Sports

Are the selectors scared of Bhanuka Rajapaksa?

Published

4 years ago

2021/09/19

by Rex Clementine

With sheer pace and skill Kagiso Rabada cut the big talking Bhanuka Rajapaksa to size. Bhanuka had made us all believe that the entire cricketing fraternity was against him and that he wasn’t getting a fair deal. Bhanuka can not walk the talk. The whole nation watched it live. Mickey Arthur was spot on in assessing him. Bhanuka is a lazy, overhyped; sloppy cricketer who is not just had troubles with the Sri Lankan team management but even his own club; BRC.

In this series against South Africa Bhanuka got three ducks in a row. He should have been axed but the selectors persevered with him.

Well, you can understand the selectors’ dilemma. Bhanuka has met their fitness criteria, he is one of the few players who can clear the boundary and more importantly he has a powerful social media network. So the selectors have all the reasons to be scared of him and preserve with him.

But at the same time what wrong has Avishka Fernando done? For Bhanuka to be continued after scoring three successive ducks and Avishka to be axed three innings after he had scored a hundred doesn’t make sense. Bhanuka will turn 30 next month. Avishka is 23. He certainly is the future. You are willing to give the long rope to Bhanuka, but you are not prepared to do the same to Avishka.

Then there is this ridiculous argument put across that Avishka’s numbers in T-20 cricket are not that spectacular although he has done exceptionally well in ODIs. Is that so? Then how come you give Bhanuka a place in the ODI side having initially brought him to the T-20 team? There can be only two reasons. Either the selectors are scared of Bhanuka or they have got no clue.

When Pramodaya Wickramasinghe axed a whole bunch of seniors promising to rebuild he created the image of a tough guy who will not take any nonsense. Four months later, he has been taken for a ride by an average First Class cricketer who can not pass a simple fitness test on the first time.

The press has so many questions to ask Pramodaya, but he has avoided the media like the plague. If you think that in these days of the pandemic there’s no room for media briefings, let us tell you that SLC has a vibrant media unit that has conducted over 100 media briefings virtually since the pandemic restricted movements.

Pramodaya has to come out and explain his policies. At the moment it looks as if the he is groping in the dark.

For the last World Cup in the UK, we entered uncharted territories rather than going with the flow. Swimming against the current seems to be the trend in our backyard as we fielded half a dozen players who had at least not played an ODI in more than a year. Remember Eoin Morgan’s tongue in cheek comment that Sri Lanka were the surprises package in the World Cup. You reckon something similar is in store this time around too. Teams put out their best outfits for World Cups after years of planning. Sri Lanka are taking a bunch of rookies. Half of the team picked for the World Cup have played less than a handful of T-20 Internationals and that is recipe for disaster.

Dimuth Karunaratne was one guy who was doing a decent job as one-day captain. What was the mighty hurry in sacking him? What wrong had he done? Then you get someone who has not even captained his school to lead the side. The trial with Kusal Perera lasted just one month. Then the job is handed to Dasun Shanka who is not sure of his place in the ODI side. The selectors have run out of options. There are no more leaders to be given the job. The game is at its lowest ebb.

We can not afford to have a bunch of amateurs doing selections. We need professionals and people who are well respected in the game to do one of sport’s toughest tasks.

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Sports

Chamuditha hammers 192 to break Youth World Cup record as SL beat Japan

Published

34 mins ago

2026/01/19

Thilina Walpola

Viran Chamuditha and Dimantha Mahavithana put on a record stand of 328 for the opening wicket. (Getty Images)

Sri Lanka commenced their Under-19 World Cup campaign with a massive win on Saturday, as their openers all but batted Japan out of the contest. Viran Chamuditha’s record-breaking 192 alone surpassed Japan’s eventual total, while Dimantha Mahavithana chipped in with a fluent 115. Together, they put on a monumental 328 for the first wicket, a partnership that ended only in the 44th over when Mahavithana was run out.

‎While Mahavithana hit 11 fours in his 125-ball knock, Chamuditha batted at a strike rate of 134, smashing 26 fours and a six.

‎St. Servatius’ College Matara batsman broke the record for the highest individual score in Youth World Cup history. He erased the record held by Hasitha Boyagoda since 2018. The Trinity batsman scored 191 against Kenya at the 2018 World Cup at run rate of 125.65.

‎The open batsmen Chamuditha and Trinity’s Mahavithana also broke the record for the highest partnership for any wicket at World Cup with their stand of 328 runs.

‎ At 326 without loss after 43 overs, Sri Lanka looked set for a 400-plus total; but over the next four overs, they scored just 21 runs for the loss of three wickets. During that mini-collapse, Chamuditha missed out on a double hundred when he fell at the start of the 45th over.

‎Sri Lanka captain Vimath Dinsara, however, provided a finishing flourish with an unbeaten 44 off just 24 balls, setting Japan an improbable target of 388.

‎Japan never found any momentum in the chase. They lost a wicket in the first over, and Sri Lanka kept them in check throughout. Hugo Kelly and Taylor Waugh added 50 for the fourth wicket after Japan had slipped to 56 for 3 in the 15th over, but the innings continued to stutter even as Kelly held one end up.

‎In Japan’s only real positive, Kelly finished unbeaten on 101 as his side huffed and puffed to 184 for 8 in 50 overs. The next highest score was Kazuma Kato-Stafford’s 19, as Sri Lanka thumped Japan by 203 runs to begin their campaign with a bang.

‎‎Scores

‎Sri Lanka 387 for 4 (Viran Chamuditha 192, Dimantha Mahavithana 115, Vimath Dinsara 44n.o.)

‎Japan

184 for 8 (Hugo Kelly 101n.o.)

Sports

Maheesha helps St. Sebastians’ Katuneriya record come from behind victory ‎

Published

56 mins ago

2026/01/19

Thilina Walpola

Under 19 Division I Cricket

Maheesha Sithum cracked an unbeaten 66 in 50 balls inclusive of two fours and three sixes after ripping apart the Maliyadewa batting line up with a six wicket haul to lead St. Sebastians’ Katuneriya to two wickets win in the Under 19 Division I Tier B tournament match at Katuneriya.

‎In fact the home team were bowled out 46 runs behind Maliyadeva’s first innings total before Sithum produced the match turning performance.

‎His six wicket haul reduced the visitors to 100 runs in the second innings.

‎The home team reached the target in 37 overs with two wickets in hand.

‎In Tier A matches, St. Joseph’s top order continued to impress as Aveesha Samash (64), Pamoda Dalpadado (47), Rishma Amarasinghe (87) and Chamath Perera (43n.o.) joined to post 265 for four wickets declared and score first innings points against S. Thomas’ at Mount Lavinia.

‎In the other Tier A match, Mahinda College Galle took first innings points against Trinity .

‎‎Match Results

‎Tier B

‎St. Sebastians’ win at Katuneriya

‎‎Scores

‎Maliyadewa 202 all out in 52 overs (Thiwnka Pabasara 47, Navodya Samarasinghe 65, Dushan Sayuranga 25, Nishuda Chandrasiri 21; Maheesha Sithum 2/57, Tharuka Manaram 3/41, Damsith Subashana 3/45) and 100 all out in 34.3 overs (Dimath Abeysinghe 61; Maheesha Sithum 6/55, Tharuka Manaram 3/26)

‎St. Sebastians’ Katuneriya

156 all out in 63.5 overs (Dinindu Dilan 67, Ashen Sathsara 20; Dimath Abeysinghe 3/36, Sonal Ashvin 3/31) and 148 for 8 in 36.4 overs (Dinindu Dilan 26, Maheesha Sithum 66n.o.; Dimath Abeysinghe 3/56, Sonal Ashvin 3/46)

‎‎Tier A

‎‎Mahinda take first innings points at Asgiriya

‎‎Scores

‎Trinity 203 all out in 63.4 overs (Puleesha Thilakarathne 28, Chaniru Senarathne 36, Malika Vithanage 29, Praveen Mithila 35, Santhosh Kritheekshan 39; Arosha Udayanga 3/63, Gesandu Bisas 2/09, Sehas Ashinsa 3/22) and 136 for 6 in 47 overs (Puleesha Thilakarathne 82; Manitha Rajapaksha 2/50, Sehas Ashinsa 2/37)

‎Mahinda 262 all out in 68.2 overs (Thevindu Rashmika 72, Randula Mabarana 26, Dineth Pehesara 41, Gesandu Bisas 36, Manitha Rajapaksha 47n.o.; Ranul Gunarathna 2/50, Dawood Hilmy 4/38, Chaniru Senarathne 2/31)

‎‎Joes win first innings points at Mount

‎Scores

‎S. Thomas’ 198 all out in 78 overs (Avinash Fernando 22, Aaron Kodithuwakku 52, Raphael Hettige 23, Gimhan Mendis 22; Thisanga Perera 2/25, Vishwa Peiris 4/67) and 104 for 2 in 34 overs (Avinash Fernando 57n.o., Ludeesha Matarage 38;

‎St. Joseph’s

265 for 4 decl. in 76.1 overs (Aveesha Samash 64, Pamoda Dalpadado 47, Rishma Amarasinghe 87, Chamath Perera 43n.o.)

(RF)‎

Sports

Thehan, Dinara win singles titles

Published

56 mins ago

2026/01/19

Thilina Walpola

Thehan Wijemanne and Dinara de Silva with their trophies. (Pic by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

SSC Open Tennis Championship 2026

‎Thehan Wijemanne and Dinara de Silva won the men’s and women’s singles titles of the YETI-SSC Open Tennis Championship continued in Colombo on Sunday.

‎In the final, Wijemanne beat Ganuka Fernando 7-6, 3-6 and 6-4 for his second men’s singles title of these championships.

‎Women’s singles final saw Dinara de Silva recording 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 win over Yuhansa Peiris.