Jayasuriya, Malinga, Mendis, Kapugedara dropped for Bangla Tri series

End of the Road ?

Jayawardena, Fernando, Muralitharan not considered for the Bangladesh tri series

 The moment of truth has finally arrived for 40-year old Sanath Jayasuriya when Sri Lankan national cricket selectors decided yesterday to drop the legendary all rounder for the forthcoming triangular series in Bangladesh also involving India.

According to sources, the dashing left hander who completed 20 years in international cricket on December 26 has lost his touch since lately and the selectors gave him a final opportunity in the recent series against India using the opener as a middle order batsman but he proved to be a failure.

The former Sri Lankan skipper who was much talked about in recent times for appearing in political TV advertisements for the forthcoming Presidential election retired from test cricket last year but plays ODI and T20 for Sri Lanka. Selectors have also axed out of form batsman Chamara Kapugedara, paceman Lasith Malinga and spinner Ajantha Mendis. Selectors have felt that Malinga has lost his focus while Mendis has been dropped for poor bowling form as well as for below par fielding.

Former skipper Mahela Jayawardene, world record holder Muttiah Muralitharan and paceman Dilhara Fernando have not been considered for selection due to injuries. Chamara Silva returns to add experience to the middle order along with opener Mahela Udawatte while promising left hander Lahiru Thirimanne has been given a break.

All rounder Angelo Mathews has been picked subject to fitness.

Probable Sri Lanka squad: 


Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sagakkara (captain), Thilina Kandamby, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Kulasekara, Malinga Bandara, Thisara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Thilan Thushara, Chanaka Welagedara and Mahela Udawatte.


(Source)


(Official announcement on SLC page)

Ajantha was the wrong choice | Column by Sanath Jayasuriya

POWER POINT

SANATH JAYASURIYA ON THE CHALLENGE AHEAD

We’ve the allround skills to beat Hyderabad

ON Thursday night, the Mumbai Indians celebrated Sachin’s 36th birthday with a small party. His birthday is now part of our IPL social calendar, but the main difference from last year was the fact that Sachin is fully fit this year and leading from the front.

That’s made us a far stronger team. We missed Sachin last year in the first half of the competition and only really started winning properly once he returned. It was no coincidence. His value as our premier batsman and our leader is immense. Everything is built around him.

He is now 36, but that is not too old when you are as fit as he is. He is far from finished and I see no reason why he could not play another World Cup in 2011. He is batting brilliantly, as he showed in our opening game with a masterful little innings, and has plenty more runs in the tank. I enjoy playing with him because his cool and calm manner ensures a relaxed and laid-back team.

He has seen everything in cricket during the last two decades and there is never even a whiff of panic. His teammates feed off that. You need to be relaxed to play your best cricket.

I hope we can now give him a proper birthday treat with a strong performance against Team Hyderabad on Saturday night. It’s been a slow tournament for us after the first clash with Chennai and the wash-out against Team Jaipur, so we are eager to get back on the park. It’s obviously an important game for us. Team Hyderabad look a different outfit from last year.

They have a sense of purpose and some key players — Adam Gilchrist, Rohit Sharma and Fidel Edwards — are looking good. I imagine it will be a tight game, but I’m confident we have the all-round skills to beat them. This year we have good balance and variety in the XI.

Hopefully, though, it will not be quite as tight as the thriller on Thursday night between Team Jaipur and Knight Riders.

That was a breath-taking game. Both teams had their moments, Knight Riders will be really disappointed that they did not win outright and then also squandered their chances in the Super Over. Chris Gayle had set them up beautifully and a target of 16 is very challenging. However, I thought the decision to give Ajantha (Mendis) the ball was a mistake.

He bowled brilliantly earlier in the night and we all know he is a matchwinner, but the dew factor made the move high risk. Personally, I think a seamer was needed and Ishant Sharma was the best candidate.

- Sanath Jayasuriya

VICTORY Premiere in Colombo - Picture Gallery | Sanath Jayasuriya attends Premiere

VICTORY Premiere in Colombo - Picture Gallery

Images taken on :

Monday, February 2, 2009

The much awaited film Victory has finally released, and soon after the Mumbai premiere director Ajitpal Mangat and the cast of the film, Amrita Rao, Harman Baweja, Gulshan Grover headed to Colombo for a special premiere for the Indian and Sri Lankan cricket teams Photo Gallery,Pictures, Images, Premiere of Victory in Colombo Photo Gallery

Wayamba stun Ruhuna despite Jayasuriya's heroics

Mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis returned to form with a three wicket burst as Wayamba Province scored an upset five wicket victory over the table leaders Ruhuna Province in their SLT Inter Provincial Twenty20 cricket tournament match worked off at the SSC grounds in Maitland Place yesterday.

Mendis returned outstanding bowling figures of three wickets for 14 from 3.4 overs as Ruhuna Province were skittled out for 127 in the penultimate over of the innings. However they were cruising along towards a big total at one stage after skipper Sanath Jayasuriya had provided a flying start to the innings.

The dashing left hand opening batsman plundered 45 runs from just 23 deliveries inclusive of two sixes and half a dozen of boundaries to set the pace for a match winning total. But with the introduction of spinner Ajantha Mendis the game took a dramatic turn with Ruhuna Province losing wickets at regular intervals.

Middle order batsman Indika de Saram who hit a career best 94 in the previous outing against Basnahira North made a desperate attempt to pull his side from total disaster but the rest of the batting simply collapsed against the spin duo of Ajantha Mendis and Kaushal Lokuarachchi.

Wayamba Province then reached their target from only 17.1 overs with opener Mahela Udawatte leading the way. The dynamic batsman smashed 51 runs from 36 deliveries with the aid of one six and seven boundaries.

Former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardena also returned to form and added the finishing touches with a 28 ball 37 while stroking four boundaries. He also put on 65 runs for the third wicket with Udawatte.

Ruhuna: 127 in 18.4 overs (S. Jayasuriya 45, I. de Saram 22, A. Mendis 3 for 14, K. Lokuarachchi 2 for 16).

Wayamba: 130 for 5 in 17.1 overs (M. Udawatte 51, M. Jayawardena 37).

"Everybody is safe and okay at the moment" - Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lankan Team attacked in Pak

At least five Sri Lankan cricketers have been injured after gunmen attacked a bus carrying the team on its way to play Pakistan in Lahore.

Thilan Samaraweera, Ajantha Mendis, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Thushara were hurt after around a dozen gunmen opened fire on the team bus as it neared the Gaddafi Stadium.

"We were told that there was a shooting incident while the team was on its way to the stadium. The players have returned to the hotel," Sri Lanka sports minister Gamini Lokuge told Indian news channel CNN-INB.

He added two players were still receiving treatment in hospital, including Samaraweera, who was hit in the thigh."

The Test and the remainder of the Sri Lankan tour has been cancelled, a huge blow to Pakistan after the Indian team pulled out of a tour following the Mumbai terror attacks in November.

Five Pakistani policemen were killed in the attacks and grenades and rocket launchers recovered in what Punjab governor Salmaan Tahseer called "an organised attack".

Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya told CNN-IBN he had spoken to Sangakkara) and "everybody is safe and okay at the moment".

"Mahela Jayawardene was also injured, but they are all safe at the moment," he added.

"When we played three one-day games there we had no problems. That is why the team went back to Pakistan again for the Test series.

"We had a good game in Karachi and then they went to Lahore where this unfortunate incident has happened.

"These are things you cannot control and the players are shocked at the moment. This is obviously something they haven't gone through before as a cricket team. I feel for them."

Jayasuriya continued: "I can't say at the moment what impact this would have on Pakistan cricket, but the priority at the moment is to see that the Sri Lankan players are safe."