The government has taken steps, through a gazette extraordinary issued on March 27 to appoint an interim committee for Sri Lanka Cricket effective from April 01.
Sidath Wettimuny has been appointed chairman of that interim committee.
The gazette says sports minister Navin Dissanayake has made the appointment as per clauses 32, 33 and 34 of the sports act.
Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today (30) announced the dissolution of the SLC administration and the appointment of an interim committee that will administer the institution until the conclusion of investigations into fraud and corruption in the past.
An election would hamper the investigation, he said.
The SLC owes Rs. 500 million to State Engineering Corporation for the construction of stadiums and the state had lost considerable income due to CSN being given cricket telecast rights.
The interim committee also has Prakash Schaffter, Lucille Wijewardena, Kushil Gunasekara and Kapila Wijewardena, while Nuzki Mohamed, Prasanna Jayawardena, Jayananda Warnaweera and Duminda Hulangamuwa will comprise a member board.
The election for SLC was due to take place on April 30, BBC Sandeshaya reports.
Former member of national cricket team and current coach of Sri Lanka A team Romesh Kaluwitharana has been hospitalized yesterday (Oct 13) following a chest pain.
He has thus suffered a chest pain while he was involved in the four day tournament between Sri Lanka A team and West Indies A team at Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.
It has been reported that he was transported to Colombo today by a helicopter for a medical test.
Sri Lanka today regained the Asia Cup trophy with a comfortable
five wicket victory over defending champions Pakistan, riding on Lasith
Malinga's five wicket haul and opener Lahiru Thrimanne's fluent century,
at the Shere Bangla National Stadium Mirpur, Dhaka on Saturday.
Sri Lanka were clinical as they restricted Pakistan to a modest 260 for
five and then overhauled the target with 22 balls to spare to lift their
fifth Asia Cup title. The last time they won the regional championship
was in 2008.
This is a photo President Mahinda Rajapaksa watching yesterday's Asia Cup final match
between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Sri Lanka clinched the title beating
Pakistan by five wickets.
Due to a comedy
item presented by famous singer Sunil Perera at the Cricket award
ceremony organized by a mobile service providing company, the Sri Lanka
Cricket (SLC) Institute has become a hotplate.
Apart
from this, another comedy segment named "Puss Wedilla" had also been
included in the award ceremony and it too has become a hot topic for
discussion.
The situation has broken out
as a "top hand" in the Govt had scolded the SLC Chief that these items
had mocked the Govt and the SLC.
These
comedy segments had applied satire upon the recent Rathupaswala
incident, SLC selection committee chairman Sanath Jayasuriya, SLC
chairman Jayantha Dharmadasa, and the secretary Nishantha Ranatunga.
Rumors are going on that the SLC Selection
committee chairman MP Sanath Jayasuriya had scolded the famous singer
duet Bathiya Perera and Santhush Weeraman, who were in charge on the
organization of the recently held cricket awards ceremony sponsored by a
mobile service providing company.
The
relationship between these singers and the SLC runs way back in time
and it was them who had even organized the Sri Lanka Premier League
(SLPL) opening ceremony.
It was reported in the media at that time that they were paid 15 Million Rupees for that task.
Sri Lanka A team cricketer Ramith
Rambukwella will be fined 50% of his tour fees over the incident on a
British Airways flight bound to London, sources from the SLC say.
He is also to receive a stern warning, reports add.
Ramith
Rambukwella stirred controversy after causing panic among passengers
when he tried to open the cabin door of a trans-Atlantic flight, at
35,000ft.
He was said to done so during the British Airways flight from St Lucia to Gatwick after playing against the West Indies.
Sri Lanka Cricket directed retired SSP Lakshman de Silva to conduct an inquiry into the incident.
Allegations have been made that the player was under the influence of alcohol at the time as well.
Sri Lankan World Cup winning Captain Arjuna Ranatunga urged Sri Lankan
Cricketers participating in the Indian Premier League to “keep their
dignity and stay away” from the IPL.
Ranatunga said the players should not be treated in the manner that they have been.
“These
are world class players and if the IPL have decided against them
playing in one part of the country and degraded the cricketers I think
they should not play anywhere else they should keep their dignity and
stay at home. If they are not welcome in one part of the country why
play in other parts” he said.
While stating that the decision by the
governing council would set a bad precedent for the sport, Ranathunga
reiterated that Lankan cricketers should have been treated with more
respect.
“I don’t believe that sports and politics should ever
get involved. This sets a bad precedent for the sport because tomorrow
you will have some other part shouting against another country. They
(IPL) have given into the gimmicks of Tamil Nadu politicians, and will
have to watch for the repercussions” he said.
The vociferous Sri Lankan captain turned opposition parliamentarian said that the current developments are sad for the sport.
“The
governing council and the franchisees have given into the gimmicks of
the Tamil Nadu Politicians. I don’t ever think that politics and sports
should be mixed and this is a glaring example of it. The Tamil Nadu
politicians only remember Sri Lanka when there is an impending election
or when there is a resolution of this sort, if not our Sri Lankans
living in the North and East are forgotten” he said.
He further said the decision should have been made to avoid using Chennai as a venue for the IPL.
“They
could have played in all other venues instead of Chennai and that would
have been the best decision that would have served all stakeholders.
This should have been the decision that was taken instead of giving into
threats. A decision such as this would have shown respect to our
cricketers instead of the demeaning manner in which they have been
treated” he added.
Lasiith Malinga will be the subject of a behavioral inquiry after he exchanged unfriendly words with media waiting outside Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters in Colombo during the recent contracts crisis.
Television journalists approached Malinga for comment on the contracts dispute twice, but Malinga rebuffed them gruffly on both occasions. The incidents were filmed by a news crew, and broadcast on national television.
"The executive committee of Sri Lanka Cricket has directed the chief executive officer of SLC, Mr. Ajit Jayasekara, to conduct an Inquiry into the two incidents pertaining to Mr. Lasith Malinga and the media personnel, that took place outside SLC headquarters," an official release said on Tuesday. "The CEO has been requested to forward a report on the same to the executive committee."
The first incident occurred on Sunday evening, after the players had met chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya and agreed to sign the contracts.
Media rushed towards Malinga as he exited the SLC premises and repeatedly asked him in Sinhala if he had signed the contract.
While walking to his parked car, Malinga replied, "What contract? There was a party here and I came for the function. Ask the people who came here for the contract."
Malinga was more visibly irritated the following morning, when he was approached by media upon arrival at SLC offices, presumably on his way to sign his contract.
A reporter asked Malinga if he could speak with him as the fast bowler stepped out of his vehicle, to which Malinga replied in Sinhala, "Mind your own business and go away, man."
Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal and Ajantha Mendis had also been approached by television news crews on Sunday evening.
None of the players stopped to speak to media. Sangakkara told journalists he was forbidden from commenting by SLC, and that details of the contracts issue would emerge later. Chandimal and Mendis did not comment as they left the premises.
Malinga has had a strained relationship with parts of the nation's media after he announced his retirement from Test cricket during the 2011 IPL, which came after he had made himself unavailable for the Test tour of England citing fitness problems. He has often been accused of being a mercenary by some, and has lately hit back at those claims, including in an on-air argument with a journalist on
a local sports talk show.
Sri Lanka's chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya
held a special discussion with the locked out top cricket players Sunday
evening to resolve the deepening crisis and following the discussion
all national players have agreed to sign the annual contract, local
media reports said.
Jayasuriya as a personal attempt to break the deadlock between the
national players and the cricket administration met with the players
today after the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Upali Dharmadasa
refused to have any more discussions with the players and the Sports
Minister ordered to pick a debutant team to play against touring
Bangladesh team.
The cricket board has given the players an ultimatum to sign their
annual contracts by Sunday morning or else they will not be playing in
any international cricket including the Bangladesh tour series that is
to start today.
A meeting between the SLC administrators and 23 top national players on
Saturday ended unsuccessfully with both sides sticking to their guns.
The edict affected former captain Kumar Sangakkara immediately who was
scheduled to play at the first warm-up match with Bangladesh staring
today.
The new Captain Angelo Mathews and T20Captain Dinesh Chandimal are yet
to play in their roles since their appointments last month.
The SLC barred the players who will not sign the contract by Sunday from its facilities and services.
About 60 national players have refused to sign the SLC's annual contract
for this year demanding the SLC to pay them 25% of the board's earnings
from ICC events.
The SLC has been paying the players the 25% fee since 2003 but this year
the cash strapped SLC has dropped that from the annual contract saying
that Sri Lanka's national players are well paid and with the new
contract 67% of the board's income will be used to pay players.
The selection panel headed by Jayasuriya was to pick the team Sunday for
the first Test match against Bangladesh starting March 8.
All national cricketers have agreed to sign the contract with Sri Lanka
Cricket (SLC) after a lengthy meeting tonight at SLC headquarters,
National Chief Selector Sanath Jayasuriya said.
How ever players were refused to comment regarding the issue.
Sources from Sri Lanka Cricket said that the captain of the Sri Lankan women's cricket team Shashikala Siriwardene will get married in March this year.
They said that this marriage will take place to a person she made during 2007 – 2008 period.
Shashikala known to many as Shashie is getting married to Namal Seneviratne who is a cricket coach of the NCC.
Shashie said initially there was an acquaintance and after he left for England they had contacts through Facebook and these contacts later on became a love affair.
In the meantime it is being reported that this couple entered into a marriage contract on the 14th of December.
Shashie has also said that she is 28 years of age now and even after marriage she will play cricket for another two years until she becomes 30 years.
The coveted sponsorship deal for Sri Lanka Cricket team has been
clinched by Dialog Axiata, following a record $ 9 million (over Rs. 1
billion) worth successful bid amidst stiff competition.
The
sponsorship is for three years and sports marketing analysts said
Dialog’s overall spend would be higher than its official bid.
Among others who submitted bids were an Indian
party on behalf of one of its clients and the Sri Lanka Tea Board.
Media spokesman for Sri Lanka Cricket declined to comment on finality but indicated a statement would be released today. Dialog
will be replacing industry competitor Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, which
was originally contracted for three years in a deal estimated to be
worth $ 3 million and subsequently extended by another year.
When
contacted Sri Lanka Cricket Sponsorship Committee Chairman Asanga
Seneviratne declined to give details but told the that the
record bid proves there is confidence in the future of Sri Lanka Cricket
and realising its true potential.
“It also confirms the passion to take Sri Lanka’s favourite game to greater heights,” he added. “Sri
Lanka Cricket under the presidency of Upali Dharmadasa within a short
span of one year has turned around to become profitable and the record
sponsorship is a further manifestation of this,” said Seneviratne,
adding that improved administration as well as the Sri Lanka Premier
League helped SLC to make Rs. 160 million profit on domestic cricket
from a Rs. 140 million loss previously. Sri Lanka leads in the T20
ranking compiled by Reliance ICC and is at number six in the test
ranking whilst being at number four in the ODI ranking.
Sports
sponsorship and marketing analysts noted that Dialog, a major supporter
of sports, is likely to have pitched for Sri Lanka Cricket as it is the
biggest national asset of the country with worldwide appeal. Dialog
which has a customer base of 7.5 million, via the deal will ring more
hearts as cricket is Sri Lanka’s pride and passion.
Dialog Axiata
last year came forward to sponsor Sri Lanka Rugby at international and
local level in an exclusive five-year deal. This included the Sri Lanka
15-a-Side National Team, and the ‘A’ Division Club Rugby League and
Clifford Cup Tournaments.
Soon after the rugby deal, Dialog Axiata
Group CEO Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya told the media: “When we decide on
sponsorship, we consider the future trajectory of the sport as well as
the commitment and plans of the sporting body.” The same philosophy is
likely to have inspired Dialog in making the bid for Sri Lanka Cricket.
Dialog
is renowned for being closely associated in developing school cricket,
athletics, football, rugby, volleyball, rowing and disabled sports, and
has sponsored national contingents to international events, including
the Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth, Asian, SAF, and FESPIC Games.
Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is of
the view that Sri Lanka failed to win the T-20 World Cup due to a lack
of self-confidence among the players.
He made the comment at a function today
(Oct. 08) where 23 class one principals of Sri Lanka Education
Administrative Service were commissioned as brevet colonels at the
Defence Ministry today (Oct. 08).
The defence secretary said the national
cricketers’ failure, for the fourth time at a world cup final, taught
all the importance of leadership training.
He said he had discussed about this when he met cricket commentator Tony Gregg as well.
The defence secretary added schoolchildren
should be taught by principals, teachers and parents on how to develop
their leadership and decision making skills.
Dilshan Michaels and Ishara of the BIG show on TNL Rocks (the morning
show) made their tribute to the Sri Lankan cricket team in form of dance
for the 20-20 World cup semis!
Composition : Bathiya J Music : Chrishan E Vocals : BNS Randhir Umaria Dinesh K Percussion : Jananath Warakagoda Mixed And Mastered : Chrishan E & Bathiya @ Saregama Music
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara won the Cricketer of the Year 2012 award and two other key awards at the annual ICC awards ceremony in Colombo today (Sept. 15).
The other two awards won by him are Test Cricketer of the Year after beating off competition from South Africa's Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander, and Australia's Michael Clarke.
Sangakkara also won the People's Choice award, an honour he had received last year too.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena has won the David Shepherd trophy for the Umpire of the Year at the ICC Awards ceremony.
The other nominees were five-time winner Simon Taufel, three-time winner Aleem Dar, along with New Zealand's Billy Bowden, England's Richard Kettleborough and Australia's Rodney Tucker.
Sri Lanka Cricket today said that it will stand by its cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan over media stories linking him to a Bollywood actress.
A story in a local newspaper, ‘Daily Mirror’, has claimed that the little known Bollywood actress, Nupur Mehta, whose name surfaced in match fixing allegations, has claimed to have been dating Sri Lankan batsman Dilshan.
According to the daily, the starlet had admitted to have met some international cricketers in a casino during Twenty World Cup in England in 2009.
But SLC said that it condemns all the accusations made in the article of the newspaper.
“We have read with concern the recent media reports pertaining to a Sri Lankan national cricketer, T M Dilshan and regret to note that during a period, such as this, where T M Dilshan is performing to the best of his abilities, representing Sri Lanka in all formats of the game, with a Test series against England about to commence on March 26th 2012, such a story has been given wide publicity in the media,” SLC statement said.
“Sri Lanka Cricket stands by T M Dilshan at this critical time and condemns the accusations/comments made in the said article,” the statement further stated.
British newspaper ‘The Sunday Times’ in its sting operation on a bookmaker had alleged that bookies used Bollywood starlets as honey traps to lure players into match-fixing. The said starlet was later revealed to be Mehta.
Little known Bollywood actress Nupur Mehta, whose name surfaced in match fixing allegations, has claimed to have been dating Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan.
The starlet has admitted to have met some international cricketers in a casino during T20 world cup in England in 2009. However, she has vehemently denied having anything to do with match fixing and even threatened to sue the English daily that had carried her blurred image along with the damning report on fixing.
Speaking to Mail Today, she said, “`I was seeing Dilshan and went to the casino with him but that does not suggest I am involved with match-fixing in cricket.”
“That is my personal life and my relationship cannot be made the basis of such a big allegation. I am a single, attractive girl and have the liberty to move around in any part of the world and interact with whoever I want to,` she was quoted as saying.
Nupur's new revelation comes in the wake of her recently admitting to The Sunday Times, London, that she met some international cricketers by chance at a London casino during the T20 tournament. Before that, she had denied knowing any cricketer and had even threatened to sue the daily for carrying her blurred image with a match-fixing report.
"I was seeing Dilshan and went to the casino with him but that does not suggest I am involved with match-fixing in cricket. That is my personal life and my relationship cannot be made the basis of such a big allegation. I am a single, attractive girl and have the liberty to move around in any part of the world and interact with whoever I want to," Nupur told Mail Today over the phone from Mumbai on Tuesday.
She also refuted having shared a room with anyone at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, where the casino in question is located. The Sunday Times report had claimed that during the T20 tournament she was living at the hotel with a certain businessman who could have been a bookie.
"I was living at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington around the time but I wasn't sharing a room with anyone. I stayed at the hotel for a few days and paid my own bill at the rate o£500 per day. I have bills to prove my claim," Nupur said.
"All I knew is that several cricketers were living in the same hotel but I did not know who they were. There was no way for me to know even if Sachin Tendulkar was living in the room next to mine," she claimed.
Asked about the international cricketers she met at the London casino, Nupur categorically refused to take names. "I can mention Dilshan's name because I was seeing him at the time. Why should I drag the names of other cricketers in the whole issue? I had just met them socially," she countered.
She ALSO took a jibe at The Sunday Times report, saying: "I have been told they plan to do another story on me and my lifestyle, which is not right. I think this journalist Mazhar Mahmood (who broke the match-fixing story) is in love with me. He has made me famous in more than 16 countries with his report and I have been getting calls from places in South Africa, New Zealand and other countries.
"I have no fear because I am clean. That is the reason I am freely talking to the media. If I was involved, I would have fled the country just like the two bookies whose names have cropped up. Still, it's amazing how a journalist has cooked up the story."
One would, of course, be curious as to why Nupur was staying in London - that too at the very hotel where the cricketers were putting up - at the time of the matches?
"My brother lives in the UK and I often visit the country to meet him. I have worked as a model in several European countries and I often visit London for shopping," she said.
Nupur, a little-known Bollywood starlet - who did a forgettable role in the 2005 Sunny Deol dud Jo Bole So Nihaal, shot to fame last week after the London daily ran a photo of hers from the film with the face pixellated alongside a story about match-fixing during the 2011 India-Pakistan World Cup semi-final and the English county matches.
"My question to the British newspaper is, so what if I was in theLondon casino mentioned, and so what if I met cricketers there? This does not prove I was involved with fixing matches in any way," Nupur said.
"They (The Sunday Times) should back their claim with substantial proof. If they claim I was interacting with cricketers to fix matches, why don't they at least produce my pictures with cricketers as evidence? Why did they use a blurred film still of mine in their report? The picture they used is freely available on Google," Nupur said.
The starlet has hired two lawyers to file a defamation case against the British paper. Delhi-based Gaurang Kant and Associates will file a case while a Londonbased lawyer will sue the daily in the Civil Court of London for character assault.
"Their allegations only strengthen my legal case against the paper. They have been discussing my personal life in print despite the fact that it has nothing to do with match-fixing. I will be filing a case because the newspaper has used my picture not once but twice after lifting it off the net," she said. Meanwhile, Nupur has come up with a conspiracy theory on why the British daily carried such as report.
"The truth is that England, the country that invented cricket, is ashamed of the fact that it could not perform well in the World Cup. The country lost miserably and now they are cooking up these match-fixing theories," she claimed.
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene was fined 10 per cent of his match fee after pleading guilty to a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during his side’s One-day International against Australia in Adelaide today.
Jayawardene was found to have breached Article 2.1.3 of the code of the code which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international match” an ICC media release said today.
After Sri Lanka’s eight wickets victory, which has leveled the best-of-the-three final of the three-nation tournament, the opener admitted the offense and accepted the proposed sanction offered to him by Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees. As such, there was no need for a formal hearing.
Explaining his decision, Mr Broad said: “The actions of Mahela Jayawardene were unacceptable as the ICC code clearly states that whatever may be the situation, you have to always respect and accept an umpire’s decision.
"It is understandable that Mahela Jayawardene felt disappointed after Farveez Maharoof’s delivery, which had been dispatched for a boundary, was also declared as a no-ball for a full toss above waist height.
“But as one of the senior most players in world cricket today and also as the captain of his side, Mr Jayawardene must maintain a certain level of self-control and clearly his actions went beyond what would be deemed acceptable.That said, Mr Jayawardene pleaded guilty to the offence and apologized for his actions.”
The charge had been laid by the on-field umpires Asad Rauf of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and Bruce Oxenford of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires as well as third umpire Paul Reiffel and fourth umpire Simon Fry.
The charge related to an incident in the 44th over when Jayawardene, during a consultation between the on-field umpires, argued with their decision to declare a full toss above waist height as a no-ball. The discussion continued for a prolonged period and for the remainder of the over.
All Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee the ICC press release said.
Senior cricket commentator and former cricketer RanilAbeynaike has passed away, aged 57 years.
He died today (Feb. 21) at a private hospital following a heart attack.
A product of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, he was a veteran curator.
As an all-rounder, Mr. Abeynaike played first-class cricket for Sri Lanka, represented the SSC and also had a stint at English county cricket for Bedfordshire.
During the late 1970s, he served Capital Maharaja as an executive officer.
MahelaJayawardena has been appointed Captain of the Sri Lanka Cricket team. Confirmed sources said
The Government Information Department quoting Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) today said that Tillakaratne Dilshan has resigned from the post of captaincy of the national team after handing in his resignation to SLC officials.
The aggressive opening batsmen, who was appointed as the team’s captain in all three formats of the game in April last year, had come fire by the press and the public due to the Sri Lanka’s failure to win a single Test or ODI series since the World Cup final.
Sri Lanka lost the ODI series against South Africa on 3-2 despite winning the 4th and 5th One-day matches.
“We may have lost the series, but I’m very happy with how we finished it off after such a poor start,” he said shortly after Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa ended on a high note when Sachithara Senanayake dispatched spinner Robin Peterson over the boundary for the winning six.
“The way we finished is a very big positive looking ahead,” He said.
Meanwhile it was also reported that that current Sri Lanka coach Geoff Marsh will be replaced by former South African mentor Graham Ford who recently vacated his position at the Dolphins.
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