Latest News
Sri Lanka restrict Afghanistan to 266
Rex Clementine at Pallekele
Sri Lanka fought back well in the third ODI against Afghanistan as the tourists were bowled out for 266 in 48.2 overs at Pallekele. The Afghans were well set going into the last ten overs having reached 223 for four but lost six wickets for 43 runs as Sri Lanka turned things around remarkably.
Pramod Madushan was the pick of the bowlers finishing with three wickets. Akila Dananjaya, making his comeback to the side after three years claimed two wickets while Dunith Wellalage and Asitha Fernando also finished with two wickets apiece.
There has been lot of criticism on Sri Lanka’s poor fielding standards and a genuine effort has been put in to address the issue with former Test cricketer Upul Chandana put on the job as Fielding Coach.
Head Coach Chris Silverwood had spoken about the team’s willingness to give Avishka Fernando the long rope despite him being a slow mover on the field and Avishka proved that persevering with him is worthwhile with a direct hit to dismiss opening batter Ibrahim Zadran.
Afghanistan openers had got off to an electric start reaching 39 off 27 balls and the breakthrough helped Sri Lanka to slow down the run rate.
Rahmat Shah top scored with 65 while Azmatullah Omarzai made 54 to help Afghanistan to their total of 266 but at one stage they were looking set to post something in excess of 300.
Sri Lanka’s bowling wasn’t all that disciplined, particularly the seamers as they were wayward.
The game is a dead rubber with Sri Lanka having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Both sides made two changes to the side that featured in the second ODI.
While Akila Dananjaya replaced Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage took the place of Wanindu Hasaranga. The leg-spinner is said to be nursing an ankle niggle and will have to be fit for the T-20s that will follow where he will be captain.
Sri Lanka’s players were wearing black armbands in memory of late Sri Lanka Cricket Treasurer Trevor Rajaratnam.
Brief Scores:
Afghanistan 266 all out, 48.2 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 48, Rahamat Shah 65, Azmatullah Omarzai 54, Ikram Alikhil 32; Pramod Madushan 3-45, Dunith Wellalage 2-38, Asitha Fernando 2-44, Akila Dananjaya 2-54) vs Sri Lanka
In the recent past, factors such as population growth, expansion of development activities, and deforestation in Sri Lanka have resulted in the loss of traditional migratory routes and the destruction of habitats of wild elephants.
Consequently, a continuous and rapid escalation of the human-elephant conflict has been observed over a long period, spanning 19 out of the 25 districts and 134 out of the 341 Divisional Secretariat Divisions in the country.
According to the wild elephant census conducted in 2024, the wild elephant population in the country is estimated to be approximately 7,450. It is reported that the human-elephant
conflict accounts for a significant number of human fatalities and wild elephant deaths annually.
Furthermore, over a thousand incidents of property damage caused by wild elephants are recorded each year.
Although a ‘National Action Plan to Mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka’ was formulated in 2020, the dynamics of the current human-elephant conflict have evolved substantially since then, necessitating the formulation of a new national action plan.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Environment to take the necessary steps to draft a new National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Management.
Latest News
Cabinet green light to host 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum – Asia and Pacific Regions from 23 – 26 June in Sri Lanka
Hosting the 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum – Asia and Pacific Regions in Sri Lanka
An invitation has been extended to Sri Lanka to host two major regional aviation security summits: the 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific (CASP-AP) and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum (RASCF).
The Steering Committee of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific serves as the primary decision-making body for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) cooperative aviation security program in the Asia-Pacific region.
Sri Lanka is scheduled to assume the chairmanship of the said Steering Committee for the 2026-2027 term during this summit.
The Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum for the Asia and Pacific regions serves as a regional platform to deliberate on emerging threats, the implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), capacity-building activities, and coordination among member states and international
organizations.
Approximately 80 delegates, including representatives from 41 member states, international organizations, and observers, are expected to participate in these two summits.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation to host the 21st Steering Committee Meeting of the Cooperative Aviation Security Programme – Asia Pacific on the 23rd and 24th of June 2026, and the 14th Regional Aviation Security Coordination Forum – Asia and Pacific Regions on the 25th and 26th of June 2026 in Sri Lanka.
Latest News
Committee to examine the feasibility of operating all functions related to the Employees’ Provident Fund and the Employees’ Trust Fund under an integrated governance framework
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Labour to appoint a Committee comprising Senior Officials to examine the feasibility and submit recommendations on bringing all operations of the Employees’
Provident Fund and the Employees’ Trust Fund under an integrated governance framework managed by a tripartite board representing the Government, employers, and employees.
This initiative aims to align with international best practices while ensuring comprehensive legal and financial security for the assets of the members
Complaint of custodial deaths and torture submitted to UN
India provides military stores worth USD 5.5 mn to SL
India promotes INR-LKR settlement mechanism
UK Trade Envoy here for high-level trade and investment engagements
Govt. failure to fill top two courts’ vacancies leaves Judiciary in a conundrum
UNDP, Central Bank deepen financial literacy drive to build economic resilience
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News5 days agoCIABOC summons Yoshitha over his participation in British Navy training programme
-
Sports2 days agoTharanga set for high-profile javelin clash in Ostrava
-
News5 days agoJustice Minister responds to social media claims he represented Easter Sunday ringleader
-
News4 days agoCommonwealth lawyers urge Lanka to uphold rule of law
-
Features3 days agoPolitics of protected species
-
News2 days agoTheft of USD 2.5 mn from Treasury: CoPF accused of complicity in NPP cover-up
-
News1 day agoBeijing Capital Airlines to resume flights to Colombo signalling boost to tourism
-
Features3 days agoOf Whales and Submarines: Sri Lanka’s Security Dilemma