Sports

Sri Lanka plan early departure to South Africa

Published

2 years ago

2024/10/26

Thilina Walpola

Sri Lanka had a training session at Pallekele yesterday.

Rex Clementine at Pallekele

Sri Lanka’s national cricket team is considering an early dispatch of some players to South Africa ahead of their upcoming two-match Test series against the Proteas. With an increasingly packed international calendar, the team faces a tight window between the home ODI series against New Zealand and the Test series in South Africa, making pre-tour adjustments essential.

Plans are underway to send Test specialists to South Africa early, allowing them to acclimatize to the unfamiliar playing conditions. Some ODI players may also be pulled from the New Zealand series to join the group departing early for Durban.

Points for Sri Lanka in the World Test Championship are crucial as they are in with a chance to feature in the final.

“By November 12th, our Test players will head to South Africa with two coaches,” explained Sri Lanka’s Batting Coach, Thilina Kandamby, during a media briefing. “We’re also evaluating which players can be released from the New Zealand white-ball series to make this happen.”

However, Sri Lanka’s ambitions to improve their rankings in limited-overs cricket may limit the availability of players for early departure. Facing New Zealand, a team ranked higher in the ODI format, presents an opportunity Sri Lanka is keen to capitalize on.

“New Zealand is ranked above us, and we need to win that series. But South Africa is not an easy place to play either,” Kandamby noted. “It’s a tough decision, and we feel it might be beneficial to send some players to South Africa early.”

The team’s lineup also hinges on player readiness. Opening batsman Pathum Nissanka, sidelined during the first two ODIs, has reportedly recovered, though his selection for the upcoming game remains uncertain. “Pathum is ready to play, but the final decision will be made by the selectors,” Kandamby said.

Sri Lanka’s squad rotation may also see left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka rejoining the side, particularly as he returns from injury. Madushanka may play ahead of left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage, with the team’s strategy emphasizing an additional pace option.

“We’re discussing combinations and think it’s a good opportunity for Dilshan,” added Kandamby. “Consistency is our focus, so we’re careful not to make too many changes.”

Following a comeback win in the T20 series at Dambulla, Sri Lanka clinched the ODI series against New Zealand with a game to spare. Today’s third ODI at Pallekele, therefore, will be a formality, but it still adds to Sri Lanka’s impressive record this year—winning 11 of their 14 bilateral series and dominating at home with nine series victories out of ten.

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Kapila Wijegunawardena to head SLC’s new selection committee

Published

24 mins ago

2026/05/21

Priyan

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has issued a statement approving the members nominated for the new Selection Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

The appointments have been made by the Sports Minister in accordance with the powers vested under Section 39 (1) of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973 and the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2437/24 dated May 21, 2025.

The members of the new selection committee are:

Kapila Wijegunawardena – Chairman

Amal Silva – Member

Brendon Kuruppu – Member

Waruna Waragoda – Member

Vanessa De Silva – Member

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Afghanistan refugee women’s team set for England tour under ECB initiative

Published

38 mins ago

2026/05/21

Priyan

The visiting Afghanistan women's team will also attend the final of the Women's T20 World Cup

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will host an Afghanistan Refugee Women’s Team for a tour beginning on June 22. The programme will include T20 matches and high-performance training opportunities and will be delivered in partnership with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the MCC Foundation. The visiting players will also attend the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Lord’s, scheduled to be held on July 5.

The tour is significant because the visiting squad comprises former Afghanistan women cricketers who had to leave the country following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, after which women were effectively excluded from sport and public life. Many of the players eventually resettled in Australia, where they have continued to pursue cricket. An Afghanistan women’s team played against a ‘Cricket Without Borders XI’ at the Junction Oval in January 2025 ahead of the Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG, a game that was streamed by Cricket Australia.

The ECB said the tour aimed not only to provide competitive opportunities but also to reaffirm cricket’s commitment to inclusivity. “Since being displaced from Afghanistan in 2021, these players have shown extraordinary resilience in continuing their cricket journeys, in incredibly challenging circumstances,” Clare Connor, ECB Deputy CEO and Managing Director of England Women, said.

“We have worked with It’s Game On to build an itinerary and a set of experiences that we hope will be enjoyable and memorable. We are also delighted that the squad will attend the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

“Cricket has a responsibility to stand for inclusion and opportunity, and we are proud to be hosting this tour and supporting the players in deepening their connection to the game.”

The relocation and continued support of the players has been facilitated in part by It’s Game On, a global sports consultancy co-founded by former Australia cricketer Mel Jones and Emma Staples, along with Dr Catherine Orway. Jones, in particular, played a pivotal role in helping the players relocate to Australia. Her organisation has worked with international sporting bodies on initiatives centred around equity and opportunities for displaced female athletes.

“This tour is a major step forward, but also highlights how much work remains,” Jones said.

“These players have shown extraordinary courage and commitment to the game, despite everything that has been taken from them. They deserve more opportunities like this; they deserve to be recognised as part of the global cricket community. Moments like this matter, but we need to see plans for sustained and meaningful action beyond this year.”

[Cricbuzz]

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DR Congo cancels World Cup training camp over Ebola outbreak

Published

5 hours ago

2026/05/21

Priyan

DR Congo have qualified for the Fifa World Cup for the first time since 1974 (BBC)

The Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled its pre-World Cup training camp in the capital, Kinshasa, because of an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country.

Preparations have been moved to Belgium amid the upsurge, which is thought to have killed more than 130 people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern”, but said it was not at pandemic level.

Jerry Kalemo, a spokesperson for the national football team, told international media that pre-tournament games in Europe would go ahead as planned, as the squad gears up for their first World Cup since 1974.

DR Congo are due to play friendly matches against Denmark, on 3 June in Belgium, and Chile, on 9 June in Spain, ahead of the World Cup finals.

A spokesperson for the DR Congo team told the Reuters news agency that the squad’s training camp had been cancelled due to travel restrictions imposed by the US, who are hosting the World Cup this summer, along with Mexico and Canada.

The US’ public health agency has banned entry from non-Americans who have been in the DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days, in response to the Ebola outbreak

All DR Congo’s players, as well as the team’s French coach, Sébastien Desabre, are based outside the central African country and will therefore not be affected by the restrictions now the training camp has been cancelled.

The high-profile event in Kinshasa was supposed to have been attended by fans, along with DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, according to Reuters.

Kinshasa is roughly 1,800 km (1,120m) away from the eastern Ituri province, the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak. There have not yet been any reported cases in the city.

On Wednesday, the WHO said 139 people were thought to have died, out of 600 suspected cases. However, on the same day, Congolese health minister Samuel Roger Kamba told state broadcaster RTNC TV that authorities had registered 159 deaths.

(BBC Sports)