Sports

Australia; a friend indeed

Published

4 years ago

2022/06/12

Days after the tsunami, spin legend Shane Warne visited Sri Lanka pleading for support to rebuild the nation and Australians showed their generosity responding to the nation’s iconic cricketer.

by Rex Clementine

We have been fortunate to witness some of the great fast bowlers on show in our shores in Test match cricket in the last 40 years. Sir Richard Hadlee, Dennis Lillee, Bob Willis, Kapil Dev, Allan Donald and Wasim Akram have all had their moments in our backyard, but no fast bowler has had the impact that Mitchell Starc had when Australia toured here in 2016. On tracks that were tailor-made for spin, Starc took 24 wickets in three Tests, the most by a fast bowler in a Test series in Sri Lanka. It was great to see the man who inspired many young aspiring Sri Lankan fast bowlers appealing to the world to support Sri Lankan communities that are severely affected by the economic crisis. He was joined by one of the modern day greats of the game – Steve Smith.

Australia’s role in supporting Sri Lankan cricket over the last four decades has been outstanding. The 9thMay attack on peaceful protestors at the Galle Face that triggered civil unrest across the nation put Australia’s six week tour of the island in serious doubt. But to the credit of Cricket Australia and the Australian government, they not only sent down the team, but stuck to the original schedule too although many suspected that Colombo’s games will be shifted to outstations.

Tickets to Colombo games on Tuesday and Wednesday went on sale last Saturday and were sold out by 2:30 pm same day, even to the surprise of SLC. Our country has gone through tough times bringing misery to the general public and it is cricket that brings them some solace. Now that Australia have come, there is certainty that the country will not face cricketing isolation and there’s hope for the Asia Cup taking place in August without being shifted to Dubai. That will be a shot in the arm for the economy with the epic India-Pakistan clash bringing fans across the world to Colombo to witness war without bullets.

Australia has been one of Sri Lankan cricket’s greatest allies. Our nation’s application for Test status had been turned down a few times and when Gamini Dissanayake wanted to put out a fresh bid in 1981, he invited Australian Cricket Board bosses Fred Bennett and David Richards for a tour of the island during which they visited and inspected various cricket facilities. Quite impressed by the standard of cricket in the country, particularly at the schools, Bennett assured Australia’s support for Sri Lanka’s bid. The veteran’s cricket acumen was pretty good having dedicated half a century of his life to the sport from the lowest levels at Balmain District to the highest echelons of Jolimont Street.

To show Australia’s solidarity to Sri Lanka’s bid, Kim Hughes’ side played an unofficial Test match in Colombo on their way to England for the 1981 Ashes.

At the ICC meeting in June 1981, Australia, one of the founding members of ICC with veto power, supported Sri Lanka’s bid. England by the way abstained from voting and Sri Lanka’s bid went through.

Once Sri Lanka were in the big league, the opportunities that Australia provided to help the nation develop into a strong force was immense. Local curators were trained down under by Arthur Mailey. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s several Sri Lankan teams played the World Series cricket better known as Benson & Hedges Series and these were welcome breaks. Australia also played a three match Test series against Sri Lanka, a decade before England did so.

Due to the civil unrest in Sri Lanka, there was little cricket played at home between 1987 to 1992. In early 1990s, the cricket board was headed by a Royal-Thomian combination of Ian Pieris and S. Skandakumar. It was to Australia this pair turned to to end Sri Lanka’s cricketing isolation and they readily agreed and Alan Border’s side visited in 1992 and the legend of Shane Warne was born. That paved the way for every cricketing nation to visit the island including West Indies and South Africa who made their inaugural visits to the country in 1993.

When ambitious Ana Punchihewa became the Board President in 1994, he launched a project where he wanted to make the country the best cricket playing nation by the year 2000. His first move was to hire a qualified foreign coach. He asked the Australian board for recommendations and was given several names with special emphasis on one Davenell Frederick Whatmore, the Head Coach of Victoria. Punchihewa grabbed the idea but soon got cold feet after realizing that the Sri Lankan board had a bank balance of Rs. 300,000. Whatmore was going to cost them US$ 100,000 annually.

Alan Crompton, who passed away in April this year was the Chairman of the Australian board at that point and he informed his Sri Lankan counterpart to hire Whatmore and Australia would sort his payment out. It was done subtly. Sri Lanka were set to tour Australia in 1995 and the guarantee fee for the tour had been set as US$ 100,000. The amount was doubled and an advance was paid resulting in Whatmore coming in. The rest as they say is history.

The excellent relationships were soured at one point in 2010 when Australia mooted the idea to nominate former Prime Minister John Howard as the Vice-President of the ICC. The plan was for Howard to go onto become the ICC President. It was a superb initiative as Howard was the most senior world figure ever considered for the role. But the Sri Lankan board put a spoke in the wheel crashing the move. The excuses that SLC were dishing out were lame ones. It is a well kept secret that our cricket bosses were merely a cat’s paw to the powerful BCCI, who feared a world figure at ICC like the plague.

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Business

PEOTV secures media rights for FIFA World Cup

Published

2 hours ago

2026/06/6

Priyan

SLT-MOBITEL PEOTV, Sri Lanka’s pioneering Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service provider and leading digital entertainment platform, announced a landmark partnership with Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), securing the exclusive media broadcasting rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Sri Lanka.

The strategic partnership marks one of the most significant sports media acquisitions in the country’s broadcasting landscape, granting SLT-MOBITEL PEOTV exclusive rights to deliver every match of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ to audiences across Sri Lanka. Through PEOTV, PEO MOBILE, and digital platforms, football fans nationwide will have unparalleled access to the world’s most prestigious sporting event, ensuring they experience every moment of the tournament live, from the opening match to the final championship.

The acquisition of FIFA World Cup 2026™ rights represents another significant milestone in SLT-MOBITEL PEOTV’s continued investment in premium sports broadcasting. Over the years, PEOTV has built a strong reputation for delivering major international sporting events, offering customers reliable, high-quality coverage and enhanced viewing experiences through advanced IPTV technology. Viewers will enjoy the tournament in true High Definition (HD), delivering exceptional picture quality and an immersive viewing experience. Whether watching from home through PEOTV, on the move via PEO MOBILE, or through digital access points, fans can follow every defining goal and unforgettable celebration throughout the competition.

The FIFA World Cup 2026™ is set to make history as the largest edition of the tournament ever staged, with 104 matches featuring 48 nations competing across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Expected to captivate billions of viewers worldwide, the tournament represents the pinnacle of international football and stands among the most celebrated sporting events on the global calendar.

Latest News

Iran footballers issued US visas for World Cup, says White House

Published

6 hours ago

2026/06/6

Priyan

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei will lead side at World Cup 2026 [Aljazeera]

Iran’s World Cup football players have been granted visas to enter the United States, according to a White House official, just 10 days before their first match in Los Angeles amid a conflict between ⁠the two countries.

Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said late on Thursday the squad had still not received their US visas, but these were granted overnight, the White House official said.

US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack confirmed the visas in a message on X on Friday. “Proud of our outstanding team at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for their work processing visas for Iran’s national football team on their road to the @FIFAWorldCup in the United States,” he said, commenting on a news report that Iran’s World Cup players have been granted the visas to enter the United States.

The US had not yet issued visas to some members of the Iran team’s technical and administrative staff, the semi-official Fars news agency ‌reported on Friday.

Iran’s federation has not yet made a statement on the news.

“Visas for some members of the national team’s technical and executive staff have not yet been issued, and the US embassy has so far refused to issue them,” Fars said, without citing a source.

The US-Israel war on Iran has turned the World Cup – the biggest global sporting event – into a geopolitical contest, with both sides appearing to use the tournament for political posturing.

It is the first World Cup, since its inception in 1930, in which a host nation is set to receive a country it is at war with.

Tehran negotiated a last-minute move of the team’s base from Arizona ⁠to Tijuana in Mexico due to the visa issues and a growing feeling in Iran ⁠that the squad’s presence in the United States should be kept to a minimum.

They are scheduled to land in Tijuana early on Sunday.

Iran are due to play their first Group G match on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, where they will also face Belgium before taking on ⁠Egypt in Seattle.

The US has never formally said it does not want the Iranian team to stay on its territory, Ambassador Pasandideh said.

However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on ⁠Tuesday that the US would not allow Iran to include in its World Cup ⁠delegation individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful branch of the Iranian armed forces.

Mehdi Taj, president of Iran’s football federation, was denied entry for the tournament draw in Washington in December. He is a former commander in the Revolutionary Guards.

Iran’s desire to compete in the World Cup underscored its efforts ‌to reach a resolution in the war with Washington, Pasandideh said.

“Iran’s participation in the World Cup – even on the soil of what is seen as its enemy – shows that Iran seeks peace,” Pasandideh said, speaking through a Spanish interpreter at the ‌Iranian ‌embassy in Mexico City.

Progress in peace talks between Iran and the US has been slow, with both sides seemingly inching towards an interim agreement even as they continue to carry out military strikes

[Aljazeera]

Sports

Dinara, Yuhansa and Aahil advance to ITF J30 Week 2 semi-finals

Published

7 hours ago

2026/06/6

Thilina Walpola

Yuhansa Peiris

Sri Lanka’s rising tennis stars continued their impressive run at the ITF Junior J30 Circuit Week 2 tournament being played at the SSC courts, with Dinara de Silva and Yuhansa Peiris advancing to the girls’ semi-finals, while Aahil Kaleel secured a place in the boys’ last four.

‎Top local contender Dinara de Silva produced another commanding performance in the girls’ quarter-finals, defeating India’s Sarthra Entoori in straight sets 6-1, 6-4. Dinara controlled the match from the outset and maintained her composure to complete a convincing victory and book her place in the semi-finals.

‎Joining her in the girls’ semi-finals is Yuhansa Peiris, who battled through a thrilling three-set encounter against India’s Deepthi Wenkataram. After narrowly losing the opening set in a tie-break 6-7, Yuhansa bounced back strongly to claim the second set 6-1 before prevailing 10-8 in the decisive match tie-break.

‎In the boys’ competition, Sri Lanka’s Aahil Kaleel also showcased his fighting qualities to reach the semi-finals. Aahil overcame India’s Chukka Lakshyawardae in a hard-fought quarter-final clash. After taking the first set 7-5, he dropped the second set 4-6 before holding his nerve in the match tie-break to seal a 10-8 victory.

‎With three Sri Lankan players progressing to the semi-final stage, the host nation will be strongly represented as the tournament enters its decisive phase at the SSC courts. Dinara, Yuhansa and Aahil will now look to continue their impressive form and challenge for honours in the prestigious ITF Junior J30 event.