Category: Sports News

Sri Lanka’s depleted national cricket squad left for Pakistan on Tuesday expressing confidence in security promises by the hosts despite reports that the team could be targeted by militants.

Sri Lanka’s cricket board said Wednesday it had received warnings its national team could be the target of a terror attack during an upcoming tour of Pakistan.

Ten Sri Lankan players, including captain Dimuth Karunaratne and veterans Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews, have opted out of the upcoming tour of Pakistan over security concerns, the country’s cricket board (SLC) said on Monday.

Chief selector and team manager Ashantha de Mel made a startling statement when he said that Sri Lanka players were more relaxed and performed better without a head coach.

Lasith Malinga took four wickets in four balls and became the first player to take 100 wickets in Twenty20s as Sri Lanka earned a consolation victory against New Zealand on Friday.

Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga became the outright highest wicket-taker in Twenty20 internationals as his team lost to New Zealand by five wickets in their series opener on Sunday.

Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner from Sri Lanka who bamboozled the world with his ‘carrom ball’ and various other variations for a few years, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, according to BBC Sinhala.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya have been reported for suspect bowling actions after the first test between the teams which ended on Sunday.

Sri Lanka’s cricket selectors on Friday recalled former captain Dinesh Chandimal in a 15-man squad for the first test against New Zealand after he was dropped for two big series because of poor batting form.

Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to terminate the contract of Chandika Hathurusingha, the Head Coach of the national cricket team, after the two parties failed to come to a mutual agreement to sever ties.

Sri Lanka was considering applications from three “top international cricket coaches” to replace incumbent Chandika Hathurusingha, who has until mid-August to step down, Sports Minister Harin Fernando said Tuesday.

Thilan Samaraweera, the former Sri Lanka batsman, will assist the current New Zealand batting coach Peter Fulton in order to help the visiting batsmen to acclimatise to the spin-friendly climes of Sri Lanka during the two-match Test series, starting on August 14.

Sri Lanka will dedicate Wednesday’s third one-day international against Bangladesh to fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara who recently announced his retirement from international cricket.

Lasith Malinga shone in his farewell match after Kusal Perera struck a quick-fire century as Sri Lanka crushed Bangladesh by 91 runs in the first one-day of a three-match series in Colombo on Friday.

T-20 World Cup-winning Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Kulasekara announced retirement from international cricket with immediate effect on Wednesday, according to local media reports in Sri Lanka.

Veteran Sri Lankan pace bowler Lasith Malinga will retire from one-day international cricket with the first match of a three-match series against Bangladesh, skipper Dimuth Karunaratne said on Monday.