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Sri Lanka replace Asalanka with Shanaka as captain ahead of T20 World Cup
Dasun Shanaka will be Sri Lanka’s T20I captain until the end of the forthcoming T20 World Cup. The move to replace Charith Asalanka as captain in the format had been bloated by the previous selection committee under Upul Tharanga, whose term expired this month. But new chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe confirmed that Shanaka would lead the team as he announced the preliminary squad for the tournament.
“We decided that Dasun Shanaka should be captain until the end of the World Cup, after talking to head coach Sanath Jayasuriya as well,” Wickramasinghe said on Friday. “The previous committee had chosen a list of 25 players. We spoke to Jerome Jayaratne, the head of the high performance, as well as Sanath Jayasuriya. We decided to announce that same 25 as a preliminary squad for the World Cup.”
“We are looking at Dasun as an allrounder. We’ll have to talk to Sanath Jayasuriya and work out what is required of him.”
Shanaka had been made stand-in captain for the tri-series in Pakistan last month, after Asalanka was sent home from that tour to recover from an illness, although standard protocol is to keep unwell players within the team for a minor illness of the kind Asalanka had. Sri Lanka had lost to Zimbabwe through the course of that tournament, but managed to earn qualification for the final, in which they were comfortably defeated by Pakistan.
“For now we’ve got to continue with what the previous committee was doing,” Wickramasinghe said. “They had been following a plan. If I were to come in and change a lot of things, that would not be ideal. My plan is to keep this team together for the World Cup, and then see how best we can build after that.”
Although sacked as captain, a job he had been doing since the last World Cup in mid-2024, Asalanka remains in the squad. It has been his modest form in the format that had helped prompt his ouster. Asalanka had hit 156 runs at a strike rate of 122 from 12 innings this year, and he has not had a history of being an outstanding T20I batter, with his overall strike rate at 126. He remains among the new selectors plans, according to Wickramasinghe.
The preliminary squad also opened the door for the return of Niroshan Dickwella, who last played for Sri Lanka back in March 2023, and that in Tests. But Wickramasinghe said the wider squad wanted for a top order batter who could keep wickets, which has seen Dickwella come back into contention.
Sri Lanka preliminary World Cup squad:
Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Milan Rathnayake, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera, Pramod Madushan, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Traveen Mathew.
[Cricinfo]
Marco Rubio has assured European leaders the US does not plan to abandon the transatlantic alliance, saying its destiny “will always be intertwined” with the continent’s.
The US secretary of state told the Munich Security Conference: “We do not seek to separate, but to revitalise an old friendship and renew the greatest civilisation in human history.”
He criticised European immigration, trade and climate policies, but the overall tenor of the closely-watched speech was markedly different to Vice President JD Vance’s at the same event last year, during which he scolded continental leaders.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “very much reassured” by Rubio’s remarks.
Rubio, the Trump administration’s most senior diplomat, said it was “neither our goal nor our wish” to end the transatlantic partnership, adding: “For us Americans, our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe.
“And I am here today to leave it clear that America is charting the path for a new century of prosperity, and that once again we want to do it together with you, our cherished allies and our oldest friends.”
However, he repeated several criticisms repeatedly levelled at Europe by the Trump administration, including describing immigration policies as a threat to civilisation, and saying a “climate cult” had taken over economic policy.
On trade, he said Europe and the US had “made mistakes together” by adopting a “dogmatic vision of free and unfettered trade”.
He repeated familiar calls from the US for Europe to invest more in defence, saying: “We want allies who can defend themselves so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength.”
In response, von der Leyen said: “Rubio is a good friend, a strong ally. And this was, for me, very reassuring to listen to him.”
She continued: “We want a strong Europe. And this is, I think, the message of today.”
Elsewhere in his half-hour address, Rubio said the system of international co-operation “must be rebuilt” and singled out the UN for particular criticism, saying it had “played virtually no role” in resolving the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts.
He also said the organisation was “powerless to constrain the nuclear programme” of Tehran.
In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump has threatened strikes on Iran if a deal to curb its nuclear programme can be reached, as negotiations between the two intensify.
A second round of talks will be hosted by Oman in Geneva next week, the Swiss foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Outside the conference, an estimated 200,000 protesters held a rally against the Iranian government, local police report.
The demonstrators denounced the country’s leadership, following the government crackdown on January’s protests in which thousands of people were killed.
Rubio also said the US did not know whether the “Russians are serious about ending the war” in Ukraine, before adding: “But we’re going to continue to test it.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky told the conference later on Saturday that no one in Ukraine believed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would leave the country alone, describing the Russian leader as a “slave to war”.
Zelensky has come under pressure from the White House to hold presidential elections, which have been suspended while the country is under martial law.
Asked about a Financial Times report that his administration was planning for elections as soon as May, Zelensky said it was “something new to me” and repeated that “nobody supports elections during the war”.
He said that Ukraine would need “two months of ceasefire” and “security infrastructure” to safely conduct elections.
[BBC]
From being one hit away from beating England to being hammered by T20 World Cup debutants Italy four days later, Nepal have seen the whole spectrum of emotions in Mumbai. Among the Associate teams at this World Cup, Nepal could easily have the biggest travelling contingent of fans, who must be wondering what would have been had Nepal sealed the thriller last Sunday that would have kept them far from their current bottom spot in Group C.
Fans’ expectations and social media distractions are things Nepal head coach Stuart Law has warned his team about, now that they have slipped to a must-win situation. Nepal need to pick themselves up after being trampled by the Mosca brothers to face their table-toppers and the in-form West Indies. This is the same West Indies side Nepal had taken down 2-1 a few months ago in Sharjah, in the first bilateral series between the two teams. But this is, in reality, not the same West Indies side because that one in September was without most of the first-choice players that have turned West Indies’ form around in this tournament after recent series losses against South Africa and Afghanistan at the start of the year.
It might take a mountain to climb for this defeated Nepal side to bring down West Indies, but there is hope. Nepal could learn from their two wins in September – and from Zimbabwe against Australia on Friday – that batting first might be the way to go to put pressure on stronger teams. Ever since West Indies have landed in India, they haven’t been put under the pressure of chasing so far.
Nepal also have the advantage of being stationed only in Mumbai so far, which would have given them a fair idea of the red-soil conditions at Wankhede. Since it’s a day game, Nepal may not mind being put in to bat if the toss doesn’t go their way.
West Indies hardly have any headaches. Their batters are belting sixes, their pace bowlers have picked wickets, their spinners strangled England and they took excellent catches too. They would want to continue their winning streak and seal the Super Eights spot soon.
After being beaten by Michael Leask’s arm ball in their opening match, Shai Hope would have been miffed for falling to a not-so-great ball against England. He bagged a duck and will be eager to lift his strike rate of 76 from the two games – the only West Indies batter who has struck at under 100 – as the tournament picks up pace and teams firm up their plans as per conditions and opposition. Hope will, however, draw confidence from the fact that he has been West Indies’ leading scorer since the last T20 World Cup and their top boundary-hitter too, for both fours and sixes.
Nepal will be looking for a cracking start to overcome their Italian heartbreak, and they don’t need to look any further than opening batter Kushal Bhurtel. He had taken down Jofra Archer and Luke Wood with a boundary barrage against the new ball that saw him smash 29 off 17. He is, however, due a big score and with his jersey number 14 as a dedication to Ricky Ponting, the muscular batter would want to emulate his idol in a crunch match.
West Indies packed a punch against England and won’t feel the need to tinker with their XI on the same ground.
West Indies (probable): Brandon King, Shai Hope (capt), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph
Nepal captain Rohit Paudel was down with fever on Friday night but should be good to go on Sunday after taking some medicines, Stuart Law said.
Nepal (probable): Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel (capt), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi
[Cricinfo]
Marco Jansen’s first four-wicket haul in T20Is broke the back of two New Zealand assaults to give South Africa an easy win and a likely top spot in Group D. Not that the finish matters as the teams’ games in Super Eights are pre-decided as long as they make it out of the first group.
This was the first successful chase in a night game of this World Cup, but this was also arguably the first night match between evenly matched sides. Having survived Afghanistan in this group of death, both sides played with freedom. New Zealand kept coming at South Africa, reaching 33 for 0 in 3.1 overs, 57 for 1 in 5.1 and then 138 for 4 in 13.5.
However, Jansen pegged New Zealand back every time, the final strike resulting in a practical shutdown: only 37 came off the last 37 balls as New Zealand ran out of batting. In response, Aiden Markram’s personal best of 86 off 44 ended the game with 17 balls to spare, making it 5-0 for them against New Zealand in T20 World Cups.
Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada kept the dangerous duo of Tim Seifert and Finn Allen quiet for two overs, but the eventual onslaught arrived on a pitch where the ball came onto bat beautifully. Allen started off with three fours and a six in the third over, bowled by Ngidi. The powerplay hitting involved no innovation or cuteness, just timing and power.
Jansen’s first ball of the night was dismissed disdainfully for a six over mid-on by Siefert. Jansen immediately went to Plan B. Mid-on went back, leaving no boundary riders on the off side. Siefert looked to exploit that field but Jansen bowled an accurate short ball to take an edge through to the keeper.
Allen didn’t slow down, but then Jansen came back for the last over of the powerplay to take out Rachin Ravindra and Allen. While Ravindra got a thick edge to short third, Allen got too close to a slower offcutter and couldn’t find the elevation to clear mid-off.
Mark Chapman still kept coming, but when Keshav Maharaj bowled Glenn Phillips to make it 64 for 4 in seventh over, New Zealand finally had to go into recovery mode.
To be absolutely accurate, only Mitchell was in recovery mode. Chapman looked in fine touch, and pulled Maharaj for a six two balls after Phillips’ fall. Ngidi managed to bowl the 10th over without a boundary, but in the 11th and 12th the duo took 29. Corbin Bosch was hit for a four by each batter, and Markram a six each. At 131 for 4 in 13, New Zealand were back on track for 200, which looked like the bare minimum to stay competitive.
Jansen had got one wicket with a slower ball already, but on his return he unveiled a knuckle ball, which completely bewitched Chapman, who was 48 off 25 at that point. When Ngidi had Mitchell caught at long-on – for a change, with an on-pace delivery that hit the inner half of the bat – New Zealand had lost six wickets with more than four overs left. Only James Neesham could do some damage in the end but 175 looked paltry with dew already apparent.
It almost looked like a footnote that he brought up the fastest half-century for South Africa in T20 World Cups in 19 balls and took South Africa to their joint-highest powerplay score in t20 World Cups, 83. Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton didn’t do badly either, scoring 20 off 14 and 21 off 11, but it wasn’t possible to take your eye off Markram’s driving.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 175/7 in 20 overs (Tim Siefert 13, Finn Allen 31, Rachin Ravindra 13, Mark Chapman 48, Daryl Mitchell 32, James Neesham 23*;Lungi Ngindi 1-34, Marco Jansen 4-40, Keshav Maharaj 1-24, Corbin Bosch 1-34) lost to South Africa 178/3 in 17.1 overs (Aiden Markram 86*, Quinton de Kock 20, Ryan Rickelton 21, Dewald Brevis 21, David Miller 24*; Lockie Ferguson 1-33, James Neesham 1-15, Rachin Ravindra 1-09) by seven wickets
[Cricinfo]
Rubio says US and Europe ‘belong together’ despite tensions
Nepal fight to stay alive against in-form West Indies
Jansen, Markram hand South Africa statement win
Russia killed opposition leader Alexei Navalny using dart frog toxin, UK says
Tom Banton 63* sets up nervy win for England
Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya extended
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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