Sports

Pakistan pull out threat leaves World Cup finances on a sticky wicket

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/4

Pakistan’s decision to not to play India in the upcoming T20 World Cup has raised concerns everywhere.

Organisers of the ICC T20 World Cup are sweating over after Pakistan refused to play nuclear-armed neighbours India in Colombo, a decision that has left administrators scratching their heads and staring at a potential financial googly.

The India–Pakistan contest, the jewel in the tournament’s crown, is the game that oils cricket’s economic engine. If the marquee clash is bowled out, the loss of revenue will have every stakeholder feeling the pinch from boardroom to boundary rope. Islamabad’s call to withdraw, taken at government level, has sparked fears the verdict will not be overturned.

Anticipation for the grudge match had reached fever pitch. Tickets vanished on day one of sales, while Colombo’s hotels were snapped up quickly. Five-star rooms that normally fetch 150 US dollars were hiked to 600 USD, some even soaring to 800 USD as the city braced for a carnival.

With the capital full to the rafters, tour operators shuttled visitors to nearby Negombo, an hour’s drive from the stadium, while others opted for apartments as accommodation ran dry. Flights, too, were booked well in advance, but uncertainty over the epic duel has now cast a long shadow.

“We haven’t had many cancellations yet, but we fear the worst. Everyone will take a hit if the game doesn’t take place,” aviation industry official Thusitha Perera told Telecom Asia Sport.

Gihan Wickramasinghe, representing Colombo’s hoteliers, echoed the concern. “Our hope is the match goes ahead. If not, we’ll have to refund bookings and the tour operators will be hit even harder.”

Tour operator Lisa Fernando said the anxiety was mounting. “Two groups from Dubai alone, 75 people, were coming. Corporate clients had planned trips down south as well. There’s a lot of money at stake and so much unnecessary stress.”

Indian fan Varun Kumar from Bangalore has already paid for flights and hotels but intends to travel regardless. “Sri Lanka has been on my bucket list. Whether the match happens or not, we’ll come to experience the country,” he said.

Sri Lanka Cricket remains optimistic the contest will be rescued before the final over is called. But if the showpiece is scratched, it would be a hammer blow to an economy only just finding its feet after years of setbacks, leaving the tournament badly caught behind.

https://www.telecomasia.net/

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Sports

Vishwa Man of the Match as Joes beat Bens

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Vishwa Peiris

Under 19 Cricket

Left-arm spinners Vishwa Peiris and Demion de Silva took five wickets each as St. Joseph’s cruised to an innings and 51 runs victory over St. Benedict’s in the Traditional Mack – Croner trophy cricket encounter at Darley Road on Tuesday.

‎St. Benedict’s came to the match having done well in the Tier B tournament matches but the spin might of the Joes was too hot for them to handle as they collapsed for 62 runs in the second innings.

‎The result somewhat exposed the gap between the Tier A and Tier B teams of the Under 19 Division I category as the team from Kotahena were bowled out within 25 overs. They were following on after being dismissed for 197 runs in the first innings, where Nushan Perera grabbed five wickets bowling the bulk of the overs for the Joes. He was adjudged the Best Bowler.

‎While Vishwa was the Man of the Match, Rishma Amarasinghe (Best Fielder) and Senuja Wakunugoda (Best Batsman) won the other individual awards.

‎The Joes made 313 in their innings with Senuja top scoring with 106 runs.

‎In the Division I Tier ‘A’ matches Gurukula (against St. Sebastian’s) and St. Anthony’s Katugastota (against Royal) registered first innings victories.

‎Maliyadeva took first innings points against De Mazenod in a tier B match.

‎(RF)

Sports

Zacharia, Thishya Under 12 singles champions

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Thishya Banagala

SSC Open Tennis Championship 2026

Zacharia Akbar and Thishya Banagala were crowned champions in the Under 12 boys’ and girls’ singles respectively of the SSC Open Tennis Championships in Colombo.

‎In the boys final, Zacharia Akbar beat Kashya Seneviratne 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. The S.Thomas’ College player reached the finals with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Satheesh Appathuri in the semi-finals.

‎The Under 12 girls’ final saw Thishya Banagala beat Thiyansa de Silva 7-5, 6-2.

‎The Visakha Vidyalaya player reached the final after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Manuli Seneviratne in the semis.

Zacharia Akbar (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

Latest News

Rew ton trumps Peake’s as England reach U19 World Cup final

Published

9 hours ago

2026/02/4

Priyan

Oliver Peake's effort was comended, even by England players, despite it coming in a losing cause [Cricbuzz]

Only five players had scored hundreds in U19 World Cup semifinals before England captain Thomas Rew and his Australian counterpart Oliver Peake wrote themselves into that exclusive club, also featuring Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, in a pulsating contest at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. In the end, Rew’s masterful 110 trumped Peake’s gutsy lone-ranger 100 as England held their nerve to win by 27 runs and book a date with the winners of Wednesday’s India-Afghanistan clash in Friday’s final.

On a sluggish, turning surface that offered inconsistent bounce and turn, Rew’s 107-ball resurrection took England to 277 for 7, a total that proved just beyond Australia’s reach despite Peake’s Herculean effort. The Australian skipper battled cramps, dwindling partners and mounting pressure to keep the chase alive deep into the innings, but eventually ran out of allies with 15 balls still remaining, dismissed for exactly 100 as Australia were bowled out for 250 in the 48th over.

An England victory had seemed far from possible a few hours earlier, when they were reeling at 60 for 3 after opting to bat first. England’s decision was wise – even Peake had admitted at the toss that he would have batted too – but they were set back by a disciplined opening burst from Australia. Will Byrom had Ben Dawkins caught at slip in the second over before Aryan Sharma and Hayden Schiller struck to remove Joseph Moores and Ben Mayes in quick succession. What followed was a captain’s innings of rare composure and calculated aggression.

Rew found his rhythm immediately, hitting his first boundary five balls after Mayes’ dismissal, rocking back to heave Naden Cooray to the wide long-on fence. But it was his decisive fourth-wicket partnership with Caleb Falconer that truly transformed the contest, the pair adding 135 runs to wrest control from Australia and lay the platform for a competitive total. Rew reached his fifty off 46 balls at the halfway mark of the innings, then shifted gears emphatically, plundering six boundaries in the next five overs as he raced toward three figures. He brought up his century with a single to long-on off his 97th delivery.

His dismissal – run out for 110 after a brilliant direct hit from Steven Hogan – was a crucial breakthrough for Australia as the four-time champions gave away just 40 from the final seven overs. But a late contribution from Farhan Ahmed, who remained unbeaten on 28, helped England post a total that would test the defending champions’ mettle.

Chasing 278, Australia lost Will Malajczuk early to Alex French’s cracking yorker in the sixth over before Steven Hogan’s painful 23-ball struggle for just 3 runs stalled any momentum. Nitesh Samuel made a sedate 47 but Ralphie Albert and Manny Lumsden turned the screws further, dismissing Samuel and Alex Lee Young to leave Australia teetering at 116 for 4.

The Australian captain, having walked in at No. 5, launched a counter-attack, combining timing with intelligent placement as he raced to a 55-ball half-century. With Aryan Sharma providing vital support with a 23-ball 34, the pair threatened to pull off an improbable heist, adding 64 runs to keep the required rate manageable. Peake reached his century off 85 balls with Australia needing just 28 from 18 deliveries, but Aryan’s dismissal, caught at deep midwicket to a slower ball from Farhan – proved the decisive blow.

As partners fell around him and severe forearm and palm cramps began to take their toll, Peake soldiered on bravely, but the weight of the chase and his physical limitations (cramps in the right leg) finally caught up with him. And still, in the 46th over, he launched a six and hit four more boundaries off Lumsden to keep Australia alive. However, in the 48th over, with only number eleven Byrom for company and the dream slipping away, Peake lofted one straight to Ben Mayes at point, ending both his magnificent innings and Australia’s hopes of a fifth U19 World Cup crown.

Brief scores:
England 277/7 in 50 overs (Thomas Rew 110, Caleb Falconer 40; Hayden Schiller 2-31) beat Australia 250 in 47.3 overs (Oliver Peake 100; James Minto 2-30, Sebastian Morgan 2-33) by 27 runs.

[Cricbuzz]