Sports
Mendis to open in Zimbabwe ODIs
by Rex Clementine
Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka confirmed that Kusal Mendis will open batting in the three match series against Zimbabwe that gets underway at Pallekele on Sunday. Mendis was not part of the initial squad but was a late addition after several COVID positive cases within the Sri Lanka bubble.
The 26-year-old Mendis last played international cricket more than six months ago and missed several series after he was suspended by Sri Lanka Cricket along with Niroshan Dickwell and Danushka Gunathilaka for breaching the bio-secure bubble during the team’s tour of England. The one year suspension was reduced to six months on appeal and Mendis now finds huge responsibility on his shoulders with the team missing Avishka Fernando and Dhananjaya de Silva.
Mendis is the brightest Sri Lankan talent to emerge in the last ten years and there have been some terrific match winning knocks like in Port Elizabeth three years ago when he helped the team to seal a series win in South Africa against an attack comprising Steyn, Rabada and Olivier. However, lack of consistency has been an issue. Given his talent and now with responsibility on his shoulders, fans will be hoping that he will have a telling impact in this series and moves forward emerging as one of world’s best batsmen.
Mendis will partner Pathum Nissanka who was in good nick in the Test series against West Indies last month.
Charith Asalanka was terrific during the T-20 World Cup last year and he has got an opportunity to cement his place in the ODI side as well having made his Test debut in December.
Injury to Minod Bhanuka has forced the selectors to rethink their strategy and it is likely that Niroshan Dickwella who was added to the bubble in Kandy will be drafted into the squad.
Meanwhile Dushmantha Chameera, who had tested positive for COVID two weeks ago has been medically cleared to resume training but whether he will be available for the series opener remains to be seen. The Island learns that the fast bowler will be given ample time to be match fit before making a return.
Three players who were named in the squad; Avishka Fernando, Janith Liyanage and Kamil Mishara were pulled out from the squad after testing positive for COVID. Dhananjaya de Silva, deputy to Dasun Shanaka, has been left out due to personal reasons and Sri Lanka’s batting looks thin on experience.
All three ODIs will be played at Pallekele.
Sri Lanka batter Kusal Mendis took to social media yesterday to acknowledge an act of generosity that ensured he made it to the IPL crease fully kitted. His gratitude was directed at a Sri Lankan living in Pakistan who went above and beyond to deliver Mendis’ cricket gear to Colombo just in time. While Mendis mentioned the name – Mr. Wayne Jansz – what he left out was the man’s cricketing pedigree.
Wayne Jansz isn’t just another good Samaritan; he’s a former cricketer who turned out for St. Joseph’s College in the 1970s before donning the whites for Tamil Union. In fact, Jansz still holds bragging rights for a marathon 352-run opening stand with Athula Samarasekara in 1981, breaking the longstanding record set by the legendary pair of Herbie Felsinger and Markin Salih for Moors.
The following season, Tamil Union clinched the domestic title under the captaincy of the ever-graceful Mr. S. Skandakumar. That side was a Who’s Who of Sri Lankan cricket: Ashley de Silva, now CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket and Channa Wijemanne, the man who has run the travel desk for George Steuart like a maestro orchestrating a symphony. In cricketing circles, if you needed to be flown out last minute or pulled out of a visa muddle, you don’t have to look beyond anyone but Channa or Bernard Wijetunga. Legend has it Channa once whisked Sanath Jayasuriya off to the Netherlands from the UK, no visa in hand, no questions asked.
Back to Mendis. When tensions flared between India and Pakistan earlier this year, the players were evacuated from Islamabad via military aircraft. In the chaos, Mendis was forced to leave behind his kit bag – a batsman without his gear, as naked as a knight without his sword.
So when the IPL came calling, Mendis’ team scrambled to retrieve the bag. Couriers told them it will take several days. That’s when Channa stepped in. And like any good fielder who knows where the ball is headed before it’s hit, he knew exactly who to call – Wayne Jansz.
Now a high-flyer in Pakistan’s garment industry, Jansz didn’t hesitate. He hopped on a flight from Karachi to Islamabad, collected the kit bag, flew back to Karachi, and from there dashed to Colombo – delivering the prized possession just in time for Mendis to catch his connection to India. All in a day’s work for a man who plays the long innings in service and humility.
It’s people like Wayne Jansz who don’t make the headlines but play match-winning knocks behind the scenes. Juggling a demanding corporate job while batting for the country’s cricketers takes the kind of commitment you won’t find in any stat sheet.
by Rex Clementine
Stage one competition of the Sir John Tarbet Junior Athletics Championship was held at Beliatta on May 17. Junior school athletes from the Southern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and Moneragala district took part in this leg. Here are some action pictures of the event.
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- S. L. Vithanage of Seevali Central Ratnapura competes in the Under 15 boys’ discus throw
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- Buvindu Hansana of Deniyaya Central College cleared a distance of 40.61 metres in the Under 15 boys’ javelin throw.
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- Winuki Dinewna of Sujatha Vidyalaya Matara produced the best long jump feat in the Under 15 girls’ event.
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- Loshini Kodituwakku of Lyceum International Rathnapura had the best throw in the Under 15 girls’ javelin throw.
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- Sanithu Kumodh of Rahula College Matara, the top performer of the Under 15 boys’ 800 meters.
(Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)
Chinthaka Munasinghe was re-elected as President of Sri Lanka Cricket Scorers at the Annual General Meeting of the association held at the National Institute of Sports Sciences auditorium last week.
Munasinghe, Chamara de Silva (Secretary), Lalin Premarathna (Treasurer) and Ranga Samantha (Assignment Secretary for 2025/ 2026) were selected to their respective posts uncontested.
The newly appointed Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Scores for 2025/26:
President – Chinthaka Munasinghe
General Secretary – Chamara de Silva
Treasurer – Lalin Premarathne
Assignment Secretary – Ranga Samantha Vice Presidents – Fazal Mohomed and Saman Peiris
Assistant Secretary –Ishendra de Silva
Assistant Treasurer – Chamara Perera and Nilantha Herath
Assistant Assignment Secretary – Ishanka Udayanga and Dimuthu Asanka
Chief Organizer – Dinesh Kumara
Committee Members – Nishantha Jayasinghe, Tharaka Nanayakkara, Chamara Thilakarathne
‘Accountability issues’: Successive govts. failed armed forces: Shavendra
Govt. likely to lose more votes in N&E unless it adopts remedial measures
Parliament to meet from May 20 to 23
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