Sports
MJ told to take up more responsibility
by Rex Clementine
Former captain Mahela Jayawardene has been urged to take up more responsibility after Sri Lanka failed to qualify automatically for this year’s showpiece event of the sport the – ICC Cricket World Cup. MJ has been on the Sri Lanka Cricket payroll since last year as a consultant coach and his job description requires putting up a structure for cricket. But it is all too evident that he runs the show from behind the scenes be it selecting the coaches or players.
Both SLC and the national selection panel have been more than happy to tap into MJ’s vast knowledge and carry out his instructions but there has been not much accountability on his part, it has been felt. He has been requested to take over as Chairman of Selectors with the national team in a crisis. MJ though on previous instances has turned down to commit himself full-time.
Recently, the Sports Ministry appointed a Technical Committee headed by former captain Sanath Jayasuriya. Ashantha de Mel, Kapil Wijegunawardene, Charith Senanayake and Farveez Maharof are other members of the committee. The committee told the Minister of Sports Roshan Ranasinghe that all stakeholders of the sport need to work together to ensure that the national cricket team had a smooth World Cup qualifier in June in Zimbabwe.
The Technical Committee has categorically said that they do not have a bone to pick with anyone but were keen to work towards ensuring the team came out of the current slump.
Of their last 15 matches, Sri Lanka have won only three and lost 12 games across all three formats. Batting collapses have been all too frequent in that period and things went from bad to worse in New Zealand during the recent series despite the team having two batting coaches Naveed Nawaz and Thilina Kandamby.
A plan will be put in place to ensure that Sri Lanka has a smooth qualifying round in Zimbabwe. Questions have been also asked about benching half a dozen seniors from the 50-over format. Although some of the young players have impressed in the 50-over format, the team’s inability to bat out 50 overs has been exposed all too often.
The role of Dasun Shanaka as captain of the ODI team has also been questioned. Shanaka’s performance in the 50-over format has been patchy.
The Rose Bowl, which has been awarded to the winner of ODI series between the women’s teams of Australia and New Zealand since 1985, has now been expanded to include T20Is as well.
New Zealand’s three match T20I tour of Australia, which begins on Sunday at the North Sydney Oval, will be the first T20I edition of the Rose Bowl. The teams will get to face off again for the trophy in March 2027 when they meet again for three ODIs, also in Australia.
For Rose Bowl series that include matches in both white-ball formats, the trophy will go to the team with the most wins overall. In case of a drawn series, the current holder will retain the trophy.
“The Rose Bowl is a prestigious trophy that holds a lot of meaning to current and past players, and it’s a series we’ve always taken a lot of pride in competing in,”Catherine Campbell, NZC’s chief cricket operations officer and a former New Zealand player, said. “With so much T20I cricket now being played, this is a brilliant opportunity to keep the Rose Bowl relevant and to build on the history between us and our Australian rivals.”
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr was excited by the broadening of opportunities to compete for the Rose Bowl.
“We’re all aware of what the Rose Bowl represents and the importance it holds in the White Ferns whakapapa [genealogy],” said Kerr. “Great players and teams have fought for it over the years and we’d love the opportunity to claim our own piece of that history.”
Australia have held the Rose Bowl continuously since wresting it back from New Zealand in 2000. Since that 3-0 win, Australia have won 18 times with one series – in 2008-09 – shared 2-2. Overall, Australia have won 26 of the 31 ODI series played for the Rose Bowl, with New Zealand winning three times and three series drawn.
North Sydney will host all three T20Is of the upcoming Rose Bowl series, on October 18, 20 and 22.
[Cricinfo]
The inaugural Sastralian Premier League (SPL), a T10 cricket tournament aimed at strengthening the cricketing fortunes of Ananda Shasthralaya National School, Matugama, will get underway next month, bringing together eight teams.
Organised by the Old Sastralians Cricket Association in collaboration with the school, the tournament is designed to provide a platform for emerging talent while generating much needed financial support for the school’s cricket development programme.
Each franchise will be required to assemble a squad of 16 players, excluding the captain, with the competition featuring a unique set of regulations aimed at encouraging participation across different age groups.
Cricketers from other schools in the Matugama area will also have an opportunity to showcase their skills under the ‘Guest Players’ category. Each team can recruit up to six guest players, with four required to feature in the playing XI.
In a move designed to nurture the next generation, every team must include two current school cricketers in its squad, with at least one guaranteed a place in the playing XI.
The tournament will also accommodate experienced campaigners, with teams permitted to select five players over the age of 20 and three over 40. The provision to use an ‘Impact Player’ is another feature of the competition.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups. Group A comprises JSD Challengers, Jagath Express, Liveka Power Lions and Rexhill Warriors, while JPI Royals, Five Star Heroes, Marine Titans and Finnk Falcons make up Group B.
A total of 16 matches will be played across November 7, 8 and 15, with November 16 set aside as a reserve day.
Beyond the action on the field, organisers hope the tournament will provide a financial boost to school cricket while forging stronger ties between past and present cricketers.
Squad for the first three ODIs: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav
Squad for fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
[Cricbuzz]
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