This is all the debate these days…
The English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently announced the schedule for Sri Lanka’s tour to England in 2009. It had been finalized only couple of days back by the Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket, Arjuna Ranatunga and was said to fill the void created by ECB’s cutting down of ties with Zimbabwe cricket. Incidently, this tour clashes with the schedule of next season’s Indian Premier League(IPL), which a majority of Sri Lanka’s star players are part of. So, if the Eng. tour was to go ahead as planned, it would only leave 10 days for the players to play for their respective teams in the IPL. Thus, it has given rise to the question, as to whether to play for the Eng tour over IPL or play for IPL over Eng tour?
There are many sides to this story. From the players’ side, they are contracted to the IPL for 3yrs and also the Eng tour was unexpected. They had planned to play for IPL next season as there was no international committments and they would prefer the IPL over the Eng tour. They also complain that they were never consulted before finalizing the tour. Given the higher financial benefits of the IPL, and the relatively low pay for the SL cricketers, it seems justifiable on their part to prefer playing for the IPL.
On the other hand, the ECB has taken maximum use of a depleted SL Cricket (Board) to fill their void of the itinery. This tour was not there in the 2009 itinery for SL, it was created out of no where. But, it would help SL Cricket get out of the current bankruptcy. At the same time, it needs to be said that although the board is not required to consult players before they finalize tours, in this particular tour SL Cricket could well have done that, because they were aware that a number of players are contracted to the IPL and it would run concurrently. But, because Ranatunga had equalled the IPL to a sort of instant “maggie noodles” during the IPL, this doesn’t seem that surprising. In that case, though, it is ‘yet another’ poor administration effort on his part.
SL cricket fans are somewhat different to most other nations. We have not seen them throw stones at their cricketers, no matter how humiliatingly they may lose. It is a national obligation for cricketers to be committed to their international cricket schedules. As SL cricket fans we would love to see that our beloved cricketers pay back. Of course, personally, I’d love to see international cricket over IPL any day, no matter how exciting it may be. This, therefore, becomes a testing ground for patriotism. Which tournament would the cricketers go with – proudly representing Sri Lanka at the England tour or play Twenty20 for a higher pay at the IPL ?
On a lighter note, I’ve seen some blaming the IPL for this fiasco. Well, what we must understand is that IPL has both the good and bad, and it cannot be blamed for everything happpening. Furthermore, its administrators have never demanded the players to give the IPl priority ahead of their international commitments. Last time, we saw both Australia and WI play for some matches and leaving India early to play in the test series in WI. Also, if the players were to play for IPL and the tour was to go ahead as planned, it would look like a joke to have an under-par team sent to England – with a new captain, wicket keeper, etc.
Whatever it may be, I hope all of this ends in a good way- where there is a compromise between the cricketers, SL cricket and also ECB. That would ultimately do the game a wonder of good !
In the virtual quarter final between the ODI World Cup finalists, Australia and Sri Lanka, winning the toss, Stand-in-Captain of the Australian side, Adam Gilchrist, invited Mahela Jayawardene’s team to bat first. Sri Lanka could not have a worst start, with Sanath Jayasuriya being trapped leg before by Brett Lee in just the third ball of the first over. The other opener, Upul Tharanga followed suit. Kumar Sangakkara, who had a rather disappointing tournament, sticked around to hit 22 off 23 balls. Jayawardene too was caught by Clark off a Lee delivery. Jehan Mubarak, the top scorer for Sri Lanka, who hit 28 off 26 balls, and Chaminda Vaas, who managed to get 21, helped the score go past 100. But, the Sri Lankans who had a terrible day, were all out for 101.
Batting under lights, the Sri Lankan top order struggled against the Bangladeshi spinners. Sanath Jayasuriya fell in the very first over to a Mashrafe Mortaza delivery. Upul Tharanga managed to find the rope, a couple of times, but Kumar Sangakkara, who did not have a very good time with the bat, all thoroughout the tournament, failed again. Surprisingly Captain Mahela Jayawardene, too, did not have a very pleasing day with the bat. Finally, it was the unbeaten partnership between Tillekeratne Dilshan and Jehan Mubarak, that lifted the total to a formidable, 147. Mubarak top scored with 31 off 19 balls.
reach, it was not to be with the Sri Lankan bowling attack. Experienced seamer, Chaminda Vaas removed Nazim Uddin in the very first over. Dilhara Fernando’s first over went for 15 runs, with three boundaries by Aftab Ahmed, but he struck back in his very next over, with two wickets and a maiden. Afterwards, it was all Sri Lanka’s as Vaas picked up the wicket of Mohamed Ashraful. Jayasuriya, who had a bad day with the bat, got two wickets, while Lasith Malinga, and Farvez Maharoof contributed with one each. On a slow pitch, that got even slower, 147 was more than enough for the Sri Lankan bowlers, as they wrapped up Bangladesh for a mere 83.
After Captain Mahela Jayawardene put Pakistan to bat, seamers Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando bowled superbly to keep the Pakistanis struggling at 33/3. But, as soon as Sanath Jayasuriya and Gayan Wijekoon was introduced, Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan went for big hits. After two match winning performances, veteran Jayasuriya had an unforgettable day in cricket, as the Pakistani duo went for plenty in his 4 overs. The first man in International Cricket to score over 12000 runs and pick up 300 wickets in ODIs, was today at the receiving end, as he equalled England’s James Anderson’s record for conceding the most runs in a Twenty20 Intl. (64), on a day that just wasn’t ‘his’ .
Tillekaratne Dilshan going for 4 sixes in his 38 but, not enough to win the game. The unavailability of too many hard-hitting batsmen in Sri Lanka’s lower order, also paid the price for this game, when the top-order virtually failed.
Fernando was the key bowler in the game today, as he picked up two important wickets, those of Brenden McCullum and Lou Vincent early in the game. With the introduction of newcomer, Gayan Wijekoon in to the attack, Peter Fulton and Ross Taylor steadied the innings. Then Wijekoon, himself removed Fulton and thereafter it was Lasith Malinga, who joined the fun. Troubling the batsmen with his yorkers, Malinga didn’t allow the Kiwi batsmen to ease themselves. Malinga ran out Craig McMillan, and later picked up the wicket of Ross Taylor, who was the sole NewZealand batsman, who offered some resistance to the Sri Lankan bowlers. This was after Scott Styris had departed for a 2 been trapped leg before by Jayasuriya. Then, allrounder, Jacob Oram accelerated the innings with some big hits, towards the latter part of the game, taking the Kiwi total to 164/7.
Jayasuriya, who led the way with a match-winning half century. Upul Tharanga too contributed with a useful 37, and Captain, Mahela Jayawardene finished things off with a 35 off 18 balls, after Jayasuriya was caught by Fulton, off Vettori.
The Sri Lankans today scored a record-breaking 260/6 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, in their first match at the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup, after they were put to bat by Kenya.
propelled the Sri Lankan side towards a huge score. He missed out on Bangladeshi skipper Mohammed Ashraful’s record of the fastest fifty in a Twenty20 match by a mere ball. As the skipper departed to a leg before by Jimmy Kamande, Sri Lanka were already on top with 212/5. After the quick dismissals of Chamara Silva and Tillekaratne Dilshan, it was the youngster Jehan Mubarak who further boosted the total taking them past 221, the highest total in a Twenty20 Intl. match by Australia against England in Jan. 2007. He once took Lameck Onyango for 29 runs in a single over, hitting 3 consecutive sixes and a four, as Sri Lanka posted the highest ever score in a Twenty20 Intl. game. At the end of the game, Mubarak, 
who scored 46 off just 13 balls, ran out of overs to complete a fifty, which would have actually ended up as the fastest fifty in a Twenty20 Intl. , and that too in his Twenty20 International debut.
== Sri Lanka Cricket == 