Sports
Uncapped spinner with Sri Lankan roots gets Aussie ‘A’ call-up
When Australia named their squad for the ongoing unofficial Test series against Sri Lanka ‘A’, it was a roll call of familiar names. Matt Renshaw, Kurtis Patterson, Jason Sangha, Nathan McSweeney – all seasoned campaigners either in the Baggy Green or prominent performers in Sheffield Shield cricket.
But one name stood out like a sore thumb: Zanden Jeh.
The 22-year-old left-arm spinner has never played a single Sheffield Shield game, yet finds himself donning national colours in the ‘A’ series – a rare feat in the rigid and fiercely competitive Australian cricketing structure, widely regarded as the strongest domestic system in the game.
Jeh’s selection bucks the trend in a big way. In a country where you usually have to pay your dues in state cricket before sniffing national contention, Jeh has leapfrogged the pecking order. He’s one of the very few in recent memory to wear the green and gold before even cracking the state XI.
So why the big fuss about a relatively unknown spinner?
Well, ask Glenn Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne – both have fallen to Jeh’s guile in domestic cricket. Most notably, Jeh knocked over Labuschagne when he was just 17, at a time when the Queenslander was ranked the world’s No.1 batter. That scalp turned heads, and the whispers grew louder in selectors’ ears. Then Maxwell, on his way back to the side from injury, playing for Victoria 2nd XI fell to Jeh when he featured for Queensland 2nd XI.
Cricket Australia, grappling with a dearth of quality left-arm spinners, appears to be thinking outside the box. Matthew Kuhnemann made waves on turning tracks in Sri Lanka earlier this year, but with Ashton Agar out of favour in Western Australia, the conveyor belt of orthodox left-arm options has hit a snag.
That’s where Jeh fits the bill.
His story, though, doesn’t end with cricketing stats. There’s a Sri Lankan thread woven into his journey. His grandfather, Tissa Jehoratnam, once served as the Controller of Exchange at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He’s known as a man of integrity.
Jeh’s father, Michael – a former First-Class cricketer in England having played for Oxford, Combined Universities and MCC and an alumnus of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia – migrated to Australia in 1983 when he was 15. Now based in Brisbane, the family will travel to Darwin to watch Zanden’s First-Class debut.
Michael has been central to Zanden’s cricketing rise – father, mentor and coach rolled into one. Zanden, who also moonlights as a professional rugby referee and works as a teacher, was in disbelief when he received the call from selector Tony Dodemaide. “I thought it was a prank,” he would later admit. But it was no joke – the Aussies were dead serious.
Australia’s selectors have rolled the dice. They believe that left-arm spin can be the ace up their sleeve, especially in sub-continental conditions. Jeh now finds himself thrown into the deep end, tasked with taking on a Sri Lanka ‘A’ side peppered with Test players and others on the comeback trail.
It’s a proper baptism by fire for Jeh, who turned 22 just last week. Whether he sinks or swims, the coming weeks will offer a glimpse into whether this left-field selection is a masterstroke or a shot in the dark.
by Rex Clementine
The countdown for the sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League began on Monday with the player draft where participation of players from 12 countries was confirmed. The event kicked off with the platinum local round, with the four-time champions, Jaffna Kings, picking Avishka Fernando as their first pick, while other teams went for fast bowlers and spinners in the first round, including Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Maheesh Theekshana and Charith Asalanka.
With overseas rounds, the Afghan contingent grew, with Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz picked in the platinum round by Colombo Kaps, Dambulla Sixers, and Kandy Royals, respectively, while Ibrahim Zadran joined his countrymen in the league in the gold round after being picked by Jaffna Kings.
Colombo Kaps strengthened their batting further with the signings of Sadeera Samarawickrama and Janith Liyanage, joining the likes of Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis and the Aussie Ben McDermott as the pre-signed players, strengthening their middle-order with the vision of their head coach and former Sri Lankan batter Chamara Kapugedera. They also snapped 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Sharujan Shanmuganathan in the emerging round.
Pakistan pacer Shahnawaz Dahani and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris were also picked by Kaps adding variety to their squad.
While Dambulla Sixers bolstered their fast bowling attack with two overseas signings in Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr. and Shadley van Schalkwyk in platinum, gold and associate star rounds, respectively, joining Dushmantha Chameera from the pre-signed players, forming a fast-bowling trio to go along with the spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Akila Dananjaya, as well as Ramesh Mendis, featuring in the team coached by Rangana Herath.
The Sixers will also make use of the vast experience of Gulbadin Naib and the youthful batting talent of South African Dian Forrester, who has already made two trips to the subcontinent in the previous few months.
All-rounder Dasun Shanaka-led Galle Gallants centred their squad around all-rounders, with Chamika Karunaratne joining the skipper in their ranks. They also bought Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Nawaz as spin-bowling all-rounders, adding two exciting overseas options.
The Galle Gallants added some much-needed depth to their squad with UAE left-arm spinner Haider Ali, Pakistan left-arm pacer Akif Javed and Australia wicketkeeper batter Sam Harper.
While the pre-signed players of Jaffna Kings were mostly from the middle-order and bowling departments, their draft picks of Avishka Fernando, Kamil Mishara and Ibrahim Zadran ensured they could check all the boxes, including the top-order. Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichanne, South African pacer Lizaad Williams and exciting Nepal all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee will call Jaffna their home for LPL 2026.
Kandy Royals, led by two iconic Sri Lankan all-rounders as the pre-signed local picks in Angelo Mathews and Wanindu Hasaranga, further added two overseas all-rounders in the pre-signings in the shape of Moeen Ali and Vijay Shankar, while focusing on specialists in the draft like Kusal Perera and Rahmanullah Gurbaz for the top order, with the likes of Nuwan Thushara and Asitha Fernando in the fast bowling department.
Royals’ overseas options also include Australian left-arm pacer Daniel Sams, Afghan wrist-spinner Zahir Khan and New Zealand middle-order batter Dale Phillips while Scottish all-rounder Brandon McMullen is their Associate Star.
Wesley College, Colombo and St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota registered convincing victories against their counterparts in the Under 17 Division I cricket encounters played on Tuesday.
While Wesley rattled Galahitiyawa Central for 36 runs in 26.3 overs before cruising to a ten-wicket win, St. Anthony’s amassed 359 for nine wickets before reducing Wayamba Royal College, Kurunegala to 90 runs. Yenula Hewavitharana was the cynosure of all eyes as he hammered 190 runs off 138 balls, inclusive of 25 fours and five sixes, to lead the home team to a commanding position after being asked to bat. Adeesha Rathnayaka took four wickets for just five runs as he produced outstanding figures of 6-4-5-4 to seal a 269-run win at Katugastota.
At Godagamuwa, Charana Malimbada (3/08), Adhyaan Zian (3/10) and Ramika Ediribandara (3/02) shared three wickets apiece for Wesley to rattle Galahitiyawa Central for 36 runs before the openers sealed the match within three overs.
Meanwhile, at Bambalapitiya, S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia pulled off a stunning victory against St. Peter’s College. Chasing 210 runs to win, they were 131 for seven at one stage before Kushen Perera (24 off 47 balls) and Tharul Jayasuriya, with an unbeaten 37 off 76 balls, helped the visitors seal victory.
(RF)
Sri Lanka’s young tennis players made an impressive start to the SSC ITF J30 Junior Circuit 2026 Week 2 tournament, recording dominant straight-set victories in their opening-round matches played at the SSC Courts.
Lithum Jayabandu produced a confident performance to defeat India’s Hridhay Hridhay 6-1, 6-2 in the boys’ singles first-round encounter. Jayabandu controlled the match from the outset, to secure a comfortable win.
Aahil Kaleel was equally impressive as he brushed aside India’s Tanish Dasari 6-1, 6-0. Kaleel dictated play throughout the contest, allowing his opponent little room to settle as he sealed one of the most convincing victories of the opening round.
Lithum Jayabandu / Ashlin de Silva
Meanwhile, Ashlin de Silva delivered the most emphatic performance of the day, overpowering India’s Arsh Walke 6-0, 6-0. De Silva was in complete command from the first point to the last, producing a flawless display to book his place in the second round without conceding a single game.
The victories ensured a strong Sri Lankan presence in the boys’ singles draw as the SSC ITF J30 Junior Circuit 2026 Week 2 tournament, which runs from June 1 to June 6 at the SSC Courts, gathered momentum. With three players advancing comfortably, local hopes remain high for another successful week on the international junior tennis circuit.
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