Sports
Let’s find solutions to problems, not scapegoats
by Rex Clementine
The Asia Cup final last Sunday was a bitter pill to swallow. While 35,000 adoring fans turned up at RPS paying through the nose to witness a good game of cricket, most streets in the country were deserted as millions of ardent fans watched the proceedings on television with keenness hoping for Sri Lanka to defend their title. Alas, it was all over in two hours. Sri Lanka had been shot out for their lowest total at home – 50.
The final was an anti-climax no doubt. Rather than discussing conspiracy theories and offering the game to India on a platter, let us address the real issues facing our cricket. Every time we play India in recent years, they expose the vast gap between the teams. They have moved far ahead while we keep blaming the usual suspects.
On every occasion where we lose a big final or by a massive margin we find scapegoats. It used to be all Kumar Sangakkara’s fault at one point. Then we moved onto Angelo Mathews. The blame was placed in the doorstep of Chandika Hathurusinghe more recently. This time around we found a scapegoat in Dasun Shanaka.
It is incredible that the selectors thought that the captain needed to go with just over one week left for the team’s departure to India for the sport’s showpiece event.
That is exactly what they have been doing during their tenure of over two years – finding scapegoats. Some of our heaviest defeats in the sport both in red and white ball formats have come under the current set of selectors. Instead of finding solutions and addressing the real issues, the selectors have found whipping boys and passed on the blame.
Chairman of Selectors Pramodya Wickramasinghe made a hue and cry about players’ fitness and then got rid of half a dozen seniors from the white ball formats. He then made players ineligible for selection if they failed fitness tests. You wonder what has happened to those rigid fitness routines now? Dare we say the team that he picks for the World Cup will at least have two or three players who do not meet minimum fitness standards.
India’s success is not just due to the IPL. There are various other aspects like some terrific athletes like Virat Kohli coming through and pushing all sorts of limits. Although fitness standards have been lowered since Rohit Sharma took over as captain, India have overall high standards in fitness. India’s strength always has been their spin but nowadays they have backed their quicks and if you wonder how come someone like Mohammed Shami can not find a place in the side, Mohmmed Siraj answered those questions in the finals.
There is so much at stake in Indian cricket and you don’t find players overstepping the line whereas we have multiple discipline issues ranging from drunk driving, brawls at casinos and even players being arrested on overseas soil.
Much needs to be done to put our cricket in order and threatening to sack Dasun Shanka alone will not solve our problems.
The same set of selectors were responsible for appointing Dasun as ODI captain knowing all too well that he didn’t own a place in the ODI team. During the contract crisis with Kusal Janith Perera on warpath with the establishment, the selectors wanted a compromise candidate and Dasun Shanaka fitted that bill. KJP was given the cold shoulder. Bloodless cricketing coups aren’t a new thing in our country and from Bandula Warnapura onwards many captains have suffered the same fate.
The selectors had so many chances to get rid of Dasun if they wanted but they were playing political games. Obviously, they didn’t want to go back to Angelo Mathews, the rightful heir to the throne. Wanindu Hasaranga is of course too independent and will be tough to control while the selectors have had differences with Dhananjaya de Silva.
Having waited this long, when the nation is angry following the Asia Cup final debacle, the selectors thought that Dasun is their fall guy for they needed someone.
Thankfully sanity prevailed. With the World Cup just around the corner, this is not the right time to change your captain and you’ve got to wait till the World Cup is over.
As for Dasun, there’s so much he can work on to ensure that he doesn’t become a mere passenger in India. He can start with tightening his defence. However, he seems to be too busy doing PR acts apologizing to fans for the losses.
Whatever said and done, under Dasun’s leadership Sri Lanka have reached back-to-back Asia Cup finals. On both occasions Star Sports and the organizers were hoping for an India-Pakistan clash but Dasun has spoilt those plans. Having done that now it is time to make some contributions with the bat and get noticed or face the axe after the World Cup.
If Dasun doesn’t perform with the bat in India, the selectors should ask him to step down. While doing so they themselves can tender their resignations for their flawed policies is a reason why the game is not moving forward.
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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