Sports
Lahiru Kumara – handle with care
by Rex Clementine
Handle with care is a warning that we get on packages containing glass, silverware or other valuable electronic items. In other words, fragile items. The same label should be pasted on the locker room of Lahiru Kumara, the fast bowler who has failed to realize his potential due to a series of injuries.
The thing with fast bowlers is that you can teach them to swing the ball away from a batsman or into a batsman, or other key elements of the trade. However, what can not be taught is pace. Either you have it or you don’t have it. Lahiru Kumara is blessed with pace and occasionally with that pace he does wonders.
The Lanka Premier League fixture between Colombo Strikers and Galle Titans this week had everything to play for. The winners were going for the playoffs while the losers were going home. Lahiru Kumara decided who was going where.
Kumara set up the game nicely for Galle through his raw pace. First he went through the defences of the in form Pathum Nissanka and the next over was even better as the stumps of Pakistan captain and world’s number three ranked batter Babar Azam’s were scattered.
There’s no better sight in the sport than a Dhananjaya de Silva cover drive or Lahiru Kumara steaming in sending down thunderbolts that are clocked at 150kmph.
Kumara has let us down yes. Every year since 2019, he has suffered an injury – mostly in the lower body – in middle of a game. Often these have been hamstringing injuries and the team has felt the pinch every time with a bowler down. The last time it happened was during the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe a couple of weeks ago.
Now that Kumara has come up with some impressive efforts in the Lanka Premier League, the selectors will be tempted to play him in the Asia Cup. Let’s not rush him. Let’s handle him with care. Let him feature only in T-20 cricket for the time being while working on his fitness and maybe if he is all there we can think of the World Cup.
The blunder the selectors have done with him over the years is that they have got carried away and tried to use him in every format. It is in Test match cricket that he has been most vulnerable having broken down at Gabba in 2019 and then at Centurion in 2020, Pallekele 2021 and Mohali 2022.
Maybe at the moment Test match cricket should be out of Lahiru Kumara’s equation.
A closer look at his statistics will tell you that he has been backed to play Test cricket more. His numbers are identical having played 26 Tests, 26 ODIs and 26 T-20 Internationals. As of now, he shouldn’t be adding more to his Test match numbers.Kumara has always had pace. But in recent months he has developed discipline as well bowling impeccable lines and lengths and that’s what make him deadly.
Maybe not the smartest bowler in setting batsmen up like Chaminda Vaas, Kumara’s pace has done the trick for him always. Occasionally, he had been taken to the cleaners like during the T-20 World Cup against South Africa in Sharjah when David ‘Killer’ Miller delivered some painful blows. But that’s part of a player’s development.
At that point, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the bowler, the team and the fans, but that ordeal has stood in good stead for Kumara and the captains nowadays tend to trust him to bowl the death overs. That certainly is a good sign.
Kumara’s is an interesting story. He initially was a hockey player at Sri Sumangala, Kandy and a blow to the head from the hockey stick saw him ending up at the Kandy General Hospital for a few days with several stitches. His mother urged him to give up the sport but he vowed to continue. The mum then went home and burnt up his hockey stick sending his hockey dreams in ashes.
Then Kumara took to cricket, a late developer. That brilliant spotter of talents Sampath Perera was impressed with what he saw and offered him a scholarship to Trinity College. While at Trinity, Roy Dias, Sri Lanka’s Under-19 coach was convinced that the boy was made of special stuff and drafted him into the squad. That team went onto beat England Under-19 in 2016.
Lahiru wasn’t the only player that Roy coached on that tour. There were a host of future stars – Pathum Nissanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka and Asitha Fernando – just to name a few. There’s no better coach around in cricket than Roy to groom your young players and he is continuing to mentor the up-and-coming talents.
A former Nascar driver and his family were among the seven people killed in a plane crash at a regional airport in North Carolina, the car-racing organisation has said.
A highway patrol spokesman said people on the ground confirmed that Greg Biffle was among those who boarded the plane.
The Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:20 local time (15:20GMT), officials investigating the incident told reporters.
“Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” Nascar said in a statement where it confirmed Biffle had died along with his wife, daughter, son, and three others.
“His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport,” the company added.
Beyond the racetrack, Biffle was remembered for helping in North Carolina in the aftermath of last year’s Hurricane Helene, when he used his personal helicopter to rescue stranded residents and deliver supplies.
Tributes to the former racer poured in on Thursday.
“Heartbreaking news out of Statesville,” North Carolina Governor Josh Stein posted on X. “Beyond his success as a NASCAR driver, Greg Biffle lived a life of courage and compassion and stepped up for western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.”
Motorsport YouTuber Garrett Mitchell wrote on Facebook that Biffle and his family were on their way to spend the afternoon with him.
“Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane… because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us,” he wrote on Facebook. “We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this.”
Statesville Airport Director John Ferguson described the aircraft as a corporate jet and said it was already engulfed in flames when he arrived on the scene.
The Cessna C550 aircraft is owned by a private company associated with Biffle, CBS, the BBC’s US partner, reported.
The jet took off around 10:06 local time and was in the air briefly before it crashed on the east end of the runway.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
Statesville Airport will remain closed until further notice as crews clear debris off the runway, Mr Ferguson told reporters.
Officials did not provide any information about deaths or people aboard the aircraft during their first media conference.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation has sent in a team to investigate the fatal crash.
The Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH) is owned by the City of Statesville, which is about 45 minutes north of Charlotte.
It also provides aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several Nascar racing teams.
[BBC]
Oussama Tannane’s wonder goal from inside his own half set Morocco on their way to their second FIFA Arab Cup title with a 3-2 win after extra time in the final against Jordan at the Qatar-hosted event.
A full house at Lusail Stadium in Doha on Thursday was quickly on their feet in the fourth minute when Qatar-based footballer Tannane drilled an effort from well over the halfway line – estimated at 59 metres – to catch out goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila.
The Jordan keeper desperately scrambled back to his line in an attempt to stop the shot and collided with the post, resulting in a lengthy four-minute stoppage before he was cleared to continue and play resumed.
It was only the start of a turbulent final that saw Jordan come back to claim the lead, for the match to be sent to extra time, with Jordanian hearts broken seconds away from their first FIFA Arab Cup title in normal time.
Jordan, who were defeated finalists at the 2025 AFC Asian Cup, pulled level on the night three minutes into the second period when Ali Oliwan pulled away from his marker to head home from close range after a well-worked corner.
Jordan then took the lead for the first time after Mahmoud Almardi’s shot hit the raised hand of Achraf El Mahdioui inside the box, allowing Oliwan to convert from the penalty spot for his second in the 68th minute.
The drama was far from over, however, as second-half substitute Abderrazak Hamdallah levelled in the 88th minute – tapping in on the goal line after a scramble from a corner.
It was Oliwan, though, who had the chance of glory with virtually the final kick of normal time when – put clean through on goal – he was unable to beat the keeper to seal the final for Jordan with what would also have been his hat-trick.
Where many may not have taken their seats for Tannane’s opener, the same may have been the case for the start of extra time as Mohannad Abutaha volleyed a spectacular left-footed effort into the top right corner from the left edge of the box.
Like Tannane’s, it was a strike worthy of winning any final, but VAR ruled out the goal for a controversial handball as the Jordanian controlled the ball before unleashing the effort.
Worse was to follow when Hamdallah tapped in his second time – and the winning goal – after Marwane Saadane’s bicycle kick from a set piece fell kindly into his path from close range.
Morocco previously lifted the Arab Cup in 2012, defeating Libya in the final staged in Saudi Arabia. The Atlas Lions succeed Algeria, who defeated their North African neighbours Tunisia in the final four years ago.
Earlier, Morocco dominated the first period and Tannane, who plays his club football for Umm Salal in the Qatar league, had a glorious opportunity to double the lead on the stroke of half time when Abulaila spilled a cross into his path, but the forward failed to make a clean connection with his left-footed follow up and Issam Smeir slid to clear off the line.
The Jordanian stopper had to be on his feet throughout the first period and produced his best save in the 17th minute when Karim El Berkaoui, after exchanging a one-two with Tannane, drove across the face of goal from the edge of the box, but Abulaila was equal to it, low to his right, to push the effort wide.
Morocco, the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal when they achieved the feat at Qatar 2022, will now turn their attention to hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where the squad will be further boosted by a number of their European-based stars who had to prioritise club over country during the Arab Cup.
The FIFA Arab Cup sold more than a million tickets for the 2025 event, doubling what was sold at the previous competition four years ago.
Venura Kaveethra completed a match bag of eight wickets as Mahanama registeted an innings and 62 runs victory over Lumbini in the Under 19 Division I tier A tournament match at Mattegoda on Thursday.
It was the first outright victory for Mahanama in the tournament.
After having declared their innings on the overnight score, Mahanama bowlers did well to restrict Lumbini to 103 runs as Kaveethra picked up four wickets.
Lumbini looked better in the second innings thanks to the resistance of late order batsmen Jayanitha Mendis (8 in 65 balls) and Binuka Ranhiru (12 in 89 balls) who made them last for more than 50 overs.
The day’s other highlight was the unbeaten century scored by Aron David for S. Thomas’. The Thomians were 269 for four wickets at stumps on day one of their match against St. Servatius’ at Mount Lavinia.
Mahanama in innngs win at Mattegoda
Scores
Lumbini
63 all out in 25.2 overs (Venura Kaveethra 4/17, Geeth Sandaruwan 3/31, Thaviru Perera 2/07) and 103 all out in 54.4 overs (Kisandu Dulneth 23; Venura Kaveethra 4/17, Sithum Vihanga 3/05, Geeth Sandaruwan 2/36)
Mahanama
228 for 4 in 41 overs overnight declared (Sithum Vihanga 82, Kaushika Thilakarathne 60, Venura Kaveethra 39n.o., Sanul Weerarathne 24; Mihisara Weerasinghe 2/53)
No decision at DSS ground
Scores
DSS
234 for 7 overnight 283 for 9 in 80 overs (Mayuru Bandara 22, Janindu Ranasinghe 23, Shevan Menusha 68, Randisha Bandaranayake 41, Haamid Afdhal 53, Chithum Baddage 44n.o. ; Ranindu de Silva 2/35, Minage Ariyadasa 2/63, Tenush Nimsara 2/81)
Richmond 90 for 7 in 41 overs (Ravindu Randinu 21, Bevin Jayawardhana 24n.o.; Oshada Perera 4/33, Shanaal Binuksha 2/18)
by Reemus Fernando ✍️
Ex-Nascar driver and his family among seven killed in US plane crash
TikTok owner signs agreements to avoid US ban
Violence breaks out in Bangladesh after death of youth protest leader
Financial contribution from Gift Sri Lanka Foundation and the Georgia Buddhist Vihara, USA, for disaster relief
European Union provides over Euro 2.35 million Humanitarian Assistance to Sri Lanka
Tannane goal from own half sets Morocco on way to FIFA Arab Cup 2025 title
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