SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS
(SEPTEMBER 2023)
Compiled by Victor Melder
Asia Cup, 2nd Match, Group B, Sri Lanka Vs Bangladesh, played at Pallekelle International Stadium. Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets. Scores:
Bangladesh – 164 in 42.4 Overs (Shanto 89, Hriday 20, Pathirana 4/32, Theekshana 2/19)
Sri Lanka – 165.5 in 39 Overs (Asalanka 62no, Samararawickrama 54, Al Hasan 2.29)
Player of the Match: Matheesha Pathirana (Sri Lanka) ODI Debut: Tanzid Hasan (Bangladesh) Points: Sri Lanka 2, Bangladesh 0.
Asia Cup, 6th Match, Group B, Sri Lanka Vs Afghanistan, played at Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore. Sri Lanka won by 2 runs. Scores:
Sri Lanka – 291/8 in 50 Overs (Mendis 92, Asalanka 36, Wellalage 36no, Karunaratne 32, Naib 4/60, Khan 2/63)
Afghanistan – 289 in 37.4 Overs (Nabi 65, Shahid 59, Shah 45, Rajitha 4/79, de Silva, 2/12, Wellalage 2/36)
Player of the Match: Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka)
Points: Sri Lanka 2, Afghanistan 0.
Former cricketer Sachithra Senanayake has been arrested on charges of match-fixing. According to reports, Senanayake was arrested after he surrendered today (6), to the Special Investigation Unit of the Sports Ministry and will be produced in court. Senanayake is accused of having attempted to fix matches during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in 2020. (Ceylon Today, 6.9.2023)
The Afghanistan Cricket Board complained to the Asian Cricket Council about Tuesday night’s match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, according to ACB’s spokesman, Mohammad Naseem Sadaat. Afghanistan was in Group B of the Asia Cup 2023. The Afghan team lost its first match against Bangladesh by 89 runs. On Tuesday, the Afghan team played against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first and put a 292-run target. In order to qualify for the semi-finals, Afghanistan needed to chase the target in 37.1 over. However, the commentators at the last minutes of the game, when Afghanistan reached 290—with 9 wickets lost — said that there is still a chance for Afghanistan to make it to the semi-finals if any of the three balls after over 37.1 is hit for six. But Afghan players on the field apparently were unaware of the calculation that they could still make it to the Super 4 had they reached 295 over the next three balls. Sadaat said the ACB is calling for the punishment for those officials who were negligent in the matter, and even if the employees of the Afghanistan Cricket Board are proven to be negligent, they will be punished. (Daily Mirror, 7.9.2023)
Asia Cup, 8th Match, Group B, Sri Lanka Vs Bangladesh, played at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka won by 21 runs. Scores:
Sri Lanka – 257/9 in 50 Overs (Samarawickrama 93, Mendis 50, Nissanka 40, Mahmud 3/57, Ahmad 3/62, Islam 2/48)
Bangladesh – 236 in 48.1 Overs (Hridoy 82, Rahim 29, Miraz 28, Shanaka 3/28, Pathirana 3/58, Teekshaana 3/69)
Player of the Match: Sadeera Samarawickrama (Sri Lanka)
Points: Sri Lanka 2, Bangladesh 0.
Asia Cup, 10th Match, Group B, Super Fours, Sri Lanka Vs India. played at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, India won by 41 runs. Scores:
India – 213 in 49.1 Overs (Sharma 53, Rahul 39, Kishan 33, Patel 26, Wellalage 5/40, Asalanka 4/18)
Sri Lanka – 172 in 41.3 Overs (Wellalage 42, de Silva 41, Asalanka 22, Yadav 4/43, Bumrah 2/30 Jadeja 2/30)
Player of the Match: Dunith Wellalage (Sri Lanka)
Points: India 2, Sri Lanka 0.
Asia Cup, 11th Match, Group B, Super Fours, Sri Lanka Vs Pakistan, played at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets. Scores
Pakistan – 252/7 in 42 Overs (Rizwan 86, Shafique 52, Ahmed 47, Pathirana 3/65, Madushanka 2/58)
Sri Lanka – 252/8 in 42 Overs (Mendis 91, Asalanka 49, Samarawikrama 48, Ahmed 3/50, Afridi 2/52)
Player of the Match: Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka)
ODI Debut: Zaman Khan (Pakistan)
Points: Sri Lanka 2, Pakistan 0)
The ending of the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh Asia Cup thriller threw up a Laws of Cricket puzzler, with six awarded despite the fielder in question never being contact with the ball and the ground at the same time. The incident came with Bangladesh’s last-wicket pair at the crease, and 31 runs needed from the last 16 balls. No.8 Nasum Ahmed hit Maheesh Theekshana in the air down the ground, where Dushan Hemantha initially looked to have pulled off a brilliant piece of work, jumping and palming the ball back into the field. However, after a long look at the replays, the TV umpire awarded six, much to the confusion of on-air commentators Roshan Abeysinghe and Dominic Cork. “Why is it six?” asked Abeysinghe. “Just tell me, explain to me why it is six.” “I can’t explain to you,” said Cork. “I don’t think that is six. He touches the boundary, but as he takes the catch, he’s not touching it. That’s a strange decision, because I thought that was pretty good fielding.” Abeysinghe went on to describe it as “baffling”. “I don’t understand why this is a six unless we didn’t see something that the umpires saw. He’s up. I don’t think he’s touching the ropes at any time when he flicks the ball back.” Cork went on to speculate that the moment could be “crucial”, but Sri Lanka wrapped up victory not long after. Still, as much as it is an odd situation, it is clear that the umpires made the right decision. Law 19.5.2 reads: “A fielder who is not in contact with the ground is considered to be grounded beyond the boundary if his/her final contact with the ground, before his/her first contact with the ball after it has been delivered by the bowler, was not entirely within the boundary.” Since Hemantha flicked the boundary rope with his boot as he jumped, his final contact with the ground before his first contact with the ball was not entirely within the boundary, and therefore ‘six’ was the right decision. It is important to note that the first contact with the ball is the most crucial one. For any subsequent touches, it would have been sufficient for Hemantha to have been not in contact with the ball and the ground simultaneously.(Wisden) (Daily Mirror, 10.9.2023)
Asia Cup Finals, Sri Lanka Vs India, plated at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka. India won by 10 wickets. Scores:
Sri Lanka – 50 in 15.2 Overs ( Mendis 17, Hemantha 13, Siraj 6/21, Pandya 3/3)
India – 51 in 6.10 Overs (Gill 27no, Kishan 23no)
Player of the Match: Mohasmmed Siraj (India)
Player of the Series: Kuldeep Yadav (India)
Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana could potentially miss Sunday’s Asia Cup final against India after sustaining a hamstring strain during Thursday’s Super 4 match against Pakistan. Theekshana injured himself while attempting to stop a boundary, and while he returned to bowl, he was visibly debilitated and in pain. Sri Lanka Cricket said the player will undergo a scan today to fully assess his condition. (Daily Mirror, 15.9.2023)
Spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who strained his right hamstring during Sri Lanka’s Super 4 match against Pakistan on Thursday, has been ruled out of the finals. A scan revealed Theekshana had suffered the muscle injury and will return to the High Performance Centre to begin rehabilitation work. All- rounder Sahan Arachchige has been brought into the squad in place of Theekshana. “The team management would have taken the risk of playing him on Sunday but the World Cup is round the corner and it is advisable to rest him. We want him to be fit before the World Cup”, Prof Arjuna de Silva, Chairman of the medical panel at Sri Lanka Cricket said. Explaining the possible reasons for his injury, the Professor explained, “he has been playing continuous cricket. He was part of the IPL (Indian Premier League), then LPL (Lanka Premier League), before that he played home matches against Afghanistan and the qualifying matches in Zimbabwe also. He was part of the T-20i squad on the New Zealand tour (in April this year)”. Theeksana has so far captured 83 wickets in three formats of the game. On Saturday morning, all 17-members went for the last practice game (before the Asia Cup final) at the R. Premadasa Stadium. According to Prof. de Silva, the injured players who are not part of the ongoing Asia Cup, are coming into shape. “They have started their training”, he said. (Daily Mirror, 16.9.2023)
Claiming the player of the match award in the 2023 Asia Cup Final for his best ODI bowling figures – 6/21 – Mohammed Siraj dedicated his prize money to the ground staff at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. With torrential rains in the Sri Lankan capital, the ground staff were also awarded by the Asian Cricket Council for their work in putting the games together at the ongoing continental tournament.“This cash prize goes to the groundsmen. This tournament wouldn’t have been possible without them,” Siraj said post-match. The Indian pacer would term his bowling on Sunday against Sri Lanka as his ‘best spell’. (Daily Mirror, 17.9.2023)
Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Dunith Wellalage have been named in ESPN’s Asia Cup team of the tournament.ESPN’s Asia Cup team of the tournament in batting order: Shubman Gill – 302 runs from six innings ; Avg 75.50, SR 93.49, Best 121
Rohit Sharma (Captain) – 194 runs from five innings ; Avg 48.50, SR 107.77, Best 74*
Kusal Mendis – 270 runs from six innings ; Avg 45, SR 85.71, Best 92
K L Rahul (Wk) – 169 runs from three innings ; Avg 84.50, SR 89.41, Best 111*, eight dismissals
Charith Asalanka – 179 runs from six innings ; Avg 44.75, SR 74.27, Best 62*, 4 wickets
Shakib Al Hassan – 173 runs from five innings ; Avg 43.25, SR 97.19, Best 80, 3 wickets at an average of 63.66
Hardik Pandya – 92 runs from two innings ; Avg 46.00, SR 85.18, Best 87, 6 wickets at an average of 11.33
Dunith Wellalage – 10 wickets from six innings ; Avg 17.90, ER 4.26, Best 5-40, 86 runs from five innings at an Avg of 28.66
Shaheen Shah Afridi – 10 wickets from five innings ; Avg 23.50, ER 5.73, Best 4-35
Kuldeep Yadav – 9 wickets from four innings ; Avg 11.44, ER 3.61, Best 5-25
Mohammed Siraj – 10 wickets from four innings ; Avg 12.20, ER 4.63, Best 6-21. (Daily Island, 19.9.2023)
Dasun Shanaka will remain as ODI captain for the Cricket World Cup, an SLC official confirmed. In the days following the shocking Asia Cup final defeat to India on Sunday, Shanaka received criticism from several quarters regarding his recent performances, with many calling for him to be removed as captain for the upcoming Cricket World Cup. However, selectors have shown faith in Shanaka by retaining him as captain, although the final composition of the squad is still to be determined. “There are still some injury concerns so once we have assessed that, the squad will be decided,” an SLC official, speaking on condition of anonymity told the Daily Mirror. (Daily Mirror, 21.9.2023)
The captain had been informed to step down so that a new captain could be appointed and accordingly Kusal Mendis was tipped to take over. Team management had endorsed Mendis highlighting him as the player who contributed most during team meetings. He was anyway deputy to Dasun in ODIs. Although Dasun had expressed his willingness to step aside so that the selectors could make the change, the national selection panel decided to retain Dasun following a meeting yesterday. While a section of the public had wanted the captain gone due to an extended run of poor form with the bat, some others had argued that axing the captain on the verge of an event like the World Cup wasn’t the most sensible move. Had Dasun stepped down, he was in fear of not finding a place in the team as well as the selectors had wanted the new captain to make the call of having or not having the misfiring ex-captain in the team. Despite the debacle in the final, Sri Lanka had done well to progress to the finals of the Asia Cup having beaten Afghanistan and Pakistan and Bangladesh twice. There were fears of the team not progressing beyond the first round after the bowling attack was completely depleted with injuries. Although Dasun has been now retained as the captain, he will be under tremendous pressure to deliver following a string of low scores. Having said that, he was Sri Lanka’s best batter when the national cricket team toured India earlier this month. Sri Lanka will leave for India next week and will be based in Guwahati where they will play two warm-up games against Asian rivals Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Sri Lanka’s first game of the World Cup is against South Africa on the 7th of October in Delhi. (Daily Island, 21.9.20223)
Sri Lanka’s injury woes during and prior to recent big tournament is legendary like it was the case lead up to the Asia Cup. With almost all the bowlers who would have featured in the playing eleven injured, the selectors were forced to scratch the barrel and the replacements did a commendable job taking the team to the finals of the six-nation tournament. Lead up to the sport’s showpiece event – the ICC Cricket World Cup – the team suffered another massive blow as star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga was replaced by Dushan Hemantha in the squad. Hasaranga, who missed the Asia Cup with a grade two hamstring tear, aggravated the injury during rehabilitation and ended up with a grade three tear. Whether the bowler will undergo surgery remains to be seen. Dushan Hemantha, a late developer, who has represented Sri Lanka three times so far had already been named as a travelling reserve and was drafted into the World Cup squad in place of Hasaranga. The Island learns that SLC did not submit Hasaranga’s name in the initial squad of 15 which means that he can be drafted into the squad on a later day if he recovers sufficiently. However, medical experts say that there’s little chance of him becoming fit again before the World Cup is over. Had Sri Lanka named Hasaranga in the initial squad and then pulled him out, they wouldn’t have been able to bring him back according to playing conditions. The national cricket team was scheduled to fly out of Colombo last night. They will travel to Bombay and then catch a connecting flight to Guwahati. Incidentally, the flying time from Colombo to Bombay is two hours and 30 minutes but the internal flights to the eastern Indian city will take more than three hours. Sri Lanka will play two warm-up games against Afghanistan and Bangladesh in Guwahati before travelling to Delhi to prepare for their opening game of the ten-nation tournament. Sri Lanka’s first game is on the 7th against South Africa. (Rex Clementine), Daily Island, 27.9.2023)
Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe spoke about Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka’s future and hopes to give decision about his future career. The Minister said Danushka is a National cricketer and he is a Sri Lankan citizen and I heard that he has been found not guilty yesterday. Danushka was involved in an ugly incident on last England tour and Special inquiry Committee gave a decision after that incident and he got sympathy. Second time he was involved in this incident in Australia and now he has been found not guilty. He was also involved in unsavoury incident during T-20 World Cup and we have to think about what type of action we have to take regarding him after discussing with National Sports Council, he said. Meanwhile, Sports Minister pointed out his Sports Ministry administration issues which was highlighted by COPE Committee recently regarding administrative matters. The politician is responsible to take policy decisions. Administration should be done by Government officials. I already worked in five Ministries but Sport Ministry has the worst administration and this has to change. The duty of Ministry Secretary is to strengthen the administration. Today administration work is being done at my office. We have to discuss with International Sports Bodies. But that International Association related letters have to be drafted by my private secretary as others couldn’t do that and this is very disappointing, he said. I tried to sort out these matters but now it has clearly realized and wanted to change this systems. Some times I ordered to do work but it’s not done perfectly and I have to repeat those orders. Sports and Youth Affairs has to go with youth power. I hope to change this system and already ordered my Secretary to get talented Assistant Secretaries and give responsibility to them, said the Sports Minister. (Daily News, 29.9.2023)
