Sports

Bringing cricket’s glory days back

Published

5 years ago

2021/05/6

Rev. Br. Nimal Gurusinghe FSC

After several setbacks in cricket in recent years, the national cricket team is looking to regain past glories. I must congratulate the national selection panel headed by former fast bowler Pramodaya Wickramasinghe for some of the bold decisions they have taken over the past two months.

In the Caribbean, the selectors handed the first Test cap to Pathum Nissanka, who made a hundred on debut and then last week in the second Test against Bangladesh, the selectors blooded in Praveen Jayawickrama, who took 11 wickets for 178, a Sri Lankan record for a debutant. It is also the tenth best figures by a player on debut in the history of Test cricket.

There is no doubt that we have talent in the country and bold moves such as these throwing the players into the deep end will bring us desired results.

I would like to see continuity in selections and for this to happen the current lot of selectors need to serve for a longer period of time. Our present system where we change selectors every year simply doesn’t help.

One of the things that I would like to see is resource personal like psychologists being brought in to assist our players. The modern day game has changed so much and a psychologist will be able to help players meet modern day demands. I see that teams like Australia, England and South Africa make use of psychologists. Although we too have done so, there is no continuity in this vital aspect.

One of the modern trends that I have seen in Sri Lankan cricket is our tail is too long. We do not have many tail-enders who are able to contribute towards the team’s total. We need to emphasize a lot on the tail getting exposure during training sessions and as a result they will be able to contribute towards the team’s total.

I am also glad to see that the selectors emphasizing a lot on fielding these days. At the same time, I would like to see them giving equal importance to fielding. This vital area has been neglected so long and that is one reason why we do not do well at present in one-day cricket. Sri Lankan teams of the past were on par with teams like Australia and South Africa when it came to fielding. But not anymore.

When we stress the importance on fielding in selections, if players are able to take half chances and create run outs that is going to be so crucial in crunch games.

Another aspect that I would like to see improve is running between the wickets. I can not recall when the last time a Sri Lankan pair completed three runs was. Physical fitness is so vital for this to happen.

Another thing that I would like to see happening is our players doing well not just at home but overseas as well. We are yet to win Test matches in Australia and England although we have been a Test playing nation for 40 years now.

I wish Pramodaya and his team good luck and look forward to see them transforming Sri Lankan cricket. Pramodaya is a member of the World Cup winning team and he knows what is required to become a champion team.

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Hope’s 75, Forde and Joseph’s wickets help West Indies go into playoffs unconquered

Published

2 hours ago

2026/02/19

Priyan

Shai Hope brought up a 28-ball half-century [Cricinfo]

West Indies headed into the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup unbeaten after successfully defending 165 against Italy at Eden Gardens on Thursday. Spinners Chrishan Kalugamage and Ben Manenti impressed with the ball, and were backed up by some sharp fielding, but the batters couldn’t get the Italian job done.

While Italy exited their maiden World Cup with a win against Nepal and many memories to cherish, West Indies sealed their fourth successive win at the venue where they will face India in their final Super Eight fixture on March 1.

Italy may have sensed an opportunity for another win when they stifled West Indies’ power-packed middle order, but Marrhew Forde’s twin strikes in the powerplay decisively tilted the game in West Indies’ favour. Bowling three overs on the bounce, Forde dismissed both Justin Mosca and No. 3 Syed Naqvi, helping West Indies restrict Italy to 37 for 3 in six overs. Shamar Joseph then bagged four wickets to go with his four catches as Italy were bowled out for 123.

The win was set up by Shai Hope, who hit back-to-back half-centuries and dominated the early exchanges with an array of off-side drives. West Indies lost steam after Hope departed for 75 off 46 balls, but they regained it through their bowlers.

After West Indies were asked to bat first, they hit seven boundaries in the powerplay, and Hope was responsible for all of those. By the eighth over, the West Indies captain had zoomed to a 28-ball half-century. The first boundary by a West Indies player not named “Shai Hope” came in the tenth over when Roston Chase backed away and lifted left-arm spinner JJ Smuts over extra-cover.

Hope peppered the off side, scoring 46 of his 75 runs in that region. Anything that was remotely full and outside off was crashed in the arc between mid-off and point. When Italy dragged their lengths back, Hope was ready for it as well. Like when left-arm seamer Ali Hasan banged one into his upper body, Hope swatted him away over square leg for six in the fourth over. Hope was particularly severe on right-arm fast bowler Thomas Draca, taking him for 20 off nine balls.

Italy finally stopped him in the 16th over when legspinner Kalugagame bowled him with a tossed-up wrong’un.

Brief scores:
West Indies 165 for 6 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 75, Roston Chase 24, Sherfane Rutherford 24*, Matthew Forde 16*; Ali Hasan 1-24, Thomas Draca 1-22, Chrishan Kalugamage 2-25, Ben Manenti 2-37) beat Italy 123 in 18 overs (Anthony Mosca 19, JJ Smuts 24, Ben Manenti 26, Grant Stewart 12; Akeal Hosein 1-25, Shamar Joseph 4-30, Matthew Forde 3-19, Gudakesh Motie 2-24) by 42 runs

[Cricinfo]

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Sri Lanka opt to bat against Zimbabwe, play Madushanka and Madushan

Published

2 hours ago

2026/02/19

Priyan

Dilshan Madushanka had replaced the injured Matheesha Pathirana in Sri Lanka's squad

Sri Lanka won the toss at the party at Premadasa and decided to bat first. Both, the hosts and Zimbabwe, are through to the Super Eight already, but for Sri Lanka it was important to get in their injury replacements.

The big one, of course, was Matheesha Pathirana, whose tournament ended with a calf injury sustained during the match against Australia. His replacement in the squad, Dilshan Madushanka, came straight into the XI. Also given a look-in was Pramod Madushan, the fast bowler who was already in the squad. In order to organise this virtual bowl-off between Madushan and Madushanka, Sri Lanka rested their lead fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera.

Zimbabwe made no change to the XI that shocked Australia in this World Cup. They were looking to bowl first anyway because of the forecast for some drizzle later on, and hoping to bat in better batting conditions once the lights came on.

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Pramod Madushan, Dilshan Madushanka

Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (capt), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Old and new at the SSC, just like Pakistan

Published

4 hours ago

2026/02/19

Priyan

This signage is a small detail, but it says something about the SSC. [Cricinfo]

At the outdoor nets of the Sinhalese Sports Club, a laminated notice greets parents of young, aspiring cricketers.

“Please do not remain in this area and watch the children at practice, since both the children & coaches find it difficult to concentrate on their task when parents are watching!”

Dated January 7, 2025 and pinned carefully at eye level, the notice asks parents to move to the upper deck of the main pavilion instead. They can still watch, just not from directly behind the nets.

It is a small detail, but it says something about the SSC.

This is one of cricket’s most old-fashioned venues, tucked away in a quiet, leafy part of Colombo, where wooden staircases still creak underfoot, stone walls wear their age openly, dark green interiors are accented with gold and grassbanks frame the outfield. But, even here, change has begun to find its way in. The advisory at the nets is one such sign, a response to modern hands-on parenting and the desire to stay close to the action.

The six state-of-the-art floodlight towers tell the same story. Installed only recently, they enabled the venue’s first day-night fixture just days ago. They do not quite blend into the Colombo skyline that’s proudly visible beyond the grassbanks, but they signal change. The SSC has not abandoned what it is; it has simply made room for what the present demands.

At this very venue, under those same lights, Pakistan found their own balance between the old and the new.

Coming off a heavy defeat to India, this was a must-win fixture against Namibia. The response was emphatic: a 102-run victory, their biggest margin in T20 World Cups, achieved not through reinvention but through recalibration.

Let’s be honest, Pakistan have been difficult to recognise at first glance in recent months. Since July 2024, they have bowled more than 51% of their overs through spin, the third most among Full Member nations. Against India last Sunday, they leaned even further into that shift, bowling five of the six PowerPlay overs with spin despite allowing India first use of the pitch. For a team historically defined by fast bowling, it felt like a sharp pivot, almost an attempt to become something else. But come this match against Namibia, there was adjustment without over-correction.

Pakistan went back to opening the bowling with pace from both ends, a quiet nod to their past as much as to the conditions. They did not abandon spin but leaned into it gradually, allowing the pitch to slow down and the ball to get scuffed up. The reward was eight wickets for the spinners, the joint-most for Pakistan in a T20 World Cup but it was the early strike from pace in the PowerPlay that set it up.

Finding that balance between old and new also required uncomfortable decisions. Shaheen Afridi, who had struggled for rhythm against India with both the new and old ball, was left out. The new ball instead went to Salman Mirza, a fellow left-arm pacer who justified the call with an early strike.

Pakistan were equally deliberate with the bat. When Salman Agha fell in the 13th over, it was not Babar Azam who walked out. It was Khawaja Nafay. And when Nafay fell, it was Shadab Khan.

The batting order was not accidental. Since returning to the T20I side after missing the Asia Cup, Babar has struck at 101.70 against spin. Each of his five dismissals in 2026 have come against it. Namibia had at least three bowlers who turn the ball away from him.

“As a professional, you should not mind such things,” Shadab Khan said after the match, “The environment in the team is very good. The messaging is quite clear. Every player is trying to help the team win.

“There were clear messages given to every batter. Everyone has been told what their entry point is going to be,” he added. “I think Babar has also been given a clear message about his entry point. The combinations will keep on changing as per the conditions.”

Flexibility showed up in the combination as well. Pakistan went in with an extra batter in Nafay at the cost of Abrar Ahmad, a specialist spinner, trusting that Salman Agha’s overs would provide cover. They still had six bowling options, four of them spinners, but the shape of the side felt less rigid than it had a week ago. Pakistan have played two other matches at the SSC during this T20 World Cup but it was the first time they went in with this combination.

“I think we have the luxury of spinners,” Pakistan captain Salman Agha said at the post-match presentation. “We have all-rounders who can bat and bowl and then we have a proper match winner [Usman Tariq] when it comes to spin bowling. So if you have that much spin bowling in Sri Lanka, you don’t really need to bowl a fast bowler in the middle. And if we need to bowl a fast bowler in the middle, we have the bowlers who can do that as well. But right now, we are fine bowling with the spinners.”

One constant from the older order was Sahibzada Farhan. With Babar waiting out his turn in the dugout Farhan tightened his grip at the top, producing his maiden T20I hundred. It was also his fifth T20 century since 2025, underlining both his form and his growing importance to a side that doesn’t quite clear the ropes as freely as some of the other teams around.

At 30 off 27 balls, it was hardly a fluent beginning. Farhan battled sweaty gloves that made it difficult to grip the handle, and cramps in his right leg, before shifting gears. He needed just 31 more deliveries to bring up his hundred. It was an innings built on patience before power.

Perhaps, it was fitting that it happened here at the SSC. Where parents are not banished but simply asked to step back, and where LED floodlights rise above chandelier-lit dressing rooms. Here, the old and the new have learnt to coexist, and Pakistan found a similar equilibrium against Namibia. They didn’t abandon spin, didn’t stubbornly cling to pace and didn’t let reputation dictate selection or batting order. Under those lights, which lit up for the final time at this T20 World Cup, Pakistan rediscovered how to win without losing themselves.

[Cricbuzz]