Sports

Dasun Shanaka backs inexperienced Sri Lanka to go deep: ‘I think we’ve struck a good balance

Published

5 years ago

2021/10/18

Sri Lanka may have had a horror year in terms of squad building and preparation, and the biggest tests undoubtedly lie ahead, but that has failed to dull captain Dasun Shanaka’s optimism ahead of the Men’s T20 World Cup. Drawing parallels to the vintage side that won the 2014 tournament, the Sri Lanka captain feels that his current side has similar depth and variety, something he believes could see them potentially go a “long way in this tournament” – even if they lack considerably in terms of experience.

“If you recall, that squad had a lot of variety and depth. And with the youngsters we have coming through now I feel have the same potential, but the only thing lacking is the experience,” Shanaka said, speaking on a captains’ Zoom call. “If our guys perform to their strengths I feel they can go a long way in this tournament. Our fans in Sri Lanka have been waiting a long time for us to be successful, and I hope we can make them proud.”

Much of Shanaka’s optimism stems from the balance the team has seemingly struck in the past few weeks. For most of the year Sri Lanka’s white-ball batting blueprint had centred around the likes of Danushka Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis, but following the trio’s ban for breaching curfew and bio-bubble protocols, the last few months have seen the Sri Lankan think-tank mix and match several options in the top and middle order with little success.

However, following a training camp last month, which consisted of several intra-squad matches geared towards nailing down roles for each player, Sri Lanka seem to have stumbled on something resembling balance.

Avishka Fernando has been a revelation at No. 4, Chamika Karunaratne and Shanaka have shown promise in their roles as finishers lower down the order, and in the bowling department there are two quicks who can regularly dish out speeds touching 140kph, and spinners with as many variations as you’re likely to see all tournament.

“We were not able to perform up to the mark in the last few years, but still the strength of our squad is very good. We’ve got two guys coming from the IPL [Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga], Kusal Janith [Perera] at the top of the order and Avishka Fernando, who is going well, coming in at No. 4.

“We are settled with our batting line-up. We’ve recently changed our line-up a bit – I think we’ve struck a good balance.”

The only point of debate, combination-wise, might be at the top of the order, with the opening combination still unsettled. Sri Lanka have tried out three different pairs in their last four matches, with one of Dinesh Chandimal, Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva partnering Pathum Nissanka. Indeed, despite being a last-minute addition to the squad, Nissanka seems to be the only certainty in terms of Sri Lanka’s opening combo, and Shanaka is backing the highly rated youngster – who has yet to make his mark in white-ball cricket – to show his class on the biggest stage.

“He’s been a guy coming through the system, so we know how capable he is. Still, when you come to the biggest stage you have to make your mark by scoring good runs. I feel he will make this tournament his own and make it count.”

Shanaka has far fewer concerns is in the bowling department. Even with Nuwan Pradeep being ruled out of the tournament with an eleventh-hour hamstring injury, Sri Lanka have in Chameera and Lahiru Kumara two bowlers capable of clocking high speeds.

Chameera’s 2021 T20 record in particular has been worthy of note, with his 15 wickets in 12 T20Is and an economy rate of 6.51. Needless to say a fit Chameera is integral to Sri Lanka’s plans.

“Going with two main fast bowlers, they give a lot of quality to the squad. And Associate nations, they don’t face a lot of 140+ fast bowlers.

“Obviously losing Pradeep is a concern. He had been bowling brilliantly over the last six months, and we were counting on him during this tournament, but still what we can get from Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha is massive.”

In the spin department, meanwhile, Sri Lanka boast the No.2-ranked spinner in the world in Hasaranga – a 2021 that brought 20 wickets in 12 matches with an economy rate of 5.59, tells its own story – while in Maheesh Theekshana Sri Lanka have the latest from their production line of mystery spinners. Akila Dananjaya also provides experience and guile, even if he is yet to scale the heights he frequented prior to a change in bowling action.

“He [Hasaranga] has been amazing over the last two years, and now he’s sitting in the No. 2 spot [in the rankings]. He’s very hard to pick at times, because he bowls from a lower angle. Meanwhile, along with Wanindu, we also have Maheesh Theekshana – that’s two young, exciting talents. Going forward I feel that they will do a really good job for the team.”

Sri Lanka also have one final ace in their corner in Mahela Jayawardene, who recently took up a role as consultant coach. During his stint with Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Jayawardene has proven himself as one of the most tactically astute minds in world cricket, and Shanaka feels having him in his corner is proving invaluable.

“He’s been amazing over the years, and tactically he’s brilliant. As a captain, he’s been giving me a lot of support in the field. For me, tactically he’s the best in the business. He’s been a real help to all of us.”

Sri Lanka begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Namibia on 18 October. (cricinfo)

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Latest News

Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/6

Priyan

Harmanpreet Kaur's last act as India captain was defending their Asian Games gold medal [BCCI]

Harmanpreet Kaur, who led India to their first women’s global title at last year’s ODI World Cup, has stepped down as captain from all three international formats. She announced her decision via an Instagram post on Tuesday morning. Having given up the captaincy and left the team in a “good place”, she has said she’s now “ready to play for the love of the game again”.

Harmanpreet, 37, led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is. Her last act as captain was leading India to their second successive Asian Games gold medal, in Nisshin last month.

The decision came a day after Harmanpreet, India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar met BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in Guwahati to discuss the roadmap of the women’s team going forward.

“This is not an easy decision,” Harmanpreet wrote. “It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“I have given everything I had to this team and to Indian women’s cricket – my blood, my sweat, my time, and many times, a part of my own game and personal ambitions. There were moments when I had to put my individual performance, my own growth, and what I wanted for myself aside, because I believed the team had to come first.

“As a captain, I have had to make difficult decisions. Decisions that were not always understood, not always easy, and sometimes came at a personal cost. But every decision I made was with one intention – to make this TEAM better and to give other players the opportunity to grow, believe in themselves and become the best versions of themselves.”

Murmurs about a possible change in captaincy had been on for a while, especially after India’s second successive group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup in June this year. The selection committee, chaired by Amita Sharma, is understood to have been divided, but Harmanpreet had indicated a desire to lead India at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“I leave the captaincy today with a heart full of emotions , but also with PEACE,” Harmanpreet said. “Because I genuinely believe My team is in a good place. A team with talent, character, belief and a future that I am incredibly excited to watch and be a part of.

“I feel I have done my duty. I gave this team everything I had. I carried the responsibility with pride, and I will always be grateful for the privilege of leading Indian women’s cricket.

“Now, it is time for me to turn the page. Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will. Thank you to every teammate, coach, support staff, management , BCCI , family members every single fan who stood by me through the highs and lows.”

The noise for Smriti Mandhana to take over has been getting louder in recent months. In the past six months, Mandhana has been vocal about her readiness for the top job, and has given evidence of her credentials by leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to twin WPL titles (in 2024 and 2026).

Harmanpreet first captained the T20I team in 2012, but it wasn’t until after India’s group-stage exit from their home T20 World Cup in 2016 that she was considered a serious candidate for the role.

In 2018, she led the team to the T20 World Cup semi-finals in the Caribbean after having taken over the role in a full-time capacity from Mithali Raj, and followed it up with a runners-up finish at the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020.

Harmanpreet’s stepping down as India captain will not, however, change her stance as far as playing the shortest format goes. She is expected to continue leading Mumbai Indians in the upcoming WPL edition as the team chases their third title.

[Cricinfo]

Latest News

Rumesh Tharanga among nominees announced for World Athlete of the Year 2026

Published

6 hours ago

2026/10/6

Priyan

The 20 nominees for the World Athlete of the Year honours have been announced ahead of the World Athletics Awards taking place in Monaco on 29 November.

The nominees – selected by an international panel of athletics experts – include 10 for Women’s World Athlete of the Year and 10 for Men’s World Athlete of the Year.

In what has been another sensational year for the sport, the nominations reflect some of the standout performances achieved at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship and World Athletics Series events held throughout the year, as well as during various one-day meeting circuits, Label road races and other events around the world.

Nominees for 2026 Women’s World Athlete of the Year (in alphabetical order):

Tigest Assefa, Ethiopia
• Won the Berlin Marathon in 2:11:04, the third-fastest time in history
• Won the London Marathon in a women-only world record of 2:15:41

Chase Jackson, USA
• Twice improved the North American shot put record, to 21.02m and 21.14m
• Won the world indoor title and set a Diamond League record to regain the Diamond Trophy

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, USA
• Won a sprint double at the Ultimate Championship
• Set world leads of 10.62 in the 100m and 21.47 in the 200m, the latter putting her third on the world all-time list

Agnes Ngetich, Kenya
• Won the world half marathon title by 50 seconds in a women-only world record of 1:05:15 and won the world cross-country title by 42 seconds
• Ran world leads of 8:08.95 for 3000m and 28:58 for 10km

Marileidy Paulino, Dominican Republic
• Won the Ultimate 400m title and regained the Diamond League title
• Set a world lead and Diamond League record of 48.48 and remained unbeaten, running under 49 seconds in eight races

Maria Perez, Spain
• Set an inaugural world half marathon race walk record of 1:30:06
• Won the European title by 58 seconds with that world record performance

Camryn Rogers,Canada
• Improved her own North American hammer record with 81.13m, strengthening her place at second on the world all-time list
• Achieved the five best performances in the world and retained the Commonwealth Games title

Masai Russell, USA
• Set a world 100m hurdles record of 12.09 and achieved nine of the 10 fastest times of the season
• Won Ultimate and Diamond League titles as part of an unbeaten season in the 100m hurdles

Aubrey Werro, Switzerland
• Won Ultimate, Diamond League and European 800m titles
• Broke the Diamond League record three times, improving to a world lead of 1:53.70 – putting her third on the world all-time list

Yan Zivi, China
• Threw 71.74m on her season opener, an Asian and world U20 record that puts her second on the world javelin all-time list
• Won Diamond League and Asian Games titles

Nominees for 2026 Men’s World Athlete of the Year (in alphabetical order):

Kenneth Bednarek, USA
• Achieved a sprint double at the Ultimate Championship, winning the 100m in 9.85 and 200m in a world-leading PB of 19.52
• Won the Diamond League 200m title in 19.62

Kristian Ceh. Slovenia
• Won the Diamond League discus title with a Memorial van Damme meeting record of 71.29m
• Retained the European title with a championship record of 72.51m

Andy Diaz Hernandez, Italy
• Won world indoor, Diamond League and European triple jump titles
• Jumped 18.15m to move to fourth on the world all-time list

Allison dos Santos, Brazil
• Set a world 400m hurdles record of 45.80 and won the Ultimate title in 45.98, the third-fastest time in history
• Went undefeated in 11 hurdles races, including the Diamond League Final

Mondo Duplantis, Sweeden
• Improved his world pole vault record to 6.31m
• Won Ultimate, world indoor and European titles

Collen Kebinatshipi, Botswana
• Won the Ultimate 400m title in 43.39, putting him fifth on the world all-time list
• Won the Diamond League title and improved the Diamond League record three times, to a best of 43.40 – one of his six sub-44.00 races, a record for a single season

Josh Kerr, Great Britain and NI
• Set a world mile record of 3:42.66, achieving a world lead of 3:27.62 for his 1500m split
• Won Ultimate 1500m, world indoor 3000m, and Commonwealth Games mile titles

Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, Sri Lanka
• Won Ultimate, Diamond League, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games javelin titles
• Set a world-leading national record of 92.62m and won 13 of his 14 competitions

Sabastian Sawe, Kenya
• Won the London Marathon in a world record of 1:59:30
• Became the first man to break two hours in a record-eligible marathon

JaKobe Tarp, USA
• Set a world 110m hurdles record of 12.75 at the NCAA Championships
• Won Ultimate and Diamond League titles and broke 13 seconds in six races

An eight-strong panel of statisticians – two members from World Athletics and one from each of the six area associations – selected the nominees. A four-way vote, which closes on Saturday 17 October at midnight CEST, will now determine their final ranking, from first to 10th.

Each of the four voting groups will contribute 25% of the final vote:

• World Athletics fans voting by survey available via the World Athletics app, website and social media channels

• Athletes who have competed at World Athletics Series events during 2026

• Members of the media including TV and radio commentators, written press journalists and content creators who have been accredited at World Athletics Series events in 2026

• World Athletics Family including Council members; commission members; athlete representatives; World Athletics Series event local organising committee chairs; Diamond League, World Indoor Tour Gold and Continental Tour Gold meeting directors; member federation presidents; official partners; and World Athletics staff

The six finalists – three for the women’s World Athlete of the Year award and three for the men’s – will be announced on 10 and 11 November and be invited to Monaco for the World Athletics Awards on 29 November, when each winner will be announced live on stage.

Other awards presented on stage will include the men’s and women’s Rising Star honours, Coach of the Year, the President’s Award and, for the first time, the Moment of the Year award.

[World Athletics]

Sports

Fifty days in Pakistan

Published

15 hours ago

2026/10/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan is one of the longest undertaken by the team in recent years. The team will spend 50 days in Pakistan and will play two Tests, three T-20Is and an ODI tri-nation series with England being the third team.

by Rex Clementine

England legend Sir Ian Botham’s famous quip that Pakistan is the sort of place to send your mother-in-law on an all expenses paid holiday was rather unkind. Touch down in Pakistan and you are greeted instead by warmth and affection, with people going out of their way to make you feel at home. Tell them you are from Sri Lanka and more often than not, the conversation quickly begins with one word ‘brother’.

That same hospitality greets you even at the Pakistan High Commission on Buller’s Lane when you turn up for a visa. The first question is not about the purpose of your visit or how long you intend to stay. It is much simpler: tea or coffee?

The Sri Lankan team that flew out to Pakistan on Sunday will experience plenty of that warmth during what promises to be a lengthy stay. It is one of the longest tours undertaken by the national side in recent years, with those involved in all three formats, along with the coaching staff, spending up to 50 days in Pakistan.

The tour comprises three T20Is, a tri-nation ODI series with England as the third participant and two Test matches. There is also a three day warm up game in Islamabad ahead of the Tests.

The current crop of selectors have been largely conventional in their approach, but some of their choices for the white ball squads suggest they are prepared to bare their teeth when required.

The boldest call has been to leave out star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, until recently one of the first names on the team sheet. The writing had been on the wall for Hasaranga for some time and it has now emerged that his omission has little to do with injury or form. Instead, the message from those running the show appears fairly straightforward: get your act together.

Pathum Nissanka was overlooked for the T20Is but has been named in the ODI squad subject to fitness. Charith Asalanka has been left out of both formats following a poor run of form, while a couple of youngsters have forced their way in on the back of impressive returns in domestic cricket.

More changes are in store for the two match Test series. ‘The Island’ learns that Dhananjaya de Silva is set to lose the Test captaincy following an unimpressive stint at the helm during the recent home series against India.

Kusal Mendis is expected to take over the Test side on an interim basis, giving him leadership responsibilities across formats, before the selectors settle on a long term choice.