Over 100 Army sportsmen will be awarded at the Army Colours Night ceremony that will be held at Sugathadasa stadium today(05). Secretary of Defence and Urban Development Gotabhaya Rajapakse will be the chief guest of the occasion.
(JNW)
January 5, 2012 at 1:32 pm
There was a sense of déjà vu as the action unfolded on the second day at Newlands, before Graeme Smith ended Sri Lanka’s agony with an aggressive declaration that came 30 minutes before tea. Jacques Kallis was balletic in the morning, and AB de Villiers ballistic after lunch to leave Sri Lanka facing for a nightmarish day, reminiscent of the one India had endured a few hours earlier in a different continent. However, Smith’s move provided respite, as he gambled for more time at the cost of some cheap runs. Sri Lanka then produced fireworks of their own, in equal parts vindicating and undermining the declaration.
Until then, it was a day for relentless pursuit of batting milestones. Like Michael Clarke in Sydney, Kallis strolled inevitably to a double-century in front of his home crowd. Like in Centurion in 2010, he had de Villiers for company when he got to the landmark. Back then, de Villiers had smashed the fastest century by a South African. This time he was more sedate in reaching 100, but unleashed mayhem thereafter, scoring his last 60 runs off only 29 balls. South Africa plundered 87 off the last 10 overs of their innings, with Jacques Rudolph also chiming in with a half-century before Smith signalled the ceasefire.
Stumps Sri Lanka 149 for 2 (Sangakkara 35*, Jayawardene 7*) trail South Africa 580 for 4 (Kallis 224, de Villiers 160*, Petersen 109) by 431 runs
(ESPN)
January 4, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has approached the BCCI about the possibility of hosting IPL matches, the new SLC president, Upali Dharmadasa, has said. The idea has been proposed as a way for SLC to raise additional revenue because the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) failed to get off the ground last year, after the BCCI’s refusal to allow Indian players to take part in the tournament.
It is for the same reason – an increase in revenue – that India’s tour of Sri Lanka in July 2012 will comprise three one-dayers and three Twenty20 games, and no Tests as had been earlier planned. SLC is presently facing a severe shortage of funds following the construction of new stadiums in Pallekele and Hambantota and the renovation of the Premadasa Stadium for the 2011 World Cup.
“I feel it [a T20 league] is a needed thing,” Dharmadasa told ESPNcricinfo. “But I don’t think it is the right time with India having the IPL. With most of our players going and playing there and the countries being so close, I would request the Indian board, and we have already started talking, why not play a couple of matches in Sri Lanka?”
Dharmadasa pointed out that the flight from Bangalore to Colombo was only an hour long and the flight from Mumbai was only slightly longer than a Mumbai to Chennai flight. “Make it a venture,” he said. “On the whole, they [the BCCI] will help Sri Lanka as a tourist attraction and see that Sri Lanka Cricket comes up.”
India were supposed to play a full tour – three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 game – in Sri Lanka but it was cut down to just three Tests in the new Futures Tour Programme. Dharmadasa then met with BCCI president N Srinivasan, after being appointed interim SLC president earlier this year, and convinced him that holding limited-overs games would be more beneficial financially to Sri Lanka.
“I am talking to the TV rights owners, Ten Sports,” Dharmadasa said. “I am hopeful of raising almost US$12.5 million.” He also said he was trying to arrange a fourth ODI as well. “From a revenue point of view, I would love India to tour Sri Lanka three times a year,” Dharmadasa said. “Unfortunately, it is not possible. But whenever possible [we would like them to tour].”
(ESPN)
January 4, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Alviro Petersen made a memorable return to Test cricket, and Jacques Kallis enjoyed his new-found batting freedom as South Africa made a merry mockery of Sri Lanka’s decision to bowl at Newlands. Kallis had a sense of occasion, converting his 114-ball century into a 150-plus score in his 150th Test. His first ton against Sri Lanka, and his first in a year, was all the more significant since it silenced murmurs of failing form following the first pair of his glittering career, in Durban.
Kallis’ century reaffirmed his love affair with Cape Town, a venue where he now has nine Test hundreds and over 2000 runs. But one man who might be happier with his day’s work is Petersen, whose fluency during his second Test ton glossed over the fact that he was returning to the side after a year. The pair’s dominance yielded 205 runs in under 50 overs, and negated any advantage Sri Lanka had gained from Dhammika Prasad’s early breaches.
Stumps South Africa 347 for 3 (Kallis 159*, Petersen 109, de Villiers 45*) v Sri Lanka
(ESPN)
January 3, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Nuwan Kulasekara, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, will join the squad for the ODI series in South Africa after four months on the sidelines. Lasith Malinga, Upul Tharanga and Kosala Kulasekara will also be part of the one-day leg of the tour, while Chanaka Welegedara, Kaushal Silva, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kanishka Alvitigala will not be involved after the Test series concludes.
Sri Lanka picked a different spin attack to the one they played against Pakistan in the UAE, their previous one-day series. Suraj Randiv, Jeevan Mendis and Seekkuge Prasanna, who were in the squad against Pakistan, were left out, with the selectors sticking with Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis, who are already in South Africa.
(ESPN)
January 3, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Upali Dharmadasa has been elected unopposed as president of Sri Lanka Cricket, along with the rest of his team, in the board’s first election in seven years. The election, overseen by the sports ministry, was marked by the late withdrawal of all opposition candidates.
Nishantha Ranatunga was voted in uncontested as secretary and Nuski Mohamed was elected treasurer. The only election to be contested was for the post of assistant treasurer, with Ajitha Pasqual defeating Susantha Fernando. All those elected will serve a one-year term.
Mohan de Silva, one of the candidates for vice-president, told ESPNcricinfo that the entire opposition had decided not to contest the elections as a “symbolic gesture of protest” against what they saw as political interference in the election process. “Most of our member clubs and associations brought to our notice that there was undue pressure put on them to change the delegates [who would vote].”
According to him, they brought the matter to the notice of the Director General of Sports, Ranjani Jayakody, who was overseeing the election, but she told them she was going to accommodate all changes until the morning of the elections even though the deadline to nominate the delegates had passed.
(ESPN)
January 3, 2012 at 11:06 am
Sri Lanka Cricket is set to hold its first election in seven years on Tuesday, after a series of interim committees controlled by the political class, and at a time when the board is in financial disarray off the field, and its team displaying patchy form on it. The election itself is a fallout of the ICC’s ruling that requires all member boards to be free of political interference from 2012.
A total of 147 votes are up for grabs, spread among the provincial and district cricket associations and the clubs. The election will be held under the auspices of the Ministry of Sports, and supervised by the Director General of Sports, Ranjani Jayakody. Under the SLC constitution, each committee serves a one-year term.
Upali Dharmadasa, a former SLC president, is the front-runner in the election following the withdrawal of another former president, Thilanga Sumathipala. Some reports suggested Sumathipala pulled put under political pressure but he said he’d changed his mind because his other life as an MP did not give him the necessary time for cricket. Sumathipala’s board was forced to stand down in the wake of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities in 2001. In 2004, he had to pull out of the elections as he was in jail at the time for passport fraud.
Sumith Perera, the head of the Badureliya Sports Club, is the other contender for president, but is not expected to pose much of a challenge for Dhamadasa, who is confident of winning in a landslide. “I think we have about 90% [of the votes],”Dharmadasa told ESPNcricinfo. “Not only for me. But for my team as well.”
Nishantha Ranatunga, who had originally decided to run for secretary as an independent candidate, has received the backing of Dharmadasa. Ranatunga was the SLC secretary when the board spent heavily on the three stadia for the World Cup. His opponent is Michael De Zoysa, but Dharmadasa’s support makes Ranatunga the favourite.
Whoever wins the election has the enormous challenge of rebuilding the SLC’s finances, which are reportedly US $32.5 million in debt.
(ESPN)
January 3, 2012 at 8:44 am
Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman, is expected to be fit for the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. Chandimal was struck on the right elbow during training on Sunday, was taken to the hospital for an x-ray and it was established that only had sustained bruising.
“It’s not too serious,” Anura Tennekoon, Sri Lanka team manager told ESPNcricinfo “We think we will be alright for the match and he will definitely bat in the nets tomorrow.”
Chandimal replaced Kaushal Silva behind the stumps for the second Test and had a bright debut in the Durban. He made 58 in the first innings of the Durban Test, adding 111 with Thilan Samaraweera for the seventh wicket, and followed up with 54 in the second, putting together 104 with Kumar Sangakkara.
He was praised by captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, who tipped him to be a future member of 10,000 Test runs club, former captain Sanath Jayasuriya and many of his team-mates. Mahela Jayawardene said Chandimal was a “big factor” in the Durban win, which was Sri Lanka’s first on South African soil.
(ESPN)
January 1, 2012 at 7:38 pm
A delighted Rangana Herath praised the efforts of his team mates after bowling Sri Lanka to their first test win in South Africa at Kingsmead on Thursday.
The left-arm spinner took five for 79 as South Africa capitulated in their second innings to lose the second test by 208 runs after winning the first at Centurion by an innings.
“It was a whole team effort, that’s why we won. We’re very happy because we bowled them out for less than 170 and we played our brand of cricket. We didn’t do anything different,” Herath told a news conference.
Herath, who took nine wickets in the match, said his success had been a result of “sticking to the basics”.
Sri Lanka captain Tillekaratne Dilshan said it had been one of his career highlights to come to Durban and level the series after losing so emphatically at Centurion.
“It’s one of the greatest days for my career to beat South Africa in South Africa. It showed that if we can play our brand of cricket, we can beat one of the best teams,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic feeling and great for Sri Lankan fans. As the captain, I am very proud, especially after losing the first test so badly. We will definitely celebrate, we can enjoy ourselves…it might be all night.”
South Africa captain Graeme Smith said the Sri Lankans had adapted better to the pitch and executed their skills more accurately than the hosts.
“We were just outplayed from the start, we didn’t adapt to the conditions. The pitch was a bit slower than usual and reverse swing and spin played more of a role. We’ve had good pace and seam in the last three tests, but there wasn’t as much carry here and the pitch was slower.
“But we have no excuses about the surface, we did not match their skills on this type of pitch and our execution wasn’t great. They were better than us,” Smith said.
(icc-cricket.yahoo.net)
December 31, 2011 at 9:13 am
As predicted the Durban Test was a one-sided affair, except that it was the no-hopers from Sri Lanka who were doing the dominating. A year that has gone rapidly downhill for Sri Lanka since their World Cup final appearance in April, including an interminable run of series defeats and a bankrupt board struggling to pay players, ended on the most unexpected of highs as they secured their first Test success in South Africa.
A Sri Lanka victory that will rank alongside the path-breaking one at The Oval 15 years ago as the greatest in their history was within reach as South Africa’s batting crumbled after lunch on the fourth day at Kingsmead. The parties in Sri Lanka were delayed by a long stand between AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn, who batted out most of the final session before Rangana Herath struck minutes before close to ease any anxiety building up. The final three wickets went down in four deliveries and a fantastic year for Test cricket ended with the biggest upset of 2011.
South Africa’s batting had been solid in the morning session as well, as they would have been satisfied with the start to their attempt at a world-record chase of 450 despite losing the wicket of Graeme Smith. With Hashim Amla in imperious form, South Africa had reached a reasonably comfortable 86 for 1 by lunch, but over the next hour they lost four wickets and even their flimsy hopes of ending their Durban jinx evaporated.
The collapse began in the first over after the break, when Jacques Rudolph’s resistance ended – and with it perhaps his recently-revived Test career, temporarily at least. As so often in his second coming at the Test level, he was caught in the slip cordon – this time nicking a wide delivery from Thisara Perera.
Jacques Kallis has been in patchy form recently, including a duck in the first innings, but his record in the second innings of Tests is unimpeachable. If South Africa were to salvage something from the Test, they needed another Kallis special. Unfortunately for him, there were no match-turning heroics as he top-edged a sweep on to his helmet to give short leg a catch. In his 149th Test, he bagged his first pair.
If that blow left South Africa unsteady, they were on the mat soon after as Amla, till then producing a masterclass in off-side strokeplay, was run out after attempting a kamikaze single. He punched the ball straight to mid-on and dashed across for the run though Ashwell Prince showed no interest, and stayed firmly at the non-striker’s end. Prince, with his Test career on the line, then had to face a lifter from Dilhara Fernando, that he could only glove towards slip. With South Africa at 116 for 5, the fans could start partying in Sri Lanka.
The Prince dismissal was an almost exact replica of Smith’s earlier in the day. Fernando, used as early as the ninth over this time after his delayed introduction in the first innings, started with his usual no-ball, raising snickers, but there was no laughing later in the over when he got a delivery to leap at Smith. The batsman attempted to ride the bounce, instead of dropping his hands and letting the ball through, and could only glove a catch to slip.
Besides Fernando, South Africa’s main worry was the left-arm spin of Herath. On Wednesday, South Africa had been given a glimpse of what was to come when two successive deliveries from Imran Tahir spun and kicked off a length to comfortably beat the batsman and the wicketkeeper. With the ball turning, Herath varied his flight and angle, to relentlessly probe the South African batsmen’s techniques. He was rewarded with the huge wicket of Kallis, and just before tea he added the scalp of Mark Boucher, another man whose place in the side is under scrutiny.
AB de Villiers gamely fought on, but there was little he could do to lift South Africa from their hopeless situation. He and Steyn defied the bowling for 34 overs – another reminder to the batting unit that failed twice in this match that the surface wasn’t unplayable.
Steyn had been central to South Africa’s promising start to the day as well. In the first innings, he had gone wicketless in a completed innings for the first time since 2008, and he responded second time round with his 17th Test five-for to bring a quick end to the Sri Lankan innings.
There was some classic tail-end batting from Sri Lanka in the morning but their resistance lasted only about half an hour. It didn’t matter much, given how far ahead Sri Lanka had already got ahead after the first three days of the Test.
The biggest monkey on the back in the game, if measured by column inches, would be Sachin Tendulkar’s 100th international hundred, but the bigger one is Sri Lanka failing to win a Test for nearly a year-and-a-half since the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan. They have got that off their backs – in style and on a great stage – setting up a tantalising decider in Cape Town.
Sri Lanka 338 (Samaraweera 102, Chandimal 58, de Lange 7-81) and 279 (Sangakkara 108, Chandimal 54, Steyn 5-73) beat South Africa 168 (Amla 54, Welegedara 5-52, Herath 4-49) and 241 (de Villiers 69, Amla 51, Herath 5-79)
December 29, 2011 at 9:18 pm
In what has already been a champagne year for Test cricket, Chanaka Welegedara and Rangana Herath set Sri Lanka up for what could be the biggest Test upset of 2011. There were no signs of Durban’s famed Green Mamba – tides which are rumoured to make the Kingsmead track juicy – but that didn’t prevent South Africa from being knocked over for their lowest total against Sri Lanka. While the lower order had to deal with some sharp spin, the specialist batsmen didn’t have to face any snorters, which makes the collapse more baffling.
An assured stand of 76 for the fourth wicket between Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers showed how few gremlins there were in the surface, but collapses on either side of that partnership had South Africa scrambling to avert the follow-on. Their tail managed to achieve that, before Welegedara completed his five-for and ended the innings by getting Marchant de Lange to edge to the keeper. de Lange’s 7 for 81 had limited Sri Lanka to 338 in the morning, but instead of a well-earned rest after becoming the eighth debutant to take a five-wicket haul this year, he had to bat in the gloom towards the end of the day.
The substantial lead of 170 did not seem likely even after Thilan Samaraweera became only the second Sri Lanka batsman to make a Test century in South Africa. de Lange had ripped out the final three batsmen for three runs, but unfortunately for the home fans the wickets continued to tumble even when South Africa were batting.
Two overs after lunch, Jacques Rudolph continued the trend of batsmen throwing away their wickets, by helping a short ball on leg stump to deep-backward square leg. Graeme Smith followed minutes later, as he fished without footwork at a Chanaka Welegedara delivery to give wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal his first Test catch. It got a lot worse in Welegedara’s next over as Jacques Kallis edged to slip to collect a rare Test duck, leaving South Africa at 27 for 3.
South Africa still had two of their most bankable batsmen in the middle – Amla and de Villiers – and they revived the home side by comfortably playing out the rest of the session. de Villiers was subdued, but Amla showed his wide range of whiplash shots through the off side. There were several punches through cover for four and the point boundary was peppered as he pounced on the wide deliveries offered. Dilhara Fernando, regarded as the spearhead of the Sri Lankan attack, was only brought on as the fourth-change bowler, but even his introduction didn’t stop Amla, who lashed three fours in one over to cruise towards another half-century.
If South Africa were breathing easier at tea, when they were 100 for 3, they were left gasping by what followed after the break. de Villiers chased a half-volley so wide that he ended up on his knees as he edged the ball to second slip. Welegedara had his fourth important wicket two overs later when Amla was caught behind pushing at a delivery angling across.
That put Sri Lanka in charge, and two players whose places in the South Africa side are under scrutiny were left to launch a rescue effort. Questions over Mark Boucher’s batting ability will intensify after his poke to gully off Rangana Herath for 3, but there will be even more pressure on Ashwell Prince after his botched reverse-sweep against the spin, that too when South Africa were 119 for 6. With Herath proving too good for Morne Morkel, South Africa had lost five for 16.
Dale Steyn didn’t get a wicket in a completed Test innings for the first time since 2008, but he still made a crucial contribution as he shepherded South Africa past the follow-on mark. The final two wickets put on 49, again showing that this wasn’t a pitch impossible to bat on.
(ESPN)
December 27, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Sri Lanka have been bowled out for 338 runs in their first innings of the second Test match against South Africa played at Durban. Thilan Samaraweera top scored with 102 runs for Sri Lanka while debutant Dinesh Chandimal gave him a good support by scoring 58 runs.
Marchant de Lange who is also playing his first international match took 7 wickets 81 runs, which also the best bowling spell by a debutant in year 2011.
(JNW)
December 27, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Vernon Philander has suffered a mild strain to his left knee and will be monitored before being cleared to play in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Durban that starts on December 26. Philander picked up the injury while bowling in the nets on Saturday and was treated immediately.
“He came off and received the necessary treatment from the physiotherapist, including icing and strapping,” Mohammed Moosajee, South African team manager said. “He will be treated overnight and he will come and bowl tomorrow, once some of the swelling and inflammation settles and if anything untoward happens, we will decide. Right now, we are still confident he will be ready for the Test.”
(ESPN)
December 25, 2011 at 9:23 am
There are very few places in South Africa that Sri Lanka have pleasant memories of but Durban is one of them. It was at Kingsmead where, 11 years ago, Sri Lanka managed to stave off defeat in a Test match – the only time they have done so in this country – and salvage a draw. It was also at Kingsmead where they knocked South Africa out of the 2003 World Cup, in a rain-affected encounter that saw the host crash out of the tournament in the first-round.
Sri Lanka will need more than just stories of times gone by to mount a suitable challenge for a dangerous South African side. Captain Tillakaratne Dilshan admitted as much. “We batted for a few overs to save the game, Russel [Arnold] and I. But that’s few years ago and things have changed,” he said. “We need to be ready to face this challenge.”
This Test will be the final opportunity for Sri Lanka to win a Test this year, after series losses to England, Australia and Pakistan and their only chance to save the series. After being hit by a spate of injuries, most of them to the fast-bowlers, Sri Lanka called up Dhammika Prasad and the uncapped Kanishka Alvitigala. Prasad is likely to play on Monday, possibly replacing Thisara Perera and it’s expected that he will be able to make good use of a seamer-friendly pitch.
Another change to the starting XI could come behind the stumps, as Dinesh Chandimal is tipped to make his Test debut. Kaushal Silva, who played in Sri Lanka’s last three Tests without much success, may have to watch from the sidelines as Sri Lanka hope Chandimal can take his good form this year – which has included a ODI century at Lord’s – into the Test arena.
“He [Chandimal] is one of the brightest prospects we have got,” Dilshan said. He has scored a couple of hundreds in ODI cricket. It will be a good test and experience for him to play against such an opposition and in such conditions. Personally I feel good that we have been able to groom another young cricketer.”
At 22, there has been some concern over the responsibility that will be placed on Chandimal’s young shoulders, but Dilshan brushed them off, saying Chandimal’s role in the middle-order will not cripple him. “It’s not a case of him batting at No.3 and keeping wicket,” Dilshan said. “He will be batting at No.6 or seven and that’s okay.”
Sri Lanka’s batting was a major weakness after they were crushed by an innings in Centurion, managing scores of just 180 and 150. The batsmen were unable to contend with the pace and bounce of South African pitches and were stunned by the SuperSport Park strip. “In my entire career I have not played on a track like that,” Dilshan said, indicating that conditions got the better of the batting group.
Still, with two players, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, close to 10,000 Test runs each, and a fair amount of experience in their ranks, Dilshan expects more of his top six. “Our batting unit needs to stand out and get runs. We have experience, we need to apply,” he said. “We are preparing extremely hard and we need to produce results. We are not asking for big totals, but 250 or 300 could be a good total if we are playing on green tops.”
(ESPN)
December 24, 2011 at 6:36 am
Sri Lanka’s domestic first-class Premier Tier A and B league matches, which were to begin on Wednesday, have been indefinitely postponed. This is the latest twist to the troubles afflicting Sri Lankan cricket, and the clubs and national board have offered conflicting reasons for the postponement.
SLC’s head of cricket operations, Ashley de Silva, told ESPNcricinfo that the clubs requested a postponement on the grounds that there would be “too much cricket following the end of the Premier limited-overs tournament”. The tournament, he said, would be rescheduled only after the elections on January 3, when a new tournament committee would be appointed.
On the other hand, the clubs handed over a signed statement of their problems and demands to Udaya Seneviratne, the authority appointed by the Minister of Sports to administer the SLC until elections are held. The four services teams were exempted from signing the petition.
Club co-ordinator Ranjan Paranavitana said that the clubs were protesting against outstanding payments and the ad hoc manner in which the matches have been scheduled.
“We have to play a [three-day] match every three days and this is not feasible,” Paranavitana said. “A lot of players face problems taking leave from work, and the players also risk burnout and injuries with no proper break between matches.”
The clubs were paid 30% of their dues for the Premier limited-overs tournament which concluded on Saturday, and have said that unless at least 60% of the balance is paid, they would find it difficult to play the first-class matches.
(ESPN)
December 22, 2011 at 6:00 am
The ICC paid 46% of the fees due to Sri Lanka’s cricketers for the World Cup, ESPNcricinfo has learned. The payment of US$2 million was made directly into the players’ bank accounts, instead of routing it through Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), on December 16.
The Sri Lankan players, who had not been paid since the tournament ended in April, were owed a total of $4.3 million (25% of the country’s participation fee).
While the money was paid directly, it was arranged with assistance from SLC, who told the ICC of the amounts owed to each player and provided their respective bank account details, a person with knowledge of the payments said. Tony Irish, the chief executive of the South African Players Association, said that arrangement to pay the players was negotiated between the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA) and the Sri Lankan Players Association (SLCA).
Earlier this month the Sri Lanka sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, said the ICC had agreed to pay US$2 million to SLC and that the coach and players would be paid out of those funds. The SLCA had also contacted FICA for assistance over the delay in the cricketers’ salaries for series following the World Cup this year.
(ESPN)
December 20, 2011 at 9:45 pm
Seam bowler Nuwan Kulasekara won’t be joining Sri Lanka’s Test squad in South Africa and instead the uncapped Kanishka Alvitigala will fly out along with Dhammika Prasad ahead of the second Test in Durban.
Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lanka captain, had said that both Prasad and Kulasekara would be added to the touring party to bolster the pace-bowling options following Nuwan Pradeep’s injury, but the sports ministry hadn’t approved the selections and instead the nod has gone to Alvitigala. Kulasekara is likely to arrive for the one-day series next month.
Alvitigala, 25, has taken 51 first-class wickets at 32.35 in 25 matches with a career-best of 5 for 34 and has previously represented Sri Lanka A including on the tour to England earlier this year.
Sri Lanka’s pace-bowling options have been stretched to breaking point in recent months with a string of injuries to contend with. Before the tour of South Africa four seamers, including Prasad and Kulasekara, were ruled out with injury and Sri Lanka lost Pradeep after he broke down during the warm-up match in Benoni.
(ESPN)
December 19, 2011 at 9:09 pm
