Sports

The Special One

Published

4 years ago

2021/08/2

by Rex Clementine

When Jose Mourinho arrived in London from Portugal to take over as Chelsea’s Manager, he sat on that press conference chair at Stamford Bridge and told the reporters, ‘I am the Special One’. True to form Mourinho turned Chelsea’s fortunes. We too have a Special One. Not that he has turned around our cricketing fortunes. But every time he gets into trouble, he has some big shot waiting to bail him out; Danushka Gunathilaka is his name.

It is never easy when a sportsman is handed a lengthy suspension. But given Danushka Gunathilaka’s history, Colombo’s cricket circles was of the view that he deserved it; incorrigible.

A five member committee had recommended that along with Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis who had breached the bio-secure bubble should be banned for two years while Niroshan Dickwella suspended for 18 months. A reduced sentence for Dickwella as he had no previous record. A fine of US$ 25,000 also had been recommended but that was increased to US$ 50,000. But fines you are not too sure whether will drive home the point.

Gunathilaka is a serial offender, the two year suspension on him at least should have remained.

This is also not the first time he has been bailed out.

In 2017, he was suspended on the recommendations of the team management but then Board President Thilanga Sumathipala, a man who wasn’t afraid to take on Lasith Malinga during his peak, gave in reducing Gunathilaka’s suspension by half.

Chandika Hathurusinghe arrived in Colombo in 2018 with a reputation as a no-nonsense coach. After all, he had taken on Bangladesh’s star performer Shakib-al-Hasan. But he treated Gunathilaka with kid’s gloves. During the home series against South Africa in 2018, he was suspended for misconduct. Hathurusinghe decided on the punishment that should be meted out to his opening batsman and very cleverly he suspended him for the remaining white ball matches against Proteas and made sure he would be available for the tour of New Zealand that followed.

The current administration now has bailed him out. Why is that everyone fearing Gunathilaka like the plague? Is it his SSC connections? Can not be as in the first place why the board appointed an independent panel was because they wanted this issue seriously dealt with. Then why show leniency is a question in everyone’s mind.

The panel that sanctioned a two year suspension comprised some brilliant lawyers. The committee was headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. Apparently, they were going to hand out one year suspensions only, but they were not all that impressed by Gunathilaka’s conduct.

To start with, Gunathilaka lied to the panel. He had claimed that he returned to the team hotel by 11pm. But upon checking CCTV footage, the committee found out this to be false. This claim has been denied by Gunathilaka’s management team who say that he had pleaded guilty for breaking team curfew.

There was another thing that upset the panel; Gunathilaka’s dress code. He had walked in with his shirt out, wearing deck shoes. The inquiry panel observed lack of remorse. That could be a key point.

Gunathilaka is one of the finest young batsmen we have and there’s no doubt about it. That’s why the likes of Sumathipala, Hathurusinghe and the current administration have tolerated him. But the point is, he is never learning.

Nobody should think he is indispensable. After all, USA basketball team won the Olympic gold in 1992 without Isiah Thomas. Australia won the 2003 World Cup having sent Shane Warne home on the eve of their first game. England turned around their cricketing fortunes having sacked Kevin Pietersen. No one is bigger than the game.

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Sports

ICC shortlists venues for 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka

Published

1 hour ago

2025/11/8

Thilina Walpola

Ahmedabad will host the final of the 2026 T20 World Cup, unless Pakistan qualify for it

The ICC has finalised Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai as the venues in India for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka as well. It is understood the ICC has shortlisted two venues in Colombo and Kandy as the three venues in Sri Lanka.

The T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7 and will conclude with the final in Ahmedabad on March 8. According to PTI, the ICC is likely to release the schedule next week, with just about three months to go for the start of the tournament. It is understood that the majority of the participating countries have been waiting for the ICC to inform them about the grouping of teams as well as the schedule. The ICC is also yet to release ticketing information for the tournament.

Pakistan will play all their games in Sri Lanka as per the agreement reached between the BCCI and PCB for India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues during multi-nation tournaments hosted by the other country. If Pakistan make the final, the fixture will be held in Sri Lanka.

The 2026 T20 World Cup will have the same format as the previous edition – 20 teams split into four groups of five each, with every team playing the others once. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super-eight stage, where they will be placed into two groups of four. The top two sides from each Super-eight group will then qualify for the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-final will meet in the final.

Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other teams with automatic qualification to the tournament were the top seven teams from the 2024 T20 World Cup – Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America and West Indies. The three teams that qualified on the basis of their T20I rankings were New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland.

Canada took the lone spot from the Americas Qualifier. Italy, first time T20 World Cup participants, and Netherlands, qualified from the five-team tournament in Europe. Namibia and Zimbabwe grabbed the two spots from the eight-team African qualifier before Nepal, Oman and UAE made it from the Asian -EAP round.

India are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados.

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Yashitha wins men’s singles title

Published

1 hour ago

2025/11/8

Thilina Walpola

Yashitha De Silva (Pic by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

Mercantile Tennis Tournament 2025

Yashitha De Silva of MAS Holding beat Sanka Athukarala of Lanka Minerals & Chemical to clinch the Division I men’s singles title of the Mercantile Tennis tournament held at Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts.

Yashitha beat Sanka 6-3, 3-6, 10-8 in the final.

Latest News

Eshan Malinga picked for white-ball tour of Pakistan; Rajapaksa back for T20Is

Published

11 hours ago

2025/11/7

Priyan

Bhanuka Rajapaksa last played a T20I in January this year [Cricinfo]

Dasun Shanaka has been named Sri Lanka’s vice-captain for the upcoming T20I tri-series that will also involve Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Fast bowler Eshan Malinga, meanwhile, is in line to make his debut in the same series while also being included in the ODI squad for the three matches against Pakistan before the tri-series begins.

Dilshan Madushanka has been ruled out of the ODI series as he hasn’t yet recovered from a knee injury, and was replaced by Malinga, whereas Matheesha Pathirana isn’t a part of the T20I squad as he is recovering from an upper respiratory tract infection. Pathirana was replaced by Asitha Fernando.

Top-order batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who last played a T20I at the start of the year, was back in the squad for the shortest format, having missed two bilateral series and the Asia Cup since then.

Left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage didn’t find a spot in either of the 16-member squads, but he will lead Sri Lanka A in the Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup in Doha later this month.

Sri Lanka’s ODIs against Pakistan are all scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi, on November 11, 13 and 15. Those will be followed by the tri-series from November 17 in Rawalpindi and Lahore, with the final slated for November 29.

Sri Lanka squads

ODIs: Charith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranaga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan, Eshan Malinga

T20I tri-series: Charith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Kamil Mishara, Dasun Shanaka (vice-capt), Kamindu Mendis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranaga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Asitha Fernando, Eshan Malinga

[Cricinfo]