACK MAGIC as SUSIE bags World C’ship BRONZEFinishes behind Felix and Campbell in women’s 200m.:BRONZE FOR SUSI: Susanthika Jayasinghe celebrates after finishing third in the women’s 200 metres final at the 11th IAAF World Athletics Championship in Osaka yesterday.It’s BLACK MAGIC as SUSIE bags World C’ship BRONZEFinishes behind Felix and Campbell in women’s 200m.:Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from JapanATHLETICS: ‘Dazzling Gazelle’ Susanthika Jayasinghe kept the lion flag fluttering high at Osaka’s Nagai Stadium as she bagged the women’s 200m bronze medal at the 11th IAAF World Championship here on Friday night.Running in a disadvantageous lane seven, Jayasinghe joined reigning Olympic gold medalist Veronica Campbell and the defending champion Allyson Felix to keep the pace of the race. She had an impressive final dash to clock 22.62 seconds to finish third, behind Felix (21.81) and Campbell (22.34) who won the gold and silver respectively.The race got off...
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Murali could make World Twenty20
2007-08-31 21:22:00
Murali could make World Twenty20Muttiah MuralitharanMuralitharan took his 700th Test wicket in JulySri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan might still play in the inaugural World Twenty20 despite suffering an injury.Muralitharan strained the bicep above his right elbow while bowling for Lancashire against Kent on Wednesday.But contrary to earlier reports ruling him out of the September event, no decision will be taken until he returns to Sri Lanka with scans of his injury."It's better news than it could have been but it's up to Sri Lanka to assess it," said Lancashire physio Sam Byrne."We got the results back and basically it is just showing some inflammation around the bicep."We're sending the scans back with Murali to Sri Lanka and they'll manage it and constantly reassess it over the next week." Muralitharan played no further part in Lancashire's match against Kent after the first day.Should he be ruled out of the tournament, which begins on 11 September, leg-spinner Malinga ...
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Susie keeps Lankan hopes alive - Enters today's WC women's 200m final:
2007-08-30 22:04:00
Susie keeps Lanka n hopes alive - Daily NewsEnters today's WC women's 200m final:Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from JapanATHLETICS: Wonder girl Susanthika Jayasinghe kept Sri Lanka's hopes alive as she stormed into the women's 200m final on day six of the 11th IAAF World Championship at the Nagai Stadium on Thursday night.Running in the second women's 200m semi final, Jayasinghe clocked 22.66 seconds to finish third behind American Sanya Richards (22.50) and Jamaican Aleen Bailey (22.65).Today her timing was 0.11 seconds slower than her feat in the first round and in the quarter finals - 22.55, her best 200m timing in seven years.Yet, that was good enough for her to comfortably book a place in Friday's final. LaShantea Moore (22.73) finished behind Jayasinghe but the American too made it to the final as the first four in each semi final would make it to the last eight.Defending champion Allyson Felix of USA returned a time of 22.21 seconds to win the first semi final which went o...
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Susanthika Jayasinghe admits she could have run better, but still enters wo
2007-08-30 21:58:00
Short of her best, still among world's bestSusa nthika Jaya singhe admits she could have run better, but still enters world championship finals>Channaka de Silva reporting from Osaka, JapanSusanthika Jayasinghe failed to match her brilliance of the previous day in semi final run which even in her eyes was not convincing, but still pulled off a coup by entering the final of the women's 200 metres of athletics world championships, here at Nagai stadium last night. Sri Lanka's only hope at the world level, Jayasinghe who produced flashes of her former brilliance of the glory days when she won an Olympic medal and a world championship medal in the first round and then in the quarter finals clocking 22.55 seconds, failed to match that form yesterday but finished her semi final in third place in 22.66 to secure a place among the final eight."I have to agree, I couldn't run well. It just didn't happen" Jayasinghe said after the race in which she ran well in customary fashion round the b...
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Galle, here we come ! - The Galle Stadium after Tsunami demolish
2007-08-30 21:51:00
Galle, here we come !Let's get back to the Stadium itself. Fringed on both sides by the Indian Ocean, it is one of the most picturesque grounds in Sri Lanka with competition coming from Asgiriya andperhaps now, the Dambulla International Stadium. Tony Greig in his commentaries praises this venue to the hilt. With the Dutch Fort in the background and the two sea-side views it is indeed picturesque and gives one the sense of 'openness' which other grounds like the MCG for instance or even Eden Gardens in Kolkatta (Calcutta) do not give the cricketer out there in the middle or the spectator.By Pelham Juriansz The G alle Stadium four months ago. One of the ground and the other taken from the Galle Ramparts.The million dollar question is "Will it be ready for the English tour in October?"I vaguely remember my first glimpse of the Galle International Stadium (well in those days it was simply the Galle Esplanade or the ground on which 'Big Matches' like the Richmond- Mahinda and Galle...
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England - Sri Lanka Tests
2007-08-12 06:37:00
From The Sunday Times
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SLC scoffs at Sanath’s ICL rumours - The Sunday Times
2007-08-12 06:32:00
SLC scoffs at Sanath’s ICL rumoursBy Marlon Fernandopulle Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) scoffed off rumours that their champion batsman Sanath Jayasuriya has made a request to release him from their contract for one month in order to play in the controversial Indian Cricket Leagues (ICL) Twenty-20 tournament later this year.Speaking to the Sunday Times SLC Secretary K Mathivanan said,”Sanath has not made any form of request asking SLC to release him to play in the ICL tournament. This is all nonsense.Infact SLC will not even consider such a request from a contracted player”.Earlier this week it was reported that the Lankan Master Blaster was offered US$ 500,000 by the ICL and Jayasuriya had subsequently made a request from his employer SLC to release him for one month in October.Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) sent a stern warning to all players on Friday stating that if any cricketer participates in tournaments not approved by SLC they will not be eligible for selection for Sri Lanka at Na...
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Sri Lanka’s 9/1 in athletics - The sunday Times
2007-08-12 06:29:00
Sri Lanka ’s 9/1 in athleticsBy Namal Pathirage Is Sri Lanka heading for yet another world record?Though it was only Sri Lanka’s short distance sprint queen Susanthika Jayasinghe who qualified to take part at the 11th World Athletic Championships in Osaka Japan which is scheduled to begin on August 26 it is reported that a whopping contingent of nine officials have applied for visas to accompany the athlete.They are: Sunil Jayaweera (Manager), Dhammika Nandakumara (coach), Robert Mohan (masseur), Maj. Gen. Palitha Fernando (President AAASL), Prema Pinnawela (Representative of the World Athletic Association), Shantha de Silva (observer), Lt. Gen. Sudath Madugalle (observer), Y.K. Kularatne (observer), Mrs. Jayanthi Pinnawela ( Chaperone).Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge speaking to The Sunday Times on the issue said that the ministry will bear the costs of only Susanthika Jayasinghe, Dhammika Nandakumara. However, the minister added that if any official wants to make the trip at his ...
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Susanthika to run both 100 and 200m at world meet - Lakbimanews
2007-08-12 06:16:00
Susanthika to run both 100 and 200m at world meetChampika FernandoSusanthika Jayasinghe has slipped back on her decision to skip the shorter sprint at this year’s World Athletics Championships in Osaka this month.Thus, the renowned sprinter will feature in the 100m dash in addition to the longer version, 200m dash. Jayasinghe earlier said she would only concentrate on the 200m dash at the World Championships, as she is focused on winning her second medal at the event.Jayasinghe clocked 22.38 seconds ten years back in Athens to raise the Lankan flag high on air as she won country’s first ever medal, a silver at the meet.Jayasinghe, who is currently in Los Angeles for a brief training stint before the mega event in Japan, clocked a improved 11.19 seconds to win gold at the recent Asian Championships; thereafter has been advised to compete in both sprints.“She informed me of her decision,” said Prema Pinnawela, athletics secretary.Jayasinghe has never won a medal beyond Asia in...
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Sanath Jayasuriya turns his back on Indian League - Lakbimanews
2007-08-12 06:12:00
Jayasuriya turns his back on Indian League Ranjan ParanavithanaVeteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya yesterday turned down a half a million dollar contract with the proposed Indian Cricket League just hours after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) threatened to ban any Sri Lankan players joining the ‘controversial’ league.Jayasuriya, a veteran of 398 ODI’s, has been reportedly offered a US$ 500,000 to accept a three year contract, but the opener said that he decided to stick to his central contract with Sri Lanka Cricket.“I had a long thought about it before reaching the decision. Financially it was a good offer. But I am a contracted player with the SLC. So it’s not right to take up anything else right now,” Jayasuriya told LAKBIMAnEWS.The names of Jayasuriya, former skipper Marvan Atapattu and retired batsman Russel Arnold are linked with the ICL. Only Atapattu has confirmed an interest in the ICL.Jayasuriya, who reportedly earns a handsome US$ 100,000 per year from the SLC, however, d...
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Rebel series affect Lanka ? - "Friday" Newspaper
2007-08-12 05:02:00
Rebel series affect Lanka ?By Pelham JurianszRebel tours and rebel series have been around for quite some time. Rebelling is nothing new. Ever since the first rebel Lucifer, rebelled against God Almighty it has been fashionable to rebel against authority and question authority. But with the recent hue and cry over the Indian rebel series which retired players like Brian Lara, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath (the latter two have denied being involved) there is much furore over the idea of rebels and rebel tours and series.Let us analyse some of the problems involved. Well as the good old saying goes, ‘Love of money is the root of all evil’. But then is the love of money all that is at stake here? After all if you take the Sri Lankan scene the three players who are being considered are two players whose careers are almost over and one retired player.Take further the fact that Marvan Atapattu was meted out step-motherly treatment by the selectors during the World Cup is it wrong to n...
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Sri Lanka recall Hasantha Fernando and Wijekoon for wenty20 World Champions
2007-08-10 22:01:00
Twenty20 World Champion s hip, 2007-08Sri Lanka recall Hasantha Fernando and WijekoonCricinfo staff Gayan Wijekoon is recalled after a successful time with Sri Lanka A © AFPSri Lanka have recalled allrounders Gayan Wijekoon and Hasantha Fernando in the 15-member squad for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September. Mahela Jayawardene will lead a full-strength squad that includes as many as six fast bowlers.Fernando, the right-arm seamer and lower-order batsman who has played two Tests and seven ODIs, last toured Bangladesh with the senior team in early 2006. Wijekoon, the left-arm seamer and top-order batsman, played the last of his two Tests in July 2005. Another notable inclusion was Kaushal Lokuarachchi, the legspinner, who got the nod ahead of Malinga Bandara and Upul Chandana. Lokuarachchi makes a comeback after being overlooked for the recent home series against Bangladesh.All those currently playing county cricket in England - Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sang...
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Durham v Sri Lanka A, Chester-le-Street, 3rd day
2007-08-10 21:56:00
Durham v Sri Lanka A, Chester-le-Street , 3rd daySri Lanka A end tour in styleCricinfo staffSri Lanka A 379 and 212 for 8 dec (Lokuarachchi 45) beat Durham 220 (Welegedara 5-45) and 217 (Park 51, Welegedara 4-41) by 154 runsScorecardSri Lanka A ended their tour with a 154-run win against Durham after bowling them out for 217 on the final day. Chanaka Welegedara claimed four wickets as Durham collapsed following a fourth-wicket stand of 93 between Gordon Muchall and Gary Park.After batting on for a further 50 runs, Sri Lanka set the home side 372 for victory but they never threatened to get close. However, their bid to save the game started solidly with an opening stand of 71 between Will Smith and Mark Stoneman before Smith was trapped lbw by Dilruwan Perera.Park made 51, but he was caught behind off Welegedara shortly after Muchall had been run out. The lower-order didn't offer much resistance as the last six wickets fell for 50 runs, the third run-out of the innings completing the...
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Sri Lanka board threatens to ban players joining ICL
2007-08-10 21:31:00
Atapattu expresses interest in unofficial leagueSri Lanka board threatens to ban players joining ICLSri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has threatened to ban any national player who signs up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Sri Lankan players participating in any "tournament or league other than Sri Lanka Cricket-approved events shall not be eligible for selection to represent Sri Lanka," an SLC statement said.Kangadaran Mathivanan, the board secretary, said those who played in the ICL would also not be associated with any official cricket activity in Sri Lanka. "They will not be considered for selection to play even domestic cricket, hold any position in the cricket administration or officiate as umpires or commentators," Mathivanan said.Mathivanan said no current Sri Lankan player had approached the board with an intention to take part in the ICL. Marvan Atapattu, the former captain, is the only Sri Lankan player to have a confirmed interest in the ICL. Atapattu asked the board to release...
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Galle Stadium moving towards hosting Test
2007-08-05 03:25:00
Galle Stadium moving towards hosting Test By Sa’adi ThawfeeqWork on one of the world’s most picturesque cricket grounds the Galle International Stadium is going ahead as scheduled to host the third Test between Sri Lanka and England starting on December 18.There was much consternation among cricket fans especially from England when Galle which was originally scheduled to host the first Test of the three-match series was changed to the third Test.There was fear that Galle may not host a Test match at all because of the delays the stadium underwent during its rebuilding process following the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami which entirely destroyed it.However with the construction part of the pavilion, dressing rooms, media centre, VIP enclosures etc being handed to Sierra Construction Ltd., a leading construction company in the country last week, work on the stadium has increased at a hectic pace.“It is a very challenging task but I am confident we can complete it by the deadline o...
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