Muneeba Ali braved the oppressive heat of Dubai before Pakistan’s  spinners put on a disciplined show to begin their T20 Asia Cup campaign with a commanding win over Thailand. The result knocked Thailand out of the competition as they suffered their second defeat in three matches.

On a pitch which stayed low, Fatima Sana backed her spinners to do the job by opting to bat at the toss, a decision which raised eyebrows at the time. She stood vindicated in the end as Pakistan completed a comfortable 35-run win.

But, it also brought to light Pakistan’s perennial batting woes as they managed only 119 for 9 in 20 overs despite Sana harbouring hopes of her side going beyond 150. Thailand never stood a chance of chasing the target against Pakistan’s quality spin attack and finished with 84-8 in 20 overs.

There was anticipation in the lead up to this contest as to whether the Thai left-arm orthodox bowler would surpass India’s Deepti Sharma as the highest wicket taker in the format. Thipatcha Putthawong did not make the spectators wait as she achieved the feat with a double-wicket maiden in the second over of the game.

Putthawong sent back Shawaal Zulfiqar on the second ball with the one that gripped off a length. It had Zulfiqar punch the ball right into the midriff of Suleeporn Laomi at point. Four balls later, she got her landmark wicket when Gull Feroza, back into the Pakistan side after missing the Sri Lanka T20Is, was caught at fine leg while playing the paddle.

That over tightened the screws on the Pakistan batters as they struggled to get going throughout the powerplay, which they finished with 32 for 3. Putthawong and Phannita Maya shared the six overs between themselves but it was the former’s figures of 3-0-21-1 that stood out.

Ayesha Zafar was the third batter to fall inside the powerplay, courtesy an outstanding catch by Natthakan Chantham at midwicket off Maya’s bowling.

Putthawong added another wicket to her tally in the last over of the innings. She now has 173 wickets in the format at a staggering average of 9.17 and economy of 4.11.

As has often been the case, the onus of doing the repair work fell on Muneeba, who opened the innings with Zulfiqar. She saw partners fall before putting together a solid partnership of 54 runs with Shamas.

Shamas picked up boundaries through point and wide of slip in her first four balls to kick the innings into gear. It helped Muneeba, who was struggling for breath because of the harsh Dubai weather, settle down. Muneeba often fell on her haunches to gather her breath and, at one point, had to be tended to by the team physio.

Conditions were tough for batting with the pitch playing slow and low, and the outfield being heavier than usual for a T20 game. Muneeba, nonetheless, continued to fight until the death overs and registered her fourth half-century. She finished with 54 off 52 with four boundaries and was stumped off Laomi’s bowling in the 17th over.

Shamas, who found herself in the main squad because of an injury to Najiha Alvi, made a crucial run-a-ball 20 to stop the floodgates. But her wicket, also to Laomi, re-opened the floodgates.

Laomi takes two in an over

Pakistan fans must have taken solace in the fact that Shamas was replaced by their captain, who had been at the top of her game in the T20 World Cup this year. But Sana had a brief stay at the crease. She was caught and bowled, second ball, as Laomi took a stunning catch diving forward. Both wickets fell in the 13th over of the innings. It was the second time in the innings that Pakistan lost two in an over.

Laomi varied her lengths and pace with great deception to finish as the best bowler for her side with 3-14 from four overs.

The average first-innings score at this venue in the women’s T20Is is 118, and that Pakistan managed one more was because of Tuba’s 12* off only four balls. She announced her arrival at the crease, amidst a flurry of wickets, with a gigantic six over square leg. She then hit a boundary through the covers in the last over.

Thailand might have harboured hopes of repeating the heroics from the 2022 edition of the T20 Asia Cup when they beat Pakistan. But they were eviscerated in Sadia Iqbal’s first over, the second of the run chase, as she sent back Maya and Nannapat Koncharoenkai.

Coincidentally, this over, like the second over of the first innings, ended up as a double-wicket maiden, and the two wickets in both these overs came on the second and last ball of the over across the innings.

Thailand needed one of their batters to emulate Muneeba, but they were starved of runs by Pakistan’s disciplined bowling and attacking field sets. They stood no chance at chasing the total down with the required run rate climbing every over.

The introduction of Nashra Sandhu after the powerplay further aggravated Thailand’s woes as the left-arm spinner allowed only six runs from her four overs, she picked up Chantham as well. Iqbal returned for the last over of the innings and picked up a wicket on the last ball to finish with 3 for 11 from four overs.

That Pakistan were able to secure a win despite a subpar batting performance was partly because they played a weaker opposition. But, their next opponents, India, are not likely to provide them much of a leeway.

Scores:
Pakistan Women 119 for 9 in 20 overs (Muneeba Ali  54, Sadaf Shamas 20, Umm e Hani 17, Tuba Hassan 12*;  Phannita Maya 2-34, ; Thipatcha  Putthawong 3-18, Sunida Chaturongrattana 1-23, Suleeporn Laomi 3-14) beat  Thailand Women 84/8 in 20 overs (Naththakan Chantham 14, Naruemol Chaiwai 17, Aphisara Suwanchonrathi 13,  Chanida Sutthiruang 25; Fatima Sana 1-22, Sadia  Iqbal 3-11, Nashra Sandhu 1-06, Tuba Hasan  2-17) by 35 runs

[Cricinfo]

by Rex Clementine

Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has taken to social media to criticise the government over Sri Lanka supposedly missing out on hosting the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, scheduled for next year. The former Sports Minister has been shedding crocodile tears, bemoaning the politicisation of sport in Sri Lanka.

Coming from Namal, that is quite something.

Namal is a lawyer by profession. Those who practise law are generally expected to do their homework before presenting a case. When MP Rajapaksa shoots from the hip like this, however, one is entitled to wonder about that much celebrated law degree. This, after all, is a man who reportedly passed his law examinations with flying colours. A little fact checking, therefore, should hardly be beyond him.

The ICC does not recognise government appointed interim committees and does not permit countries operating under such arrangements to host ICC events. But to claim that Sri Lanka has already been stripped of the Women’s Champions Trophy is both premature and inaccurate. If the host nation is to be changed, that decision is expected at the next ICC Board meeting in November. By that time, SLC should be ready for fresh elections.

Nor is it correct to suggest that Sri Lanka will miss out on participating in the tournament. Ranked sixth in the world, Sri Lanka remain very much in contention to play, with the qualification criteria comprising the top five ranked teams plus the hosts. So, even if India were to host the tournament, Sri Lanka would still be part of the competition.

It appears politician Rajapaksa is fishing in troubled waters. Unfortunately, he seems to have forgotten to check whether there are any fish.

The less said about the disasters that befell Sri Lankan sports when the Rajapaksas were running the country, the kinder we would be to Namal.

Sri Lanka were the designated hosts of the Men’s Asia Cup in 2022. Back to back India versus Pakistan games in Colombo would have been a tremendous shot in the arm for the economy, with supporters from around the world descending on the island for one of cricket’s greatest spectacles.

There was one small problem: Namal’s uncles had helped run the country’s petrol pumps dry.

With fuel not freely available and the country engulfed in an economic crisis, the Asian Cricket Council shifted the tournament to the UAE. Curiously, there were no crocodile tears then. Namal’s social media account appeared to have misplaced its outrage.

Now he lectures the country about politicising sport.

To this government’s credit, it has largely refrained from interfering with the affairs of the cricket administration or team selection. Take the recent selection of Niroshan Dickwella. Many Sri Lankan supporters disagreed with it, including people sympathetic to the government. Yet there was no ministerial intervention. During Namal’s father’s regime, Sports Ministers could change selection committees almost overnight.

It is also worth recalling that when President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed the first three Interim Committees, she turned to respected figures such as Rienzie Wijetilleke, Hemaka Amarasuriya and Vijaya Malalasekara.

Mahinda Rajapaksa did not spare cricket from political patronage either. His appointees to Cricket Interim Committees included family members, individuals who had lost cricket elections and others close to the political establishment.

Namal may point out that his father also appointed a reputed former cricketer to head an Interim Committee in 2010. Quite correct. But Mahinda Rajapaksa, the shrewd politician that he was, usually had another card up his sleeve. His dream of an international cricket stadium in his electorate soon became reality.

Sport became so politicised during the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration that even club elections were not immune. Those who doubt it can ask what happened at Colts Cricket Club, where respected officials stepped aside amid fears of crossing uncle Gota.

Sports officials were not alone. The media had their share too. Photographers covering the Rajapaksa boys playing at the Welisara Navy camp were harassed. On one occasion, a reporter was assaulted by Navy personnel.

Then there was television.

A television station linked to the Rajapaksa family telecast international cricket after a Cabinet decision concerning broadcasting rights was altered. Cricket was a cash cow. While state television struggled financially, the Rajapaksa boys were hardly complaining about political interference in sport.

And now Namal cries foul, accusing this government of politicising cricket.

His father appointed more Interim Committees than any other President. Even when elections were held, allegations of manipulation and political interference were rife. For years, Sri Lankan cricket suffered under administrators whose greatest qualification was often not what they knew about cricket, but whom they knew in politics.

That is why Namal Rajapaksa lecturing anyone about political interference in sport is rather like an arsonist complaining about the smell of smoke.

This government took on a cricket establishment that many had feared touching. There were warnings from the outset that reform would bring turbulence. So far, the authorities have managed to minimise those jolts. They should now be allowed to finish what they started. More strength to NPP and comrade AKD.

The 40th All-Island Schools Sports Festival will get under way on September 11, bringing the country’s biggest sporting event, in terms of mass participation, into its decisive national phase.

‎Although the national-level competition is scheduled to run until October 20, the festival’s journey began months ago at divisional level, where thousands of schoolchildren representing their respective schools competed for honours and qualification through successive rounds at Divisional, Zonal and Provincial level.

‎The massive participation and the extensive qualifying process, involving athletes and teams from across the country, make the All-Island Schools Sports Festival the largest sporting event in Sri Lanka. Those who have progressed through the earlier stages will now compete for national honours across a wide range of individual and team sports.

‎The Ministry of Education has released the official calendar for the national phase of the festival, which will be conducted across all nine provinces in four stages.

‎The opening stage will run from September 11 to 15, followed by the second stage from September 18 to 21. The third stage is scheduled for September 27 to 30, while the fourth stage will be held from October 2 to 9.

‎The festival will culminate with the boys’ and girls’ track and field championships from October 16 to 20 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Diyagama, Homagama, where the closing ceremony is also expected to be held.

‎

‎Stage One: September 11–15

‎Judo (September 11–13, Nawalapitiya); Beach Volleyball (September 11–13, Negombo); Wrestling (September 11–14, Bandarawela); Rugby Football (September 11–13, Pallekele); Gymnastics (September 13–14, Colombo); and Swimming (September 13–15, Colombo).

‎

‎Stage Two : September 18–21

‎Basketball (September 18–21, Colombo); Weightlifting (September 18–21, Polonnaruwa); Chess (September 18–20, Kurunegala); Softball Cricket (September 19–21, Anuradhapura); Karate (September 19–21, Kotuwila, Matara); Aerobic Gymnastics (September 19–21, Colombo); Hockey (September 19–21, Colombo); Table Tennis (September 19–21, Kegalle); and Handball (September 19–21, Weeraketiya).

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‎Stage Three: September 27–30

‎Half Marathon

(September 27, Battaramulla); Physical Fitness Exercises (September 27–28, Digana); Carrom (September 27–29, Trincomalee); Elle (September 27–29, Embilipitiya); Netball (September 27–29, Bandarawela); and Taekwondo (September 27–30, Bandarawela).

‎Stage Four: October 2–9

‎Wushu

(October 2–5, Digana); Volleyball (October 2–5, Ruwanwella); Badminton (October 2–4, Colombo); Leather-Ball Cricket (October 2–4, Colombo); Football (October 2–5, Jaffna); Cycling (October 3–4, Anuradhapura); Boxing (October 5 -9 Colombo); Kabaddi (October 6–9, Nindavur); and Throwball (October 5–8, Pannala).

‎Athletics: October 16–20

‎The boys’ and girls’ track and field championships will be held from October 16 to 20 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Diyagama, Homagama, bringing the 40th All-Island Schools Sports Festival to a close. (RF)