Sports
Sri Lanka take on Oman today
The first T-20 International between Oman and Sri Lanka will take place today at Al Amerat with the game getting underway at 2pm local time, which is 3:30 pm Sri Lanka time. The second game of the two match series will be played on Saturday and it will be played under lights starting at 8pm.
Not much is known about the Oman side. They comprise mostly Indians and Pakistanis working in Oman but local talents are coming through too after the government invested a lot of money and effort into popularizing the game.
Oman has made rapid strides in the game in the last four years. They were granted ODI status by the International Cricket Council and recently were given T-20 status as well.
The man Oman chose to guide their cricketing fortunes is former Sri Lanka great Duleep Mendis.
Mendis with 50 years of experience in cricket having represented the country for 15 years and then functioned as coach, manager, chairman of selectors, head of cricket operations and finally CEO had a lot to offer for a budding cricket nation and they have not looked back since he joined them, six years ago.
Apart from developing cricket in Oman, Duleep has been responsible for overseeing the development of infrastructure as well in that country and it was a huge feather in his cap when the ICC decided to play some of the game’s of the upcoming T-20 World Cup in Oman.
Skipper Dasun Shanaka admitted that he has not seen the opposition in action. But Sri Lanka’s support staff by now would have got down all video analysis and shared it with the players feeding them information as to what to expect.
Sri Lanka will be without Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera, who are in UAE playing the IPL. The tourists are also unlikely to take a chance with Kusal Perera, who has just recovered from a hamstring injury.
That provides some of the reserves in the side an opportunity to prove a point before they head to UAE lead up to the World Cup.
Apart from the two games in Oman, Sri Lanka will play Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea as warm-up games in Abu Dhabi before their World Cup campaign begins.
Sri Lanka need to qualify and are grouped alongside Ireland, Netherlands and Namibia. They need to win two of those three games to progress.
The two games in Oman can be watched on Sony Ten and Supreme TV.
An animal rights group is urging Crystal Palace to retire their live bald eagle mascot with immediate effect, saying a “bright stadium filled with boisterous fans is no place for animals”.
In a letter to Palace CEO Sharon Lacey, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) asked the Premier League club to stop using the eagle, named Phoenix, in pre-match displays at Selhurst Park and to never use live animal mascots again.
The London team, known as the Eagles since 1973, introduced a live eagle to matchdays in 2010. Kayla, who died in 2020, performed the role for 10 years and her replacement Phoenix made her debut against West Ham in August 2024.
Peta says birds can become “frightened, disoriented and panicked” in stadium environments, putting themselves and fans at risk.
Using them for displays and entertainment also denies the animals, who “would naturally avoid humans”, the opportunity to engage with their natural instincts, leading to “frustration and stress”, the group said.
The organisation has “detailed records” of incidents involving live mascots, including birds, being injured or killed in collisions with walls, windows and match balls, as well as a falcon embedding its talons in a spectator’s scalp after landing on his head.
In 2017, a Charlton Athletic fan was found guilty of trying to punch Kayla the eagle at a League Cup fixture two years earlier.
“Many professional sports teams use only willing humans as mascots and the club already has Pete the Eagle to excite the crowd,” said Dr Carys Bennett, Peta’s senior corporate projects manager.
“Bald eagles are widely recognised as symbols of freedom. They deserve better than to be used as an entertainment prop to amuse the Eagles’ fans.
[BBC]
Without Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra, the hosts have a top-three spot for Devon Conway. They have as many as six seamers in the squad to pick from, with Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell offering part-time spin in a fairly stacked bowling attack.
[Cricbuzz]
Latest News
Bangladesh and Nepal to host Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup from January 21 to February 6
Four venues in Bangladesh and Nepal will host the 2027 Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, which is set to run from January 21 to February 6. Chattogram, Sylhet, Kirtipur and Mulpani are the four venues, with Chattogram set to host the two semi-finals on February 4 as well as the final on February 6.
The 16-team event will feature four groups of four teams each, with the group stage set to be followed by a two-group Super Six stage, and then the semi-finals and final.
This is the third edition of the tournament, with India having won the first two back-to-back in 2023 and 2025. The defending champions have been drawn in group A alongside Ireland, West Indies and Nepal. Group B has 2025 runners-up South Africa as well as New Zealand, Pakistan and Samoa.
Australia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and UAE make up Group C, while England, Sri Lanka, USA and Scotland have been drawn in Group D.
The tournament will kick off with four matches on January 21, with Sylhet hosting Bangladesh vs UAE and Australia vs Nigeria, and Mulpani hosting Sri Lanka vs Scotland and England vs USA. The other two venues and other eight teams will be involved on January 22: New Zealand vs Samoa and South Africa vs Pakistan in Chattogram, and Nepal vs Ireland and India vs West Indies in Kirtipur.
All 41 games of the tournament will be played during the day. Morning matches will begin at 9.30am local time, and afternoon games at 1.30pm local time.
“The ICC U19 World Cup is the stage that showcases the future of our sport and serves as the ultimate platform for young players to make the leap towards elite careers representing their countries,” ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said. “These future stars representing 16 teams will garner the world’s attention and become relatable role models for many young girls playing the sport, serving inspiration for their continued cricket journeys.
“The choice of our hosts – Bangladesh and Nepal – is also reflective of the ICC’s belief and investment in the future of the cricket ecosystem. With deep passion for cricket and nearly 40% of the two countries’ populations below the age of 20, they serve as the ideal hosts for one of the world’s biggest youth sporting events.”
(Cricinfo)
Crystal Palace urged to retire bald eagle mascot
Little time to unpack as India open in Christchurch
Senior England players to miss Sri Lanka T20Is for WPL 2027
Bangladesh and Nepal to host Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup from January 21 to February 6
Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, Northern and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.
Low-quality coal causes power cuts: Ex-LECO Chief
‘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
-
Features4 days agoKotahena:A Small Enclave, An Extraordinary Legacy
-
News5 days agoAsgiri Mahanayake calls for immediate release of Gnanasara Thera
-
News3 days agoRecord 1,600 students take Russian Classical Ballet examination in Sri Lanka
-
News7 days agoAC President recuses himself from hearing prison attire case pertaining to Gnanasara Thera
-
News6 days agoNaval officer testifies Yoshitha received Rs. 5.15 mn in salaries during SLN service
-
News4 days agoKarannagoda pushed for £24,536 for Yoshitha’s UK training, Court told
-
Editorial6 days agoSaving Anojan: Beyond Executioner’s Blade
-
News7 days agoCID informs Fort Magistrate’s Court investigation into money laundering case against Namal completed