Sports

Mohammad Wasim and Fakhar Zaman help Pakistan complete whitewash

Published

2 months ago

2025/11/18

Kusal Mendis scored 34. (Getty Images)

Pakistan eased to a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka to seal a 3-0 series whitewash. Three wickets from Mohammad Wasim and contributions from others bowled Sri Lanka out for 211, before a half-century by Fakhar Zaman took much of the jeopardy out of the chase. Sri Lanka fought hard through the middle, getting rid of Babar Azam and Salman Agha in quick succession, and though it succeeded in slowing Pakistan down, the visitors ultimately had too few runs to play with as Pakistan cantered to the win with 5.2 overs to spare.

‎When Sri Lanka began their innings, they appeared to have designs on a total above 300. Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara were timing the ball particularly sweetly, racing along to a 50-run partnership inside the first eight overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi, in particular, was punished early by Mishara, who exploited the gaps as an opposition side racked up a 50-run opening partnership against Pakistan for the sixth ODI in succession.

‎But as has been so often the case for the visitors, wickets derailed their progress significantly. Mishara had chopped a few early on and survived, but Nissanka’s first inside edge clattered into the stumps, and from there Pakistan started to squeeze. Wasim found a bit of extra bounce to draw Mishara’s outside edge, and the free-flowing runs were suddenly no longer coming.

‎Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama rebuilt, but not nearly at the speed Sri Lanka needed on a wicket that looked like it would only continue to get better. Left-arm wristspinner Faisal Akram, replacing Abrar Ahmed in the side, enjoyed an excellent first spell, deploying his variations to great effect and keeping the batters honest. He had Samarawickrama trapped in front in single digits, but the batter got the decision reversed on review because the ball was turning too much.

‎‎But the pressure was invariably building up. It had taken 75 balls to score just 43 runs, and by the time Wasim returned to the attack, the urgency to score quickly had been amplified. He knocked them off course with a yorker that cleaned up the stand-in captain Kusal Mendis before a double blow from Akram blew the innings wide open. It included a splendid delivery that sliced through Samarawickrama’s defences two runs shy of a half-century, as well as a soft return catch that did for Kamindu Mendis.

‎‎Sri Lanka have set much store in 23-year-old batting talent Pavan Rathnayake, even if he was batting a tad too deep for their liking. The debutant showed impressive temperament as he shepherded the tail, and arguably played the shot of the day with a back-foot punch that flew over cover for a six. But he got limited support from the tail as Pakistan chipped away at the other end, and with nine wickets down, his desperation to get back on strike cost him his wicket. He had put up a spirited 32, but the 211 Sri Lanka ended up with never looked near enough.

‎‎Zaman drove that point further home as he started off in a hurry. It was almost as if he was making up for lost time after Haseebullah Khan’s brief tortured stay at the crease resulted in a 12-ball duck, the young wicketkeeper-batter getting more desperate with each ball before ultimately smearing one straight to mid-on. Babar Azam’s arrival lifted the crowd’s spirits while Zaman took care of the run-scoring, freeing his arms and finding the gaps either side of the wicket with regularity in the powerplay. Babar, meanwhile, looked like a man with rediscovered confidence, timing the ball beautifully as Pakistan cruised through the first 15 overs.

‎Zaman took on Jeffrey Vandersay, who was playing his first game this series, but the legspinner dragged his side back into the contest. After smacking him for his second boundary, Zaman went after Vandersay again, only for Kamindu Mendis to take a spectacular catch diving forward in the deep. Shortly after, he did for Babar with a googly that beat the batter all ends up, sneaking through the gate and making a mess of his stumps.

‎With their tails up, it was the first time since the opening powerplay in the game that Sri Lanka placed any kind of pressure on Pakistan. Vandersay beat Agha with a lovely legbreak that drifted in and then ripped away to trap him in front, and suddenly, the 97 runs Pakistan still needed seemed very far away.

‎But Rizwan and Hussain Talat hunkered down. For a while, run-scoring seemed a secondary thought; the next ten overs produced just 32 runs. But most importantly, Sri Lanka were being kept out of the wickets column, and with the asking rate far too modest to have any impact on the game, Pakistan, bit by bit, dragged themselves towards the finish line.

‎‎It left the last hour of the game in a holding pattern where the outcome was all but certain, but Talat and Rizwan were in no hurry to put Sri Lanka out of their misery. Rizwan coasted towards his half-century while Talat saw an opportunity to amass a few more runs in what has been a successful series for him. In the 43rd over, Maheesh Theekshana had Talat lbw but the batter got the decision overturned as the ball-tracking showed the ball bouncing over the stumps. It just about summed up Sri Lanka’s stuttering series in the Rawalpindi cold before the hosts finally limped over the finish line.

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Sports

Hasaranga backs Sri Lanka for World Cup semi-final push

Published

12 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka’s leg-spin spearhead Wanindu Hasaranga has warned rivals not to write off the hosts ahead of the World Cup, after his four-wicket burst in the final T20I against Pakistan helped Sri Lanka square the three-match series on Sunday.

Hasaranga’s spell turned the game on its head and restored belief in a side that has blown hot and cold. Speaking after being named Player of the Match and Player of the Series, the leg-spinner said Sri Lanka, buoyed by home conditions, remain very much in the hunt for a semi-final berth.

Under head coach Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka have made steady strides over the past 18 months. There have been a few distractions recently like changes in selectors and captaincy among them, but the dressing room, Hasaranga insisted, is quietly confident.

“We know the conditions and we’ve grown up playing in these conditions,” Hasaranga said. “If we use them well, we can have a major impact. Players need to identify their roles. Once that happens, we can put on a good show.”

Sunday’s decider was reduced to 12 overs a side after rain delayed the start by more than two hours, but Hasaranga felt the shortened contest still offered valuable lessons.

“Today we looked good,” he said. “We’ve been lacking a bit of consistency in recent years. In a World Cup, you have to minimise mistakes and keep moving forward.”

Bowling with a wet ball tested the spinners’ skills and patience, but Hasaranga viewed it as useful match practice rather than an inconvenience.

“It was challenging with a wet ball,” he explained. “But it’s good these things happen before a World Cup. It prepares you for all kinds of situations. I even spoke to our batters about what deliveries they’d prefer to face, and that input helped when we went out to defend.”

Sri Lanka now enjoy a week’s breather before hosting England with Hasaranga keen to see his side peak at the right time.

“When this series started, we had six games leading into the World Cup,” he said. “Rain in Dambulla meant things didn’t always go to plan. As a team, we wanted winning momentum. There are only a couple of games left now and we need to be firing on all cylinders when the World Cup begins.”

Sri Lanka had stumbled in the opener, losing by six wickets after being bowled out inside 20 overs, while the second match was washed out without a toss. A 14-run win in the final game, however, ensured honours ended even.

Rex Clementine
in Dambulla

Sports

Sunil Gunawardana among contenders for top post of Sri Lanka Athletics

Published

12 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

It will be a four-way battle for the top post of Sri Lanka Athletics as fresh nominations for the election of office bearers closed at the Sports Ministry on Monday. Former president Sunil Gunawardana, Bimal Wijesinhge, Sugath Kumara and Prasanna Indika are the nominees for the post of president and they are subjected to objections.

‎This is the second time the Ministry of Sports called for nominations after different stakeholders successfully challanged the earlier niminations alleging that there were errors in the process.

‎Informed sources said that this time too the Ministry of Sports has left enough room for allegations as it announced the names of the nominees without waiting for the nominations sent by post.

‎”There was a fundamental error as they did not wait for nominations sent by post. They informed the stake holders by post. Some member federations had received the letters only on last Thursday. They were in a mighty hurry to announce the names of the nominees soon after the nominations closed,” a source close to athletics told The Island.

‎Following are the nominees for various posts of Sri Lanka Athletics.

‎‎President: Sunil Gunawardana, Bimal Wijesinhge, Prasanna Indika, Sugath Kumara

‎‎Vice President: Prasanna Indika, Lal Chandrakumara, Lt. Col. G.N. Jayathilaka, Irangani Rupasinghe, Jagath Silva, G.J. Siyamudali, Prasanna Aluvihare

‎‎Secretary: Dr. Dhammika Senanayake, Sameera Perera, Madawa Herath

‎Asst. Secretary: Sameera Perera, Aloy Wickramasinghe (RF)

Sports

Lakmal, Pravina win trophies at Eagles Monsoon Cup Golf Tournament

Published

13 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

Wing Commander Lakmal Gunewardene (Retd) won the Eagles’ Monsoon Cup Trophy. (L) / Pravina Dunuwille emerged as the Ladies' Trophy winner. (R)

Wing Commander Lakmal Gunewardene (Retd) secured the Eagles’ Monsoon Cup Trophy, achieving the highest score in the gents’ category and Pravina Dunuwille emerged as the Ladies’ Trophy winner at the fourth edition of the Eagles Monsoon Cup Golf Tournament which came to a close at the picturesque China Bay, near the harbour city of Trincomalee.

‎The Sri Lanka Air Force, in collaboration with Eagles’ Golf Links and Courses, successfully conducted the fourth edition of the Eagles’ Monsoon Cup Golf Tournament on Sunday.

‎The tournament, conducted under the Stableford Scoring System, commenced in the morning with the participation of 80 enthusiastic golfers, including 13 women golfers. The tournament was officially inaugurated when one of the former Commanders of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, took the first tee-off.

‎Wing Commander Nalin Bentharaarachchi (Retd) claimed the Runner-up position in the Gents’ category, and Niloo Jayathilake was awarded the Ladies’ Runner-up position. In addition, Buddika Amarasinghe and Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody received accolades for the Longest Drive and Nearest to the Pin, respectively, in the Gents’ category, while Sandra Cadien secured the Longest Drive in the Ladies’ category. The Wooden Spoon was awarded to Nimal Jayasinghe.

‎The Eagles’ Monsoon Defence Challenge Trophy, presented to members of the Tri-Services in the Men’s category, was won by Wing Commander Asantha Gunaratne from the SLAF. Lieutenant Commander Mevan Perera from the SL Navy was the Runner-up of the Defence Challenge Trophy. Commodore Mangala Mummullage received the award for the Longest Drive in the Defence Challenge category.

‎The Best Total Net Score in the Six Hidden Holes competition segment was achieved by Wing Commander Lakmal Gunewardene (Retd) and Group Captain Prabath Wijekoon received the Commander’s Island Green Award for the 2025 year’s Eagles’ Monsoon Cup iteration.

‎The awards of the Eagles’ Monsoon Cup were presented at a gala Awards Ceremony held at Eagles’ Golf Links during the evening of the same day. The Director General Air Operations, Air Vice Marshal Dhammika Dias, graced the Awards Ceremony as the Chief Guest. Further, Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkodi, Chairman of SLAF Golf, Air Commodore Erandika Gunewardene, Secretary of Air Force Golf Links and Courses, Group Captain Asanka Rathnayake, Secretary of Air Force Golf, Wing Commander Thushan Fernando, Sales Manager of Aviyana Ceylon Resorts, Suranga Fernando (representing the Chairman of Aviyana Ceylon Resorts) and other golf enthusiasts attended the ceremony.

‎Adding to the prestige of the occasion, Aviyana Ceylon Resorts sponsored the tournament, enhancing its grandeur and providing a memorable experience for all participants.‎