Sri Lanka – India cricket series starts with T- 20s from Feb. 24-by Dhammika Ratnaweera Sri Lanka team celebrating a wicket at last Indian T- 20 series at R.Premadasa Stadium. Source:Dailynews Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday confirmed the Indian cricket series which will commence from February 24 with three T20 matches followed by two Test matches and one of the Test matches is a day-night affair, pink ball game. The first of three T20 matches will be played in Lucknow on February 24 followed by two games at Dharamsala on February 26 and 27. India revised the schedule for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka, bringing the Twenty20 internationals forward to precede the two Tests on the request of SLC. This change was done after SLC’s request to allow a smoother bubble-to-bubble transfer of their T20I squad, which will have concluded a series in Melbourne, Australia just four days ahead ...

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A story to tell by SOMASUNDARAM SKANDAKUMAR Source: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade In  February 2017, my team and I at the Sri Lankan High Commission in Australia was informed that then-Prime Minister (PM) Ranil Wickremasinghe had been invited to deliver the keynote address and accept an honorary doctorate at the Deakin Law School graduation. We immediately communicated the news to  Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and inquired if the trip could be made into an official state visit – after all, that year marked  the 70th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and  Sri Lanka, and it was over 60 years since a Sri Lankan PM had made an  official state visit to Australia. The request was well received, and the dates were fixed for February. Earlier, the High  Commission learnt that Sri Lanka Cricket had confirmed a brief tour to  Australia for a ...

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       Inexperienced Lankans in reality check as to where they sit – By Trevine Rodrigo in Melbourne Dasun Shanaka will probably be all at sea as he leads a young and inexperienced Sri Lanka squad to Australia in what will be a fact finding mission as to where the island nation sits in the world game.  The Sri Lankans have had limited success in the past few years against all opposition but a urgent restructure of the coaching and administrative staff has seen a marginal improvement.  Under a Sports Minister in Namal Rajapaksa, who has a sporting background himself, and political clout, the commitment has been upped to a level where there’s definite signs of the former World Cup and T20 champions returning to an acceptable threat to the top rungers of cricket.  How they execute their plans in a three game series against Australia will be compelling ...

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SLC imposes new rules on players intend to retire from national cricket Source:Dailymirror In the wake of cricketer Bhanuka Rajapaksa has announced his intention to retire from international cricket, the Sri Lanka Cricket has taken a number of decisions on national players who intend to retire from national cricket. Accordingly, national players who are intending to retire from national cricket, should officially notify the local Cricket governing body three months ahead, elaborating their intention to retire, SLC said. The above decision was taken by the executive committee of SLC at a meeting held on Friday in respect of players who have retired and/or contemplating to retire from national cricket. ...

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Sri Lanka To Play More Than 40 International Matches As SLC Releases Its Future Tours Programme For 2022 Image Source Twitter Source:Cricketaddictor Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) released the itinerary for the Future Tours Programme (FTP) of the calendar year 2022. Their season begins with an ODI series against Zimbabwe at home before they set out to tour Australia, India, and Bangladesh. Soon after, the Aussies will set out for a return tour during their Asian adventure in June-July 2022. Asian rivals Pakistan will arrive next and will likely stay when Lanka hosts the T20I Asia Cup in August-September 2022. Sri Lanka (Image: Twitter) “The heavy international cricketing calendar of the Sri Lankan team for the year 2022 is going to give our fans a lot of excitement and fun. If we can successfully complete the planned cricketing calendar, it will give a tremendous boost to the game in Sri Lanka, an ...

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Hemaka Amarasuriya responds to claims of Thilanga attending ICC Meeting Source:Island Former Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket Mr. Hemaka Amarasuriya and the leading sponsor of the sport prior to that at a time when the game was in dire straits has sent us the following response for the article titled ‘Mahanama’s book reveals Ranil backed Thilanga undermining Amarasuriya’ that appeared in last week’s Sunday Island. “I write with reference to the above article and wish to point out certain misstatements and inaccuracies pertaining to the Book written by former Sri Lanka cricketer Roshan Mahanama – ‘My innings, Retired Hurt to the Best View of the Game’. The first and second paragraphs of the said article are reproduced below: ‘Among those who follow the gentleman’s game closely, many regard UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as Mr. Clean. But if they get hold of Roshan Mahnama’s new book, they will have a second opinion. ...

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SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS (DECEMBER 2021) Compiled by Victor Melder Sri Lanka beat the touring West Indies by 164 runs to win the second and final Test played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium. Scores: Sri Lanka – 1st Innings – 204 (Nissanka 73, Karunaratne 42, Mathews 29, Permaul 5/35, Warrican 4/50, Chase 1/64) West Indies – 1st Innings   253 (Brathwaite 72, Blackwood 44, Mayers 36no, Bonner 35, Mendis 6/70, Jayawickrama 2/59, Embuldeniya 2/94) Sri Lanka – 2nd Innings (de Silva 155, Nissanka 66, Mendis 25, Parmaul 3/106, Chase 2/82, Brathwaite 1/11, Holder 1/26) West Indies – 2nd Innings – 132 (Bonner 44, Blackwood 36,  Embuldeniya 5/35, Mendis 5/66_ Player of the Match:  Dhananjaya de Silva (Sri Lanka) Player of the Series: Ramesh Mendis (Sri Lanka)   Sri Lanka won the 2-match series 2-0 Test Debut: Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka) Points: Sri Lanka 12, West Indies 0 Zimbabwe and Sri ...

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Mahela Jayawardena appointed as ‘Consultant Coach’ Source:Dailynews.lk Former Sri Lanka Captain Mahela Jayawardena has been appointed as the ‘Consultant Coach’ for the National Teams, effective 1st January 2022, announced the Sri Lanka Cricket. Jayawardena, in his new role, which is effective for a period of one year, will be in charge of the overall cricketing element of the national teams and will provide invaluable strategic support for the players and management teams at the High-Performance Center. ‘’We are extremely happy that Mahela is joining the National Team for an extended role, especially given the context that Sri Lanka has a heavy international calendar during the year 2022,’’ said Ashley De Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket. “Mahela’s contributions during the first round of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup became invaluable for the overall performances of our team in the concluded event,’ De Silva, further added. Despite the new appointment, ...

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Stage set for Lanka Premier League 2021 edition Source:Dailymirror Despite glaring omissions at the player draft and last-minute franchise ownership changes, the Lanka Premier League (LPL), Sri Lanka’s franchise T20 league, returns this Sunday – the second edition in the five-year partnership between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the LPL rights holders and tournament organisers ‘Innovation Production Group (IPG).    Last year’s title-winning Jaffna franchise will take on the Galle Gladiators – a rematch of the 2021 final – in the first of 20 group stage matches, leading up to the title-decider on December 23. The first round matches will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, before the teams move to Hambantota for the knockout phase, all in front of a limited number of spectators.    If  you had an affinity and allegiance to one of the franchises last season, there’s a good chance that the team ...

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ANGELO MATHEWS TO MISS LPL OWING TO HAMSTRING TEAR – by Sunil Thenabadu (sports editor – eLanka) Head of the Sri Lanka Cricket Medical Committee Professor Arjun de Silva has provided an Update on Mathews injury which has been classified as a GRADE 2 hamstring injury. Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews is likely to be ruled out of the upcoming Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2021 cricket tournament due to the thigh strain he sustained in the ongoing 2nd test against the West Indies. Mathews sustained the injury yesterday during the first innings of Sri Lanka and did not return to the field when the West Indies commenced their innings, even though he was set to bowl a few overs. Head of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Medical Committee Professor Arjuna De Silva said Mathews has suffered a grade 2 hamstring tear. He further said the cricketer will most probably ...

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