Sports
Selectors promise to address indiscipline in cricket
by Rex Clementine
One reason why the national cricket team hit new lows in the last three years under Pramodya Wickremesinghe was because there was scant respect for discipline. Players could walk into casinos in Brisbane in the middle of the night and get involved in brawls, but they were not in danger of losing their place in the side or being sent home from the tour.
Not all selectors have soft peddled over the years. Many feared Abu Fuard like the plague. Duleep Mendis was a terror. Guy de Alwis didn’t mince his words. A late night out in St. Lucia proved too costly for Jeffrey Vandersay who was sent home from the West Indies by someone known for his no-nonsense approach. Asanka Gurusinha is his name.
Vandersay was also handed a suspended sentence of one year and fined 20 percent of his annual contract for the incident.
Since then, he has featured for the Sri Lankan side sparingly. Last year he played in one ODI and one Test match. The Test match was his debut in Galle against Australia and less than hour after being handed his first Test cap, Vandersay turned up on the field wearing a floppy hat. Team Manager Mahinda Halangoda had to remind him to wear his Test cap. At times, Jeffrey Vandersay is not all there.
Vandersay is 33 and by the time the next World Cup comes he will be 37 and over the hill. In the meantime, there are other leggies like Dushan Hemantha and Suminda Lakshan, who are bright prospects. They both are better batters and fielders than Vandesay. Then there is also young prodigy Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, who has been a sensation in the Lanke Premier League.
So, why do you go back to a 33-year-old with a colourful past at a juncture when the team is already facing disciplinary issues?
It seems that Wanindu Hasaranga is still on the fence when it comes to fitness for the ODI series against Zimbabwe and hence Vandersay has been named as cover.
But why Vandersay over other leggies? The selectors seem to have noticed that the Sri Lankan attack comprised too many players with not much experience during the World Cup and Vandersay’s inclusion will somewhat solve the problem.
Can he behave though? It seems an ultimatum has been given to all players that indiscipline will not be tolerated.
Hopefully that ultimatum is not like water off a duck’s back for the captain has smashed up a dressing room door and abused an official.
The selection of Akila Dananjaya also poses a few questions. The off spinner has been reported for suspect bowling action multiple times. He has remodeled his action and made a comeback only to be reported again or become ineffective.
The selectors feel that Dananjaya has overcome his problems and deserved a place in the side because he has been in good form in domestic cricket. He has been drafted into the squad with the hope of taking wickets in the middle overs, another area the team struggled during the World Cup.
The Sri Lanka women’s volleyball team, powered by Dialog Axiata is set to depart the country today to compete in the 2026 Central Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship, which will be held from 22 to 29 May with the participation of eight nations from across the region.
The tournament will be played in two preliminary groups, with the Sri Lankan side, captained by Ashani Chamodika, drawn in Group ‘B’ alongside Kazakhstan, Iran and Bangladesh. Group ‘A’ will feature India, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives and hosts Nepal.
Sri Lanka Head Coach Amila Wijepala believes the team is well prepared to face the challenge despite being drawn in a highly competitive group.
“Our group is comparatively more challenging than Group ‘A’. Kazakhstan recently secured third place at the Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship after defeating China, making them our toughest challenge. We are confident of overcoming Bangladesh, while I also believe our players possess the ability to defeat Iran. Our objective is to win at least two matches and qualify for the semi-finals,” he said.
Vice President of the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation, Mahinda Bandara, expressed confidence in the squad and praised the players for their commitment during the preparation period.
“We are fielding a very strong side for this tournament. The players have undergone close to two months of residential training at the Watupitiwala Indoor Stadium. We are grateful to the Ministry of Sports for its invaluable assistance in facilitating this tour. We also sincerely appreciate the continued sponsorship and commitment shown by Dialog Axiata towards Sri Lanka’s national sport and this international campaign,” he said.
The Sri Lanka squad for the Central Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship includes high-ball hitters Dilukshi Harshani, Nimeshika Sewwandi, Preethika Pramodani, Timi Mary, Arana Sanjeewani and Shalu Thilakshana. Short-ball hitters are Sanjeewani Karunaratne, Dilki Nethsara, Sesandi Ruwanya and Piumi Bhashini.
Naduni Nimansala and Kavindi Asanthika will serve as liberos, while captain Ashani Chamodika and Dilki Charuka have been named as setters.
The support staff includes Head Coach Amila Wijepala, Assistant Coach Udaya Rukmal, Trainer Upendra Perera, Women’s Team Officer Renuka Nilmini and Team Manager Mahesh Kariyawasam.
15TH STAFFORD MOTORS – MCA G DIVISION T20 LEAGUE CRICKET TOURNAMENT
Dayan Indunil starred with both bat and ball [86 off 48 balls and 4-10 in 4 overs] to power Brandix Apparel to a 70 run win over Stafford Motors at the Nalanda College grounds on Sunday [17] and qualify for the final of the Stafford Motors sponsored MCA G division T20 cricket tournament.
Invited to bat first on a cloudy day, Brandix were 108/1 at the halfway stage of their innings but were unable to keep up the run rate after the fall of the second wicket and were bowled out for 151. Chasing 152 to qualify for the final, Stafford Motors fell victim to the Brandix bowlers led by Dayan Indunil and Sampath Jayalath and were bowled out for 81 runs in 14.3 overs.
Brandix will meet Maliban Biscuits ‘B’ at the MCA ground next Sunday for the final.
Brief scores:
Brandix Apparel
151/10 in 19.1 overs [Dayan Indunil 86, Sampath Jayalath 14, Sasitha Ashan 13; Janith Maduwantha 3-29, Shanaka Sampath 2-25, Vihanga Malith 1-36, Sanjaya Fernando 1-17, Asanka Kumarage 3-20]
Stafford Motors
81/10 in 14.3 overs [Gajindu Yasas 24, Vihanga Malith 10, Vishwa Rajapaksha 27; Janaka Weerapokuna 1-20, Dayan Indunil 4-10, Sampath Jayalath 3-18, Akila Dhanuddara 2-14]
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