Sports
Excitement as Chameera returns to domestic cricket
by Rex Clementine
There was excitement yesterday as fuel prices came down and you may say that there was an equal amount of joy as fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera made a return to domestic cricket. The nation’s quickest bowler went down with a calf strain during Sri Lanka’s disastrous T-20 World Cup campaign in Australia last year.
It was disastrous because half a dozen players broke down during the series and Sri Lanka failed to make an impact although there was lot of hope after the team had won the Asia Cup. The biggest casualty of them all was Chameera, on whom the team had pinned much hope for the Word Cup.
Chameera had been nursing another ankle injury and when he went down with the calf injury, it was decided to go ahead with the surgery on the ankle and he has returned after five months.
Ideally, Sri Lanka would want to wrap Chameera on a cotton wool and unleash him in June when they will in all probability play the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
Chameera’s pace could be unsettling for opposition batsmen as he clocks above 140 kmph constantly. Lahiru Kumara too can generate pace above 140 kmph but the specialty of Chameera is that he has got good control and doesn’t send down too many loose deliveries.
Chameera and Dasun Shanaka, both from Maris Stella College, Negombo represented the Sri Lankan side around the same time dating back to 2014. While Shanaka has made steady progress going onto become Sri Lanka’s captain winning the Asia Cup, Chameera has been fully fit only in brief spells.
Although there’s been never a doubt about Chameera’s place in the side as he has impressed the selectors with his smooth action and extra pace, injuries have taken their toll.
To their credit the medical staff and the team management had managed Chameera’s workload well but despite this he broke down last year. They will be more cautious this time around as this being a World Cup year.
The national cricket team will be buoyed by the return of Kusal Perera as well by June for the World Cup qualifiers. KJP is currently in New Zealand with the national cricket team but he has been only picked for T-20 cricket. The opening batman has not played any international cricket since November 2021 having undergone shoulder surgery.
With KJP and Chameera in their ranks, Sri Lanka should cruise through the qualifying round of the World Cup.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has issued a statement approving the members nominated for the new Selection Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
The appointments have been made by the Sports Minister in accordance with the powers vested under Section 39 (1) of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973 and the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2437/24 dated May 21, 2025.
The members of the new selection committee are:
Kapila Wijegunawardena – Chairman
Amal Silva – Member
Brendon Kuruppu – Member
Waruna Waragoda – Member
Vanessa De Silva – Member
The Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled its pre-World Cup training camp in the capital, Kinshasa, because of an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country.
Preparations have been moved to Belgium amid the upsurge, which is thought to have killed more than 130 people.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern”, but said it was not at pandemic level.
Jerry Kalemo, a spokesperson for the national football team, told international media that pre-tournament games in Europe would go ahead as planned, as the squad gears up for their first World Cup since 1974.
DR Congo are due to play friendly matches against Denmark, on 3 June in Belgium, and Chile, on 9 June in Spain, ahead of the World Cup finals.
A spokesperson for the DR Congo team told the Reuters news agency that the squad’s training camp had been cancelled due to travel restrictions imposed by the US, who are hosting the World Cup this summer, along with Mexico and Canada.
The US’ public health agency has banned entry from non-Americans who have been in the DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days, in response to the Ebola outbreak
All DR Congo’s players, as well as the team’s French coach, Sébastien Desabre, are based outside the central African country and will therefore not be affected by the restrictions now the training camp has been cancelled.
The high-profile event in Kinshasa was supposed to have been attended by fans, along with DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, according to Reuters.
Kinshasa is roughly 1,800 km (1,120m) away from the eastern Ituri province, the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak. There have not yet been any reported cases in the city.
On Wednesday, the WHO said 139 people were thought to have died, out of 600 suspected cases. However, on the same day, Congolese health minister Samuel Roger Kamba told state broadcaster RTNC TV that authorities had registered 159 deaths.
(BBC Sports)
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