| Sports |
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| Captaining
both Test, ODI teams could be too much for Marvan: Aravinda We are looking at Marvan to Captain the Test and One day teams. However I feel that the pressure of captaining both the Test and one day teams could be too much for one person if he has not done it before. To ease this I thought it would be better to confine Marvan to the One dayers where the pressure is not that much and have someone like Hashan who has a lot of experience to take over the Test Captaincy. This would also help us to get the best out of Marvan. We would watch Marvan how he fares and probably look at it from that point onwards , said Aravinda when The Sunday Times asked the former cricketer what the thinking was behind the move of appointing separate captains for the Test and One Day teams. According to De Silva when Sanath Jayasuriya was appointed as the Test and One day Captain it had an effect on the left hander and Aravinda is determined that it should not be repeated with Marvan. With so much of cricket being played these days it is definitely bound to effect a Captain. De Silva with his enormous experience as a cricketer is certain to be playing a dominant role as a selector and may be even calling the shots. He is believed to be having a controlling effect on some senior players in the current team which is good for the game. The appointment of his long standing friend and club mate Hashan as Sri Lanka's Test captain and the non appointment of a Vice Captain for the one day team has also left the door open for the out of form Mahela Jayawardene. Mahela who was looked at earlier as a future captain is currently going through a wretched phase with the bat. If Jayawardene can come out of this rut and play to his true potential he is certain to be a front runner for the vice captaincy in the one dayers and even for the Test Captaincy. While the new test captain Hashan Tilakaratne looked elated and all smiles when he faced the media for the first time on Friday the usually confident Marvan Atapattu looked serious and in deep thought. Was he disappointed that the Test Captaincy was not thrust on him or was he planning how he is to get the better of the Kiwis and the Pakistanis in the Triangular tournament? Interim
Committee- A Shame International
Cricket Coaches, who are highly paid cannot be found overnight and
now the IC has been forced to appoint an Interim Coach as time has
already run out. The Chairman of the IC Hemaka Amarasuriya admitted on Friday that they have failed to find a sponsor for the two test against New Zealand. With so many high flying Brand names and Blue Chip companies around it's baffling to note that Test Cricket cannot find a sponsor in Sri Lanka.Isn't this a clear indication of how the game is being marketed by the IC ? First it was an Interim Committee,then an Interim Coach and now an Interim Captain.The latest news filtering in is the IC is looking out for an Interim Media Manager. All this as Sri Lanka Cricket is going through an Interim Phase. New-look
P. 'Sara' back to Test cricket A brainchild of legendary P. Saravanamuttu, who converted this one-time marshy land (Wanathmulla) to become a place for human habitat. The venue has many firsts where some of the best willow wielders in the world displayed their skills in abundance. The likes of late Sir Frank Worrel, who scored a majestic 281 for a Commonwealth XI against Sri Lanka. Followed by Weekes and Walcott, Gary Sobers, Vijay Merchant, V.S. Hazare, Keith Miller, John Snow, Tom Graveney etc. Sir Donald Bradman's invincible team in 1948 played a whistle-stop match against all Ceylon led by maestro, M. Sathasivam. The Sri Lankans, too had their own share led by 'Satha', C.I. Gunasekera, Gamini Goonesena, Stanley Jayasinghe, Mahes Rodrigo, Mike Tissera, Duleep Mendis, Clive Inman etc. who proved their mettle. It was at this venue that the inaugural Test between England led by Keith Fletcher and Lanka by B. Warnapura. Derek Underwood (lef-arm) and John Emburey off-spin wreak havoc. England won the match played amid pomp and pageantry. The venue later was found not fit for an Int. cricket by the powers that be. But some of the other venues which were preferred could hardly come anywhere to the 'Sara' stadium. This was one of the unkindest cut of all. But the T.U. hierarchy undaunted intially led by Chandra Schaffter, and its diehard committee - re-developed the ground with new additions and improvements including the players dressing rooms, a spacious media box - the best in the country for print and electronic. Schaffter's good was continued by S. Skanda Kumar, Felix Perumal etc. But the present President, old Royalist, Tryphon Mirando and his Ex-Co., fought a relentless battle to get the historic stadium its rightful place. Quite a number of well-wishers gave them all suport including some from the BCCSL to meet out justice. Tryphon told
The Sunday Times with several hands joining nothing was impossible. The Lankans with a new Captain, Hashan Tillekeratne - a gritty left-hander will strive to erase their tarnished image in the Int. scene in recent times. "Workshorse" Chaminda Vaas really puts his heart out for the country spin wizard Muralitharan, will be bowling before his own club supporters. Probably he will be joined by Kaushalya Lokuarachchi, the leg- spinner, who has been on the wings for far too long. It will be a new-look Sri Lankan team that too will play in a new-look historic venue. Both umpires will be neutral: 'Aus. Darrel Harper and S.J.A. Taufel. Standby - Gamini Silva. Match Ref. G. Viswanath. Wish and pray the weather Gods will be kind, during this monsoon period. -BW |
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