Sports
Bloom where you are planted
by Rex Clementine
In sports and life, it’s all about grabbing the opportunities from both hands. Often, we tend to cry over spilled milk and turn a blind eye when new opportunities or ventures open up. Kamindu Mendis is a great example of making most of his chances.
The left-handed batter from Richmond College, Galle was given a raw deal as he was sidelined after making a half-century on debut against Australia. He was in the sidelines for two years not able to break into the senior side. Not that our batters have been covering themselves in glory. Customers at Kandos outlets have spent more time than some of our batters have at the crease in the last two years.
There was a time when Sanath Jayasuriya used to score big hundreds representing Board President’s XI when international teams toured Sri Lanka but failed to break into the senior side. Kamindu was suffering a similar fate.
Kamindu bats at number three in domestic cricket, but in Test match cricket the only spot that was open for him was number seven. He didn’t complain. He let the bat do the talking making hundreds in each innings in his comeback game. On both occasions, the side was in a spot of bother and he was involved in rescue acts.
Then in the second Test, he made an unbeaten 92 and nine and into the bargain there were three wickets. The commentators call him partnership breaker, but he certainly is more than that when it comes to bowling. It is true his bowling has suffered in recent years due to his extraordinary success with the bat in domestic cricket. But if the selectors are looking at a possible all format player who is reliable with the bat, handy with the ball and a gun fielder, – Kamindu Mendis is their answer.
Last month was prolific for Kamindu. He was named Player of the Month by the ICC becoming only the third Sri Lankan to achieve the status with others being Prabath Jayasuriya and Wanindu Hasaranga.
This number seven position isn’t an easy one as the occupants of that role often find themselves battling with the tail. Kamindu has already given a good account of himself farming the strike from nine, ten and Jack.
There has been a school of thought that he should move up the order to number three in Test match cricket as well. Fair point. But let him entertain us from seven for a while. To quote Rev. Fr. Bernard Quintus OMI, ‘bloom where you are planted.’
An ODI between Canada and Netherlamds in King City Toronto on Tuesday was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch. The fixture was part of the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 competition, which is part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The match was abandoned just 4.1 overs into the Netherlands innings after they had chosen to bat. They were 15 for 1, with Max O’Dowd the batter dismissed for a duck in the second over. The pitch had uneven bounce and the batters were struck several times during the short passage of play.
On June 12, four days before the abandoned match, the ICC had issued a statement saying the pitch at King City that was used for an ODI between USA and the Netherlands on June 8 had been given an “unsatisfactory” rating and one demerit point.
“This was a pitch that fell below the standard expected for this level of cricket,” match referee Phil Thompson had said about the surface for the USA-Netherlands match. “Both captains expressed disappointment with how it turned out, and the match officials assessed it as ‘very poor’. The inconsistent bounce created challenging and potentially unsafe playing conditions. Taking all factors into consideration, I believe the pitch merits an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating.”
According to the ICC’s pitch and outfield monitoring process, pitches that get an “unsatisfactory” rating will be given one demerit point, while an “unfit” pitch rating will result in three demerit points for the venue. Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period, and an accumulation of six demerit points will result in the venue being suspended from hosting international matches for 12 months (12 demerit points will lead to a 24-month ban).
(Cricinfo)
Joshua Da Silva and Amir Jangoo have earned recalls to West Indies’ squad for the two-match World Test Championship series at home against Sri Lanka starting later this month, while the two Josephs, Alzarri and Shamar, are back after missing the tours of India and New Zealand late last year because of injuries.
Trevin Imalch had kept wicket when West Indies last played Test cricket, in New Zealand last December, but Da Silva, 33 Test matches old, has returned after scoring 996 runs across the last two seasons of the West Indies Championship. Imlach, who failed with the bat in New Zealand with a total of 81 runs across six innings – after scoring 33 runs in his only Test in India – has been named captain of a West Indies Select XI to play the Sri Lankans in a tour match in Coolidge from June 18 to 21. Roston Chase will continue to captain the Test side.
West Indies vs Sri Lanka Tests
Jangoo, dropped after only one Test appearance, in Multan in January 2025, where he scored 0 and 30, has returned to the side following a fruitful WI Championship in which he scored 411 runs in seven innings. He finished second on the scorers’ table there, only behind Da Silva, who scored 413 in seven outing. The highlight of Jangoo’s season was the 203 not out he scored for Trinidad & Tobago against Leeward Islands
The pair of Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, meanwhile, last played Test cricket during the home series against Australia in mid-2025.”Every Test series is an opportunity for us to grow as a team and strengthen our identity,” Darren Sammy, the head coach, said in a Cricket West Indies statement. “Sri Lanka are a quality side, so we know we’ll have to be at our best, but we’re excited about the challenge ahead.”For us, it’s about playing with discipline, showing character when the game gets tough, and representing the West Indies with pride. The players have been putting in the work, and we’re looking forward to putting on a strong display for our fans across the Caribbean.”
Some of the squad members are currently participating in a high-performance training camp in Antigua, which began on June 12 and will run till June 22. The members of the Test squad who were also part of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka – West Indies lost the ODIs and won the T20Is – will join the camp on June 15. The Tests will be played in North Sound from June 25 to 29 and July 3 to 7.
“This is a key component of our preparations heading into the series, providing players and coaches with valuable time to enhance and improve the skills we want to see sharpened, based on the areas we need to focus our attention on when facing this opponent,” Sammy said about the camp. “It also gives us the opportunity to put clear objectives and plans in place for the conclusion of the summer against Pakistan.
“Additionally, the four-day warm-up game prior to the series provides the chance for some of our Test hopefuls to play in high-intensity action and create the avenue for more competition within the squad ahead of the upcoming and future series.”
West Indies are currently bottom of the nine-team WTC table, having lost seven of their eight games in the ongoing cycle.
West Indies squad for Test series against Sri Lanka
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