Former Zimbabwe  fast bowler and umpire Sarah Dambanevana passed away in Harare on Monday. She was 36.

A Zimbabwe Cricket release said Dambanevana was in hospital receiving care since undergoing a medical procedure in March.

Her senior international umpiring career began on 2 September 2023, and she went on to officiate at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the UAE and the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 in India and Sri Lanka, where she was part of the tournament’s historic all-female panel of match officials.

Prior to that, Dambanevana officiated in the final between India and England at the 2023 Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, becoming the first Zimbabwean woman to umpire a World Cup final.

Overall, she officiated in 63 senior internationals, comprising 42 women’s T20Is, 11 women’s ODIs and 10 men’s T20Is, alongside her assignments in domestic cricket and global youth tournaments.

Dambanevana also represented Zimbabwe as a player between 2009 and 2014, including at the World Cup Qualifier in 2011. She joined the ICC development panel of umpires in 2022.

“Sarah served Zimbabwe with distinction, first as a player and then as an umpire whose ability earned her a place on the world stage,” ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said. “Watching her stand in a World Cup final was a moment of immense pride for our cricket community and our country. She showed young Zimbabwean women that they belong at the highest levels of the game, including in roles where opportunities had long been limited.

“Through her achievements, she opened doors and gave others the confidence to pursue their own ambitions. We will remember her dedication, her professionalism and her willingness to help others grow. Her passing leaves a painful void in our cricket family, but the example she set will continue to inspire those who follow in her footsteps.”

(Cricinfo)

Even counting the win against Bangladesh at the Asian Games Sri Lanka have lost 12 T20Is to the two they have won since their win against Australia in the 2026 T20 World Cup. There have been significant personnel changes in that period. Captains have changed. There is a new head coach. Various batting orders have been trialled. But on Sunday’s evidence, they are deeply outmatched by even this Pakistan side, who themselves are hardly world-beaters at the moment, having not made the World Cup semi-finals this year.

With as highly-rated a coach in Gary Kirsten and a new captain in Kusal Mendis still searching desperately for a stronger combination, expect Sri Lanka to be in flux for this match as well. In game two, spinner Maheesh Theekshana was taken apart, while the seamers struggled to threaten Pakistan’s batters on a flat Rawalpindi deck. The decks don’t look like they are going to be any better for bowling. Sri Lanka’s attack will have to find new gears.

Pakistan are in the rare position of being utterly dominant in a white-ball series against an opponent who even in their previous low ebbs have challenged them. Having sewn up the trophy 2-0, Pakistan are in a position to rest key players. But it is so rare that their batters get to dine out across a whole series, management will be mighty tempted to keep this tuneful band together.

Even if Sri Lanka’s bowlers get through the Pakistan top order this time, the middle order could do with a decent workout.

by Rex Clementine

The proposed new constitution for Sri Lanka Cricket has gathered considerable momentum over the past fortnight, with the Bill presented to Parliament, debated by MPs and now facing judicial scrutiny. The courts are examining whether the proposed reforms are consistent with the laws of the land.

The Island learns that a lawyer has challenged certain provisions of the proposed constitution, while former cricket board chief Thilanga Sumathipala has also sought judicial intervention.

The learned judges will hear their submissions and determine whether the proposed legislation passes legal muster. It is possible that the courts may require the authorities to amend certain provisions should they be found incompatible with existing laws.

Among the concerns raised by stakeholders is the proposed exclusion of district associations from having a say in SLC elections. Others are uncomfortable with the prospect of appointed members, rather than elected representatives, heading the board.

These are legitimate concerns and deserve a fair hearing. But there is a larger issue that cannot be swept under the carpet. It is the very system that has governed Sri Lankan cricket for decades that has brought the game to its knees. Unless bold decisions are taken, we will continue to languish near the bottom of the rankings, wondering where it all went wrong.

Opening the door for appointed members offers the possibility of having a well educated, professionally accomplished individual at the helm, rather than leaving the administration of a multi billion rupee organisation in the hands of individuals whose qualifications have sometimes barely extended beyond the GCE Advanced Level.

Some of those who have occupied the hot seat in recent years have spent money like drunken sailors on shore leave. The figures emerging from SLC are enough to make your eyes water.

It has emerged that SLC’s catering bill alone over the past three years has amounted to a staggering Rs. 1.2 billion. During roughly the same period, SLC has reportedly spent more than Rs. 600 million on legal fees. That is an extraordinary amount of money for an organisation whose primary responsibility is to develop and promote cricket.

Giving independent directors a greater say in the affairs of the board would also help curb the tendency of club representatives to put their own interests ahead of the greater good.

Take, for instance, SLC’s recent decision to upgrade club grounds with floodlights. The first beneficiary happened to be the very club represented by the board President. Such decisions inevitably raise questions about priorities and conflicts of interest.

The parliamentary debate on cricket reforms also provided its share of entertainment.

One former Sports Minister was busy blowing his own trumpet, claiming that cricket had flourished during his tenure. The reality, however, tells a rather different story. Far from presiding over a golden era, his constant interference in the affairs of the board did little to advance the game and on occasions, stalled much needed progress.

MP Ravi Karunanayake’s assertion that politicians should have no place in sports administration also raised a few eyebrows.

The senior parliamentarian may well have made the observation with the best of intentions, but history suggests that painting every politician with the same brush would be a mistake. Some of the finest administrators Sri Lankan cricket has produced have come from the political establishment, including several stalwarts of his own party.

J.R. Jayewardene served as President of the cricket board, while Gamini Dissanayake remains one of the most outstanding administrators the game has known. It was under Dissanayake’s leadership that Sri Lanka secured the coveted Test status in 1981, opening the doors to cricket’s most exclusive club.

Tyrone Fernando was another influential figure in cricket administration, while Lalith Athulathmudali, a former President of NCC, was widely regarded as a future cricket board President before his life was tragically cut short.

Nor was the affection for cricket confined to the political right. The leftists had their own distinguished association with the gentleman’s game. Dr. N.M. Perera and Lakshman Jayakody both served as Presidents of the cricket board.