Sports
High profile cricket committee named
Two of the finest players produced by the country – Kumar Sangakkara and Aravinda de Silva will be part of the newly formed Cricket Committee.
By Rex Clementine
The Sports Ministry yesterday brought Sri Lanka Cricket down a notch by appointing a high profile Cricket Committee. While Cricket Committees in the past used to be an advisory arm for SLC, the role of the body has been diluted in recent times with eminent former players not wanting to be part of the set up.
However, following recent poor showings and a series of on field and off the field controversies, a committee comprising former greats Aravinda de Silva, Roshan Mahanama, Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan have been brought in to address the slide.
Sources said that the committee will be more than an advisory body and its recommendations will be put into action without any delay or sabotage. The Island learns that during a meeting between SLC officials and Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa, the former were told to support the Cricket Committee or face the consequences – the appointment of an Interim Committee.
“We are here to look at all cricketing matters. Obviously, we need to restructure First Class cricket, but looking at the sport at grass root levels is equally important. We will come up with short term, mid term and long term solutions to some of the problems we face,” Aravinda de Silva said speaking to The Island.
The Cricket Committee is expected to meet the Sports Minister next week before taking charge.
Introducing a competitive First Class tournament, giving frequent exposure to ‘A’ team, under-23, under-19 team and putting up a structure for women’s cricket are said to be some of the areas the new committee is looking at.
Several former captains had declined offers to take over the national selection panel and sources said that with a high profile Cricket Committee in place now, the trend will change.
Aravinda has been heavily involved in cricket having functioned as Chairman of Selectors and Vice-President of SLC but since 2017, he distanced himself from the sport. Sangakkara had a brief stint as a selector but has been reluctant to get involved in cricket administration. Roshan Mahanama, who stepped down as an ICC Match Referee a few years ago has been a vocal critic of the way the sport had been governed. This is his first stint in administration since quitting as Sri Lanka ‘A’ coach 20 years ago.
The Rose Bowl, which has been awarded to the winner of ODI series between the women’s teams of Australia and New Zealand since 1985, has now been expanded to include T20Is as well.
New Zealand’s three match T20I tour of Australia, which begins on Sunday at the North Sydney Oval, will be the first T20I edition of the Rose Bowl. The teams will get to face off again for the trophy in March 2027 when they meet again for three ODIs, also in Australia.
For Rose Bowl series that include matches in both white-ball formats, the trophy will go to the team with the most wins overall. In case of a drawn series, the current holder will retain the trophy.
“The Rose Bowl is a prestigious trophy that holds a lot of meaning to current and past players, and it’s a series we’ve always taken a lot of pride in competing in,”Catherine Campbell, NZC’s chief cricket operations officer and a former New Zealand player, said. “With so much T20I cricket now being played, this is a brilliant opportunity to keep the Rose Bowl relevant and to build on the history between us and our Australian rivals.”
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr was excited by the broadening of opportunities to compete for the Rose Bowl.
“We’re all aware of what the Rose Bowl represents and the importance it holds in the White Ferns whakapapa [genealogy],” said Kerr. “Great players and teams have fought for it over the years and we’d love the opportunity to claim our own piece of that history.”
Australia have held the Rose Bowl continuously since wresting it back from New Zealand in 2000. Since that 3-0 win, Australia have won 18 times with one series – in 2008-09 – shared 2-2. Overall, Australia have won 26 of the 31 ODI series played for the Rose Bowl, with New Zealand winning three times and three series drawn.
North Sydney will host all three T20Is of the upcoming Rose Bowl series, on October 18, 20 and 22.
[Cricinfo]
The inaugural Sastralian Premier League (SPL), a T10 cricket tournament aimed at strengthening the cricketing fortunes of Ananda Shasthralaya National School, Matugama, will get underway next month, bringing together eight teams.
Organised by the Old Sastralians Cricket Association in collaboration with the school, the tournament is designed to provide a platform for emerging talent while generating much needed financial support for the school’s cricket development programme.
Each franchise will be required to assemble a squad of 16 players, excluding the captain, with the competition featuring a unique set of regulations aimed at encouraging participation across different age groups.
Cricketers from other schools in the Matugama area will also have an opportunity to showcase their skills under the ‘Guest Players’ category. Each team can recruit up to six guest players, with four required to feature in the playing XI.
In a move designed to nurture the next generation, every team must include two current school cricketers in its squad, with at least one guaranteed a place in the playing XI.
The tournament will also accommodate experienced campaigners, with teams permitted to select five players over the age of 20 and three over 40. The provision to use an ‘Impact Player’ is another feature of the competition.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups. Group A comprises JSD Challengers, Jagath Express, Liveka Power Lions and Rexhill Warriors, while JPI Royals, Five Star Heroes, Marine Titans and Finnk Falcons make up Group B.
A total of 16 matches will be played across November 7, 8 and 15, with November 16 set aside as a reserve day.
Beyond the action on the field, organisers hope the tournament will provide a financial boost to school cricket while forging stronger ties between past and present cricketers.
Squad for the first three ODIs: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav
Squad for fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
[Cricbuzz]
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