Sri Lanka Cricketer Angelo Mathews is all set to play his 100th Test match tomorrow (24), when Lankans take on Pakistan in the 2nd Test match in Galle.
On the eve of the special milestone as a Cricketer, Mathews revealed his future plans.
“Jimmy Anderson is my inspiration. At the age of 40, he still delivering and he wants to do it for a couple of more years. It’s the drive that you have. This is not going to stop here and I still have few more years left,” Mathews said in Galle.
Mathews also said that he willing to play all three formats if he is picked. (NewsWire)
Sri Lanka Cricket statement
Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to inform you that Angelo Mathews will play in his 100th Test Match, when Sri Lanka takes on Pakistan in the 2nd Test Match of the ongoing test series, at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
Mathews, the former All-format Captain of the National Team is the 06th Sri Lankan player to achieve this significant feat.
In view of Angelo Mathew’s special achievement, Sri Lanka Cricket will hold a brief ceremony to felicitate the player before the commencement of the 2nd Test Match on the 24th July 2022, at the venue.
Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa, the Vice President of International Cricket of Sri Lanka Cricket, and former Sri Lanka Great Chaminda Vaas will grace the occasion, while his team-mates, his family and the fans will be among the participants at the ceremony
Sri Lanka Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne has confirmed that young spinner Dunith Wellalage will make his Test debut in the 2nd Test match to be played against Pakistan on Sunday (24).
Wellalage, who was included in the initial Test squad was later released to make him available to play for his school St Joseph’s college in their big match against St Peter’s college.
Following a successful league tournament conducted in June the Semi-Finals and Finals of the Mercantile Hockey Association Knock-Out Hockey tournament will be played on the 23rd and 24th July at the Astro Turf, Torrington square. This being the 70th Anniversary of MHA, the tournament has been consistent since 1952 with an exception in 2021 due to Covid constraints. 11 teams will compete in the three divisions A, B, and C. The A division will see HNB A, MAS Holdings and Sampath Bank A viewing for the HATNA Trophy, the B division will be worked off by Allianz Insurance, Hayleys Group and HSBC, for the MAS Challenge Trophy and C division between Browns Group, HNB ‘B’, John Keells, Seylan Bank and Singer SL for the Commercial Bank Trophy.
The Mercantile Hockey Association this year celebrates 70 years of hockey administration in the Mercantile sector. Having being formed in 1952 initially under the wing of the Mercantile Amateur Athletic Association, consequently in 1957 MHA established itself as a solus entity. Since then, the Association has contributed immensely to Sri Lanka hockey and kept the game alive in the Mercantile sector with the consistent holding of their tournaments, participation at the Sri Lanka Hockey Nationals and producing many national hockey caps for the country.
Sri Lanka Cricket ( SLC) has provided an update on Wanindu Hasaranga, who suffered a groin muscle strain while fielding during the 1st ODI against Australia.
Hasaranga is currently under the supervision of the Team’s Medical Team and the medical team is assessing his situation and will update the team management on a daily basis about the player’s condition, SLC said.
SLC further said that therefore, Hasaranga will continue to remain with the squad during the entirety of the ODI series. Whether he is able to participate in tomorrow’s 3rd ODI is still not clear and will be confirmed tomorrow.
To further support the growth of Esports in Sri Lanka, Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider and the official sponsor of the Sri Lanka National Esports team, has joined hands with the Sri Lanka Esports Association (SLESA) to power the inaugural edition of the ‘DIALOG-SLESA All-Island Free Fire Championship’ which is set to take place from 7th of June 2022.
The participant registration date has been extended till 1st of June 2022. Interested participants can register for the championship via https://dlg.lk/3vZdkd9. For more information, please visit the Dialog Facebook Page or the Sri Lanka Esports Facebook Page.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has restricted public gatherings in closed environments, SLESA’s All-Island Free Fire Championship powered by Dialog has gained much traction as participants can play from remote locations such as the comfort of their homes.
Featuring an attractive prize pool worth Rs. 1 Million, this district-level Esports tournament will act as a platform to identify and develop Esports athletes and will pave the way for them to compete in an international arena. The championship is organised around one of Sri Lanka’s most popular Esports titles – Free Fire, a multiplayer battle royale mobile game developed and published by Garena.
Speaking on the upcoming championship, Raveen Wijayatilake, President of SLESA stated “The DIALOG-SLESA All-Island Free Fire Championship is a step forward in readying Sri Lanka’s Esports athletes for the global Esports revolution. We’re pleased to have Dialog joining us on this journey as we endeavour to keep the country on-par with our regional Esports competitors.”
As the official sponsor, Dialog Axiata has made an arrangement to LIVE stream the matches via Thepapare.com, SLESA & Gamer.lk social media pages in the interest of all Esport lovers.
Dialog Axiata is the proud sponsor of Sri Lanka National Cricket, Volleyball and Netball teams. The company also has a close association with the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, Schools Rugby, Premier Football and Paralympic sports by powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games and the Sri Lankan contingent to the World Paralympic Games.
Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne has made significant gains in the latest MRF Tyres ICC Test Rankings, following his brilliance in the recently concluded India-Sri Lanka Test series.
Sri Lanka Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne jumped up to a career best No.5 after his fighting 107 in the second innings in Bangalore. Virat Kohli, however, slipped to the ninth spot, with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam advancing to No.8 in the table led by Marnus Labuschagne, followed by Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson respectively.
Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT)-Mobitel joined hands with Old Dharmapalians Sports Club for the recently-concluded Governor’s Trophy One-Day Tournament 2021 conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
Old Dharmapalians Sports Club (ODSC) led by Tharindu Amarathunga had a terrific season ending up as the Runners-up. In the first-round, ODSC defeated Unichela SC, Digamadulla CC, Moratuwa SC and Crusaders SC. However, they lost to Ratnapura CC in a close-contested game.
During the quarter-final stage, ODSC managed to beat Rajarata SC by 5 wickets and then they won their semi-final fixture against Old Servatians CC by 64 runs.
Despite a strong fightback towards the latter stages of the game, Old Dharmapalians Sports Club went down by 64 runs in the final against Moratuwa Sports Club played at Colts Cricket Grounds.
SLT-Mobitel’s commitment towards empowering local cricket in order to develop future prospects of the national cricket team is massively commendable.
Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera are among the four male cricketers to receive Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) top category (A1) contracts for the ensuing year, The Sunday SLC has finalised a list of 20 players in the national contracts and 10 in the domestic player contracts
Proposed contracts scheme:
A1 category ($100,000 base salary)
Dimuth Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera
MCC has today announced its new Code of Laws for 2022, which will come into force from 1st October 2022.
The alterations to the Laws of Cricket in October 2017 were the most significant that have been made for almost two decades.
The code was well received and has had a positive impact on cricket all over the world, but even in the five years since publication, the game has evolved and the MCC Laws sub-committee has suggested several changes for the 2022 Code, which were subsequently approved at the Club’s Main Committee meeting last week.
Whilst the amendments are being announced now, they will not come into force until October. However, in the intervening time the relevant materials will be updated by MCC to assist with umpire and official training on a global basis. The changes are intended to shape the game of cricket as it should be played.
There are several notable changes, as below:
Law 1 – Replacement players
The introduction of a new clause, Law 1.3, explains that replacements are to be treated as if they were the player they replaced, inheriting any sanctions or dismissals that player has done in that match.
Law 18 – Batters returning when Caught
First trialled by the ECB in The Hundred at the suggestion of MCC, Law 18.11 has now been changed so that, when a batter is out Caught, the new batter shall come in at the end the striker was at, i.e. to face the next ball (unless it is the end of an over).
Law 20.4.2.12 – Dead ball
The new edition sees several changes to the Dead ball Law, the most significant of which is the calling of Dead ball if either side is disadvantaged by a person, animal or other object within the field of play.
From a pitch invader to a dog running onto the field, sometimes there is outside interference – if this is the case, and it has a material impact on the game, the umpires will call and signal Dead ball.
Law 21.4 – Bowler throwing towards striker’s end before delivery
If a bowler throws the ball in an attempt to run out the striker before entering their delivery stride, it will now be Dead ball. This is an extremely rare scenario, which has until now been called as a No ball.
Law 22.1 – Judging a Wide
In the modern game, batters are, more than ever, moving laterally around the crease before the ball is bowled.
It was felt unfair that a delivery might be called ‘Wide’ if it passes where the batter had stood as the bowler entered his/her delivery stride. Therefore, Law 22.1 has been amended so that a Wide will apply to where the batter is standing, where the striker has stood at any point since the bowler began their run up, and which would also have passed wide of the striker in a normal batting position.
Law 25.8 – striker’s right to play the ball
If the ball should land away from the pitch, the new Law 25.8 allows the striker to play the ball so long as some part of their bat or person remains within the pitch. Should they venture beyond that, the umpire will call and signal Dead ball. As recompense to the batter, any ball which would force them to leave the pitch will also be called No ball.
Laws 27.4 and 28.6 – Unfair movement by the fielding side
Until now, any member of the fielding side who moved unfairly, was punished only with a ‘Dead ball’ – potentially cancelling a perfectly good shot by the batter. Given the action is both unfair and deliberate, it will now see the batting side awarded 5 Penalty runs.
Law 38.3 – moving the running out of the non-striker
Law 41.16 – running out the non-striker – has been moved from Law 41 (Unfair play) to Law 38 (Run out). The wording of the Law remains the same.
Law 41.3 – No saliva
When cricket resumed following the onset of Covid-19, playing conditions were written in most forms of the game stating that applying saliva to the ball was no longer permitted. MCC’s research found that this had little or no impact on the amount of swing the bowlers were getting. Players were using sweat to polish the ball, and this was equally effective.
The new Laws will not permit the use of saliva on the ball, which also removes any grey areas of fielders eating sugary sweets to alter their saliva to apply to the ball. Using saliva will be treated the same way as any other unfair methods of changing the condition of the ball.
Fraser Stewart, MCC Laws Manager, said: “Since the publication of the 2017 Code of the Laws of Cricket, the game has changed in numerous ways. The 2nd edition of that Code, published in 2019, was mostly clarification and minor amendments, but the 2022 Code makes some rather bigger changes, from the way we talk about cricket to the way it’s played.
“It is important that we announce these changes now as part of the Club’s global commitment to the game, giving officials from all over the world the chance to learn under the new Code ahead of the Laws coming into force in October.” (Lords)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 which will be held in Mumbai and Pune.A total number of 70 league matches and 4 Playoff games will be played in the duration of 65 days.
The 15th season will start on 26th March at the Wankhede stadium with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.
A series whitewash over West Indies has helped India overtake England at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings.
India eased to a 17-run victory over the West Indies in the third and final T20 of the series on Sunday and in the process clinched an emphatic 3-0 clean sweep of the series.
The triumph helped India catapult England at the top of the T20 team rankings, with Rohit Sharma’s side now matching the top rating of 269.
While England and India both have the same rating across 39 international matches in the rankings period (269), India has a total of 10,484 points, 10 more than England’s 10,474.
Pakistan (rating of 266), New Zealand (255) and South Africa (253) round out the top five countries, while Australia (249) remain in sixth after their 4-1 series victory over Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) selectors have reportedly decided to take a last minute decision to drop hard hitting batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa from the T20 squad traveling to India.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa was in the hotel bubble to travel to India but a SLC source told NewsWire that Bhanuka Rajapaksa will not be part of the T20 team for the India series.
According to selection sources, it has been decided not to take Bhanuka Rajapaksa as he has not yet achieved the necessary skinfold levels although he passed the 2KM fitness test last week.
The SLC had earlier this week deprived Bhanuka Rajapaksa from playing in the Pakistan Super League due to the India T20 series.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa was the only Sri Lankan batsman picked at the IPL auction 2022, he was brought by Punjab Kings for IND Rs 50 lakhs.
Sri Lanka Cricket has not yet announced the T20I squad for the India series. (NewsWire)
Sri Lankan selectors are likely to name uncapped off-spinner Ashian Daniel and leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay in a 19-man squad for their two-match Test tour of India early next month, The Sunday Times Newspaper reported.
Niroshan Dickwella is also returning to the side, first time after his ban ended.
Likely Test squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (Capt)
Pathum Nissanka
Lahiru Thirimanne
Dhananjaya de Silva
Kusal Mendis
Angelo Mathews
Charith Asalanka
Niroshan Dickwella
Dinesh Chandimal
Chamika Karunaratne
Ramesh Mendis
Lahiru Kumara
Suranga Lakmal
Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando
Jeffrey Vandersay
Praveen Jayawickrema
Lasith Embuldeniya
Ashian Daniel
The series will begin on March 4 in Mohali before the teams head to Bengaluru for the second Test, a day-night game starting on March 12.
Om Prakash Bakoria, the commissioner of the Sports and Youth Department, Maharashtra, has accused India’s U-19 World Cup star bowler, Rajvardhan Hangargekar of age fudging. As per reports, in a letter to the BCCI, the IAS officer has also attached evidence against the cricketer.
According to a Marathi regional publication, Hangargekar’s real age is 21 years. During his re-admission for eighth grade in Terna Public School, the cricketer allegedly changed his Date of Birth (DOB) from January 10 2001 to November 10, 2002. As a result, he qualified the age category for the recent ICC U-19 World Cup.
However, the Indian cricket board is unlikely to take any action against the young all-rounder, as per a report in Sportstar. As per the report, BCCI will not take action against the player as he had passed the age-verification protocol which is based on a bone test. The bone test was conducted on Hangargekar at the time of his inclusion in the age-group inter-state system.
A BCCI insider confirmed to Sportstar that Hangargekar’s age was found to be par with his documents as per the TW3 bone test, which uses X-Rays of the left hand and wrist to examine the skeletal maturity of a person to determine their bone age. The test is used by the BCCI for initiating cricketers into age-group competitions.
In his letter, Bakoria alleged that the conduct of Hangargekar is against sports integrity and ethics. He claimed that the all-rounder’s birth date was changed by the headmaster of his school at the time of his admission in grade 8th. Hangargekar was a student of the Terna Public School.
“The conduct of the Mr Rajvardhan Hangargekar is against the sports integrity and ethics. It deprives fair play and results into damages to the reputation of the nation. Therefore, you are requested to take strict action in accordance with the law,” Bakoria wrote in his letter to BCCI.
“If the Head Master requires any corrections in birth date, it is necessary to take prior permission of Education officer of concerned district. However, no such permission has been taken for making changes in the birth date of Mr Rajvardhan Hangargekar,” Bakoria further alleged.
After a fruitful campaign with the Indian team at the U-19 World Cup 2022, Hangargekar was picked up by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the recently-concluded IPL 2022 mega auction. CSK beat Mumbai Indians to signs the youngster for a sum of Rs 1.50 crore (INR 15 million).
There were dark clouds hovering over Hangargekar’s future in the IPL amid allegations of age fraud. However, the CSK youngster is likely to make his debut in the upcoming season if BCCI decided to not take any action against him. (IndianMedia)
LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators’ all-rounder James Faulkner has pulled out from the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) and blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not “honouring” his “contractual agreement”.
The Australian cricketer apologised to the Pakistani cricket fans for his withdrawal from the team’s last two matches — against Multan Sultans on Friday and tomorrow’s fixture against Karachi Kings.
“I apologise to the Pakistan cricket fans. But, unfortunately, I’ve had to withdraw from the last 2 matches and leave the PSL due to the PCB not honouring my contractual agreement/payments,” he said in a tweet.
Faulkner blamed the cricket board for continuing to “lie” to him despite his full-time presence in the tournament.
The Australian all-rounder said it “hurts” to leave as he wanted to “help” get international cricket back in Pakistan.
“It hurts to leave as I wanted to help to get international cricket back in Pakistan as there is so much young talent and the fans are amazing,” Faulkner said.
He claimed that despite his attempts to do so, the treatment he received from the PCB and the management of the PSL had been a “disgrace”.
“I’m sure you all understand my position,” he added.
‘False and misleading accusations’
In response, the PCB said it had taken notice of Faulkner’s allegations and would release a detailed statement on the matter.
Revealing the reason behind the contention between Faulkner and the PCB, sources informed Geo News that 70% of the amount that was due to the all-rounder was credited to his account. However, as per the agreement the remaining 30% was to be handed over to him 40 days after the conclusion of the PSL.
Sources said Faulkner had damaged the property of the hotel the PSL teams were residing in and was also demanding additional money from the Gladiators.
James Faulkner threw his bat and helmet onto a chandelier after a discussion with a PCB official.
“Before departure and under the influence of alcohol, he damaged PC hotel’s property and had to pay damages at the time of check-out,” the sources said.
At Lahore immigration, the sources said, he again misbehaved with the security staff who have already referred the matter to the higher authorities.
James Faulkner’s performance in PSL
Faulkner has not been up to his best in this edition of the PSL for Quetta Gladiators.
The all-rounder has failed to deliver with the ball and has bowled some expensive spells.
In the last match against Islamabad United, he gave away 47 runs and took two wickets.
He has taken only five wickets in six matches for the Gladiators, while with the bat, he has 49 runs in six matches.
Faulkner’s best performance came against Multan Sultans, where he took a wicket at the expense of 22 runs and scored 30 runs. (GEOTV)
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been excluded from the Test side as India announced their squads for the Test and T20I series against Sri Lanka.
The two veterans have struggled in the longest format over the past couple of years leading to their exclusion from the longest format. Ravichandran Ashwin has been included in the side but his availability for the series will be subject to fitness. Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill also return to the squad after being passed fit while there is also a call-up for left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar. KL Rahul will also be unavailable due to concerns surrounding his fitness.
Jasprit Bumrah has been named as the vice-captain of both the Test and the T20I sides for the series against the Sri Lankans, returning to the squad after the series in South Africa.
For the T20I series, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant have been rested with Jadeja returning to the T20I setup. There is also a recall for Sanju Samson who could also get a look in with Kohli, Rahul and Pant missing.
The three-match T20I series will be played between February 24-27 in Lucknow and Dharamsala. The two Tests will take place between March 4-16 in Mohali and Bengaluru.
India Test squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Mayank Agarwal, Priyank Panchal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin (subject to fitness), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Saurabh Kumar.
Indian Cricketers Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant will be unavailable for the third and final T20I match against West Indies in Kolkata and the T20 series against Sri Lanka as the BCCI has decided to give the former India captain and current wicketkeeper a break from the Indian team’s bio bubble.
The BCCI has given both batters a 10-day break from the Indian team’s bio-bubble. The report further states that Pant and Kohli will not be playing in the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka beginning on February 24 in Lucknow.
Kohli wants to prepare well for the 100th Test match of his career slated to be played in Mohali in the first week of March.
Kohli has been with the Indian team since December when the side toured South Africa for three Tests and as many ODIs. The 33-year-old had led the team in the Test series before stepping down as captain in the longest format a day after the final Test in Cape Town.
Pant and Kohli played in all the three ODIs against West Indies and scored important half-centuries in India’s 8-run win over West Indies in the second T20I of the series on Friday. (India Today)
Two Sri Lankan cricketers have been named in the ODI Men’s Team of the Year category of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) awards for the year 2021.
Sri Lanka all-rounder Wanidu Hasaranga and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera are among the 11 cricketers nominated for the award.
Announcing the nominations, the ICC said the cricketers “impressed one and all – be it with the bat, the ball or their all-round exploits in a calendar year”.
Here, are the 11 players who make the cut in the 50-over format of the game for men’s cricket:
It was a repeat performance of last year’s final as Jaffna Kings, skippered by the hard-hitting Thisara Perera, beat the Galle Gladiators in an exciting final where the Gladiators, who chased after a mammoth total of 202, fell short at 178/9 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Sooriyawewa, Hambantota.
Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, Dialog Axiata PLC, was the Telecommunication Partner for the 2021 edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). Five franchise teams, Colombo Stars, Dambulla Giants, Galle Gladiators, Jaffna Kings, and Kandy Warriors battled it out across 24 leagues and knockout matches in the 2021 tourney which commenced on 05th December.
“The high quality of cricket we have seen played at the LPL is testimony to the new talent that is in abundance in Sri Lanka that without a tourney such as this would have been almost impossible to discover,” Hon. Namal Rajapaksa MP, Minister of Youth and Sports said. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Anil Mohan, the Founder CEO of the IPG Group for organizing this magnificent tourney, the franchise owners, all the sponsors, and the public for all the support they have rendered towards making the LPL a resounding success,” Minister Rajapaksa further said.
“The 2021 edition of the LPL will lay as a platform for SLC selectors to identify select and nurture new talent that will with time progress on to the national pool and represent their motherland at the international stage and also provide the much-needed experience of playing against world-class cricketers from Sri Lanka and the rest of the world. The LPL in its second season has proven that Sri Lanka has the talent to play with and against the best players in the world,” Shammi Silva, President – SLC said.
Speaking at the awards ceremony of the grand finale, Anil Mohan, Founder, and CEO of the IPG Group said, “On behalf of the IPG Group, I would like to thank the Sports Minister, Namal Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka Cricket, Shammi Silva, all our sponsors, players, match officials and most importantly the cricket-loving people of Sri Lanka who came out wholeheartedly to support the second season of the Lanka Premier League. With the support of all our stakeholders, we have been able to deliver an outstanding season of LPL. Our aim is to make this league a perfect launchpad for young cricketers from Sri Lanka and the world and make this game bigger, better, and stronger.”
“As a corporate that supports Sri Lanka sports and an avid supporter for the development of cricket in Sri Lanka, Dialog Axiata is pleased to have stepped forward as the Telecommunication Partner of the 2021 edition of the Lanka Premier League,” Harsha Samaranayake, Senior General Manager – Brand and Media, Dialog Axiata PLC said. “Cricket is a game that cuts through all boundaries in Sri Lanka and the wonderful audience that has come to witness the grand finale here today is testament to that.”