Sports
Selectors can be influenced, warns former captain
by Rex Clementine
One of the respected voices in cricket has warned that cricket selectors can be influenced and there needs to be background checks before selection appointments are made. This individual is a former Sri Lanka captain who has held various positions at SLC since retiring from the game and he is known for his unquestionable integrity.
He was one of the former captains who attended a meeting chaired by Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa at the ministry premises earlier this week. The meeting was attended by several former captains and cricket administrators. Minister Rajapaksa tweeted that it was a ‘fruitful’ discussion.
The present selection committee has made some bizarre decisions that has not gone down too well with the public and it came under heavy flack by a host of former captains during the meeting on Monday.
While axing half a dozen seniors from the white ball teams, the selectors sent the wrong signals when they went on record saying that they hoped to retain the services of fast bowler Lasith Malinga for the home T-20 series against India. The statement obviously did not go down well in cricket circles with the coaching staff issuing an ultimatum that if Malinga wanted to return to the side, he needed to meet necessary fitness standards.
The Island learns that the selectors were even willing to make some exceptions for Malinga when it came to fitness. Eventually, there was opposition within the selection panel and the Malinga fantasy lasted a little more than the England innings at Trent Bridge.
The selectors choice for captaincy too left many in bewilderment. Kusal Janith Perera hadn’t even captained his school; Royal College when he was appointed as skipper of the T-20 and ODI sides. The leadership many felt was too much of a burden for KJP and into the bargain he was made to keep wickets apart from opening batting. This was after the selectors had named Niroshan Dickwella in the top category of annual contracts claiming he is a certainty in all three formats. The national selection panel is full of contradictions.
The KJP experiment naturally did not last long and he was axed as captain barely a month later.
If that appointment was not bad enough, how about the choice for vice-captain? Time was when the corporate sector took a leaf out of cricket for maintaining high standards but at present decisions made in cricket circles has become a laughing stock. The national selection panel chose someone on bail as the vice-captain of the national cricket team. Kusal Mendis is his name. Obviously, that experiment too did not last long.
Mendis’ form too was rotten when he was appointed vice-captain having picked up four successive ducks. Having not made any impact in any form of cricket to warrant a comeback, Mendis finds himself not only included in the side but elevated to the post of vice-captain too.
A host of former captains who attended the meeting echoed one sentiment; selections are handled by amateurs.
With just one round left in the group stage, Dambulla hit the top of the National Super League (NSL) table like a runaway train, pulling off a breathtaking run chase that left Kandy shell-shocked at the R. Premadasa Stadium. In a high-octane encounter that had lot of twists, Dambulla played out of their skins to snatch victory from the jaws of what looked like certain defeat.
Chasing a towering 392 in just 69 overs, the Dambulla batters threw caution to the wind and came out swinging. They crossed the finish line with 25 balls to spare, making the improbable seem routine.
At the top of the order, Nishan Madushka dropped anchor and played the sheet anchor role to perfection, compiling a masterful 126 off 153 balls. He stitched together a solid 136-run opening stand with Ron Chandraguptha, who chipped in with a stylish 64, laying the perfect foundation for the fireworks to follow.
But the real show-stopper was none other than Dasun Shanaka. Despite being courted by a slew of T20 leagues flashing big bucks, Shanaka stayed loyal to red-ball cricket — and he makes it count. He walked in with the scoreboard ticking and turned the game on its head with a whirlwind century off just 56 deliveries. It was a blitzkrieg that featured nine sizzling boundaries and six towering sixes. When Shanaka’s in the zone, bowlers might as well be bowling with a bar of soap.
From 286 for 1, Dambulla had a minor hiccup, losing quick wickets and stumbling to 326 for 5. But the damage had been done — Shanaka’s thunderous assault had knocked the stuffing out of the Kandy attack. All that remained was for the tail to wag, nudge a few singles, and coast home with room to spare.
Akila Dananjaya, meanwhile, continued to turn heads with a match bag of ten wickets. But while his performance was eye-catching, any talk of a national recall should come with a pinch of salt — his action, having been under the microscope before, will need a clean bill of health before selectors roll the dice.
Down south in Hambantota, Galle all but booked their ticket to the final, thanks to a first-innings win over Jaffna. Unless they somehow manage to shoot themselves in the foot in their last group game, they should be packing their bags for the final.
Ramesh Mendis played the unlikely hero, batting at number eight and top-scoring with a gutsy 124 to take Galle to 374, well past Jaffna’s 305.
Jaffna’s response in the second innings was spirited, with Angelo Mathews rolling back the years and crafting a classy century as they made 354 for five.
Rain played spoil sport with only 6.4 overs possible on day one and a further 55 overs on day two and that left little room for a result.
North Korea has held the Pyongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years, welcoming some 200 foreign runners to the streets of the reclusive country’s capital.
The marathon, which was launched in 1981, took place annually in April to celebrate the birth of its founding leader Kim Il Sung.
Before Sunday’s marathon, the race was last held in 2019, wherein 950 foreigners participated. North Korea sealed itself off the following year, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
North Korea has been slow to reopen since, allowing only Russian tourists into its capital since last year.
Runners have had to enter the country as part of an organised tour group, as was the case before the pandemic.
Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel agency listed as an “exclusive partner” on the event website, offers six-day marathon tours at 2,195 euros ($2,406) including flights to and from Beijing.
“The Pyongyang Marathon is an extremely unique experience as it provides an opportunity to interact with locals,” the agency wrote on its website.
Sunday’s marathon route took participants past landmarks across the city, including the Kim Il Sung stadium, the Arch of Triumph built to commemorate Kim Il Sung’s role in resisting Japanese rule, and the Mirae Future Scientists’ Street said to be a residential district for scientists and engineers.
Pictures online show the stadium – where runners start and finish their race – filled with spectators, many of them cheering and waving gold-coloured paper flags.
Pak Kum Dong, a North Korean runner, told Reuters news agency: “The eyes of our people on me helped me to bear the difficulties whenever I feel tired.”
There is no publicly available information on race results.
North Korea had only statred to scale back Covid-19 restrictions in the middle of 2023.
In Feburary, it allowed some Western tourists into the remote, eastern city Rason, but suspended those tours just weeks after.
[BBC]
Noor Ahmad, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) left-arm wristspinner, continues to head the Purple Cap table with ten wickets from four games. His spell of 4 for 18 in CSK’s first game against MI, remains his best so far.
DC’s Mitchell Starc who picked up his maiden five-for in T20s, against SRH remains second on the list with nine wickets in three games.
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