Sports
The curious case of Sadeera Samarawickrama
by Rex Clementine
These days selectors are appointed on club loyalties or personal friendships. There was a move a few years ago to bring Marvan Atapattu as the Chairman of Selectors. One legend resisted. He didn’t want Marvan there. The reason being that there would have been no place to carry out his agendas with Marvan at the helm. Instead, he pleaded with the powers that be to install a puppet. Since then, we have all been treated with a puppet show. It’s been a comedy of errors! It truly has been.
We have had some fantastic chief selectors overs the years. There was Mr. Michael Tissera, who was instrumental in bringing Aravinda de Silva back into the fold. Aravinda had given up hopes of making a comeback, but Mr. Tissera offered him a chance on one condition, get fitter and bat at number four for Sri Lanka again. The rest is history.
That’s what a selector should do. International sportsmen have big egos and sometimes you don’t see eye to eye with them. Confrontation may work with some players, but not all. As Mr. Tissera used to say, ‘there are many ways to skin a cat.’
We also had Ashantha de Mel, who very smartly detected that Kumar Sangakkara will be better off as a specialist batsman in Test match cricket than wicketkeeper batsman and it proved to be a masterstroke. De Mel by the way was Chairman of Selectors when Sri Lanka became the first Asian nation to win a Test series in South Africa.
Then there was late Guy de Alwis, bless him, who feared no one. He took over at a time when there was undue political influence being placed on team selections. Guy resisted them all and had an honourable exit refusing to carry out the Sports Minister’s request. Guy de Alwis was a rare breed.
Graham Labrooy became chief selector in 2017. Out of the blue, he picked Sadeera Samarawickrama, who was 21 at that time. Sadeera had not scored heavily in domestic cricket. He wasn’t a permanent fixture in the ‘A’ team either. But Labrooy was convinced that he had seen all the right attitudes in young Sadeera.
A player who loved to attack, was excellent on the field, gave you the wicketkeeper’s option, trained hard and remained grounded. That type of young player like Sadeera was very much the need of the hour Labrooy felt as there were too many young players who were getting into trouble for their off the field activities.
Labrooy was proved right. During Sri Lanka’s tour of India in 2017 former great V.V.S. Laxman spoke so highly of Sadeera and so did Indian captain Virat Kohli.
Sadeera was fielding at short leg in the Delhi Test when he copped a nasty blow to his head from Kohli. Instead of retiring to the comforts of the dressing room, Sadeera carried on regardless. Kohli liked that attitude even though it had come from the opposition camp.
But there was a complete overhaul in 2018. The selectors changed, team management changed and there was a new Head Coach. Sadeera was given the cold shoulder.
It has taken Sadeera six more years to cement his place in the side. Quite strange indeed for in those six years our players haven’t been covering themselves in glory. We had tried many young players during that period with little success. Some of the promising players had got into trouble multiple times and had got suspended. But we even tolerated them time and again.
In the meantime, poor Sadeera suffered in silence. It goes onto show that how badly our selectors have managed the national cricket team. Anyone who watches Sadeera train or carries himself off the field should have got convinced that here is a player who needs to be preserved with. Sadly we did not. Perhaps, Sadeera didn’t represent the right club in domestic cricket.
A move from Park Road to the right Maitland Place club would have helped him to get a break and a permanent slot much earlier.
At halfway mark of the World Cup, Sadeera is not only Sri Lanka’s highest run getter but the sixth top run scorer in the competition.
There are often complains that our system doesn’t produce players who are capable to face the demands of international cricket. Sadeera has proved it wrong. There are players who can produce results at the highest level. Just that they need to be picked and backed.
At the age of 28, Sadeera has played just 27 ODIs. Had we preserved with Labrooy’s policies, Sadeera would have by now played over 150 ODIs and won us lot more games. Better late than never though. Now that Sadeera is here, let’s enjoy his batsmanship and his excellence on the field. You can be guaranteed that here is a player who will not get into trouble on or off the field. This kid is so focused on his game. Sri Lanka badly needs players like him. He can be our Virat Kohli.
The India and Zimbabwe women’s teams are all set to play an international fixture against each other for the first time when Zimbabwe tour India for white-ball fixtures this October.
The tour comprises three T20Is and three ODIs and will be Zimbabwe’s first visit to India; India are yet to tour Zimbabwe for bilateral fixtures.
The three T20Is will be played in Raipur on October 16, 18 and 20, and the ODIs are on October 23, 25 and 28 in Baroda.
The fixtures were announced by the BCCI on Wednesday, along with two home series for the India A women’s side against Australia A in September and England A in December. Both those series comprise three T20s, three List A games and one multi-day fixture.
The India Under-19 women’s team will also host Sri Lanka U-19 in June and July for three T20s and three 50-over games, and England U-19 in November and December for five T20 fixtures.
The Australia A men’s side will tour India for two multi-day fixtures and three one-dayers in September and October, while the Australia U-19 side will visit India for two multi-day fixtures and three one-dayers also in September and October.
[Cricinfo]
Sports
Fast bowlers to get more opportunities as new format introduced for Under-15 Division I tourney
The Inter-Schools Under-15 Division I cricket tournament will be conducted under a revamped format this year, with organisers shifting the focus back to limited-overs cricket while introducing new rules aimed at promoting fast bowling.
The tournament, organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), will see only the top-tier Division I competition played in a 50-over format. Meanwhile, Division II and Division III matches will continue under the one-day, four-innings structure.
SLSCA Secretary Saman Hettiarachchi said the changes were made following consultations with experts from Sri Lanka Cricket, with a clear objective of providing greater opportunities for pace bowlers.
”We opted for the limited-overs format for Division I in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket. The lower divisions will copete in the innings format as we have observed matches ending early without utilizing the full quota of overs,” Hettiarachchi told ‘The Island’.
A key feature of the revised rules is the compulsory allocation of overs for fast bowlers. In a full 50-over innings, a minimum of 20 overs must be bowled by pacemen. Additionally, during the first 10 overs, at least eight overs must be delivered by fast bowlers. If an innings is reduced to 30 overs or fewer, at least six of the first eight overs must be bowled by pace.
”It was made mandatory to give more opportunities to pacemen,” Hettiarachchi explained.
Meanwhile, the official draw for the Division I tournament has been released, featuring 70 teams divided into 16 groups from Group A to Group P for the preliminary round. Each team is guaranteed multiple matches during the opening stage.
Defending champions St. Joseph’s College headline Group A, where they will meet Nalanda College, Dharmapala College, St. John’s College, Lumbini College and De La Salle College.
With traditional cricketing powerhouses spread across the groups, it will be interesting to see how the first round pans out in the new-look tournament.
Under 15 Division I Tournament First Round Groups
GROUP A
St. Joseph’s College, Colombo
Nalanda College, Colombo
Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya
St. John’s College, Nugegoda
Lumbini College, Colombo
De La Salle College, Colombo
GROUP B
D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo
S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia
Presidents’ College, Kotte
Wesley College, Colombo
Carey College, Colombo
Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya
GROUP C
St. Anthony’s College, Wattala
St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa
Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Kottawa
St. Peter’s College, Colombo
C.W.W. Kannangara MV, Colombo
Ashoka College, Colombo
GROUP D
St. Benedict’s College, Colombo
Royal College, Colombo
Gurukula College, Kelaniya
Lyceum International School, Wattala
Bandaranayake MMV, Gampaha
St. John’s College, Panadura
GROUP E
De Mazenod College, Kandana
Isipathana College, Colombo
Christ King College, Ja-Ela
Thurstan College, Colombo
Ananda Shastralaya NS, Kotte
St. Joseph Vaz College, Vennappuwa
GROUP F
Mahanama College, Colombo
Piliyandala MMV, Piliyandala
Ananda College, Colombo
Sri Jayawardenapura NS, Kotte
Presidents College, Maharagama
St. Thomas’ College, Kotte
GROUP G
Wadduwa MMV, Wadduwa
Sri Sumangala College, Panadura
Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa
Moratu Vidyalaya, Moratuwa
Revatha College, Balapitiya
Royal College, Panadura
GROUP H
Dharmaraja College, Kandy
St. Mary’s College, Kegalle
Kegalu Vidyalaya, Kegalle
Kingswood College, Kandy
Vidyartha College, Kandy
Ibbagamuwa MMV, Ibbagamuwa
GROUP J
Maris Stella College, Negombo
Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala
Harischandra College, Negombo
Maliyadeva Adarsha MV, Kurunegala
Galahitiyawa MMV, Ganemulla
Sandalankawa MMV, Sandalankawa
GROUP K
St. Anthony’s College, Kandy
St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy
Trinity College, Kandy
Royal College, Polonnaruwa
St. Thomas’ College, Matale
Jaffna Hindu College, Jaffna
GROUP L
Sri Pangnananda MMV, Raddoluwa
St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala
St. Mary’s College, Chilaw
Sri Sumangala NS, Wariyapola
St. Peter’s College, Negombo
St. Xavier’s College, Marawila
GROUP M
Devapathiraja College, Rathgama
St. Aloysius College, Galle
Holy Cross College, Kalutara
Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda
Kalutara Vidyalaya, Kalutara
Vidyaloka College, Galle
GROUP N
Mahinda College, Galle
Tissa MV, Kalutara
Rahula College, Matara
Debarawewa NS, Debarawewa
St. Thomas’ College, Matara
Meepawala Amarasuriya MV
GROUP P
St. Servatius’ College, Matara
Richmond College, Galle
Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda
Karandeniya MMV, Karandeniya
P. De S. Kularathna MV, Ambalangoda
President’s College, Embilipitiya.
by Reemus Fernando
With the success the seven MCA men’s cricket tournaments have achieved, the Executive Committee of Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA) have decided to give Women’s Cricket in Sri Lanka a boost by introducing a hard ball Women’s Cricket Tournament for the corporate sector.
With the international recognition women’s cricket has gained at present, it is no secret that there still are many talented lasses aspiring to reach the zenith of the game.
Even with the measures Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) the game’s governing body through the Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) have taken to promote girls cricket in schools, a considerable number of talented players, specially in the provinces do not have an opportunity to be recognized.
It is the MCA’s belief that with the introduction of a MCA Women’s Cricket Tournament, the corporate sector will be encouraged to field teams, and in doing so will give a hand to talented lasses and school leavers by providing them with employment as well as the opportunity to realise their aspirations in the Women’s Cricket arena.
At present in addition to the seven major Men’s tournaments the MCA organise the
Mercantile Six-a-Side tournament, the Over-40 Sixes competition, the 20×20 league, and the esteemed MCA Inter Academy Invitational tournament,
As an initial step, the MCA will be conducting a Women’s six and side soft ball cricket tournament for the corporate sector teams on Saturday 23rd May 2026 at the Mercantile Cricket Association grounds.
For further information please contact Chamara on 0759592488 or Prasad 0759809777.
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