Rex Clementine, in Island, 21 August 2019, where the title reads “SLC removes spin bowling coach, offie faces lengthy suspension”
Off-spinner Akila Dananjaya faces a lengthy suspension from international cricket after his bowling action was reported as suspect for a second time following the opening Test match against New Zealand at the Galle International Stadium on Sunday. The Sri Lankan team management was provided with footage of about six deliveries which caused suspicion and one delivery in particular is sure to get him into trouble, a source privy to the exchanges between the International Cricket Council and Sri Lanka Cricket told The Island.
Piyal Wijetunge coaching
Dananjaya was reported in November last year as well and remodeled his action. He will undergo reassessment within 14 days and if it is found that he is bending the elbow more than 15 degrees, he will be banned for 12 months, official sources confirmed.
Interestingly, Spin Bowling Coach Piyal Wijetunga had reservations against playing Dananjaya in Test cricket. Dananjaya had played six ODIs and three T-20s since being cleared in December last year but his action wasn’t reported until he turned up for last week’s Test match. “I feel it was too early for Akila to make a comeback in Test cricket. The plan was for him to be engaged in ODIs and T-20s and one day to take over in Test cricket once Dilruwan Perera retired from the game,” Wijetunga told The Island.
Wijetunga, who had worked as Spin Bowling Coach at SLC for more than a decade, had been discontinued from service after short notice. The former left-arm spinner who had joined SLC in 2005, had been told 24 hours before his contract expired on the 31st of July 2019 that his services were no longer required.
The Island learns that SLC intends to recruit Sachith Pathirana as a Spin Bowling Coach. Pathirana (30) is still an active First Class cricketer. Ever since Thilanga Sumathipala was elected President of Sri Lanka Cricket, Pathirana received an extended run in the national cricket team despite minimal returns. Now that he has been well and truly exposed in the international arena, the current administration seems to be pushing his case as a coach.
Pathirana’s father Janaka controls around seven votes at the cricket AGM and voted heavily in favour of the current administration during the last cricket elections.
Meanwhile Dananjaya is free to play the next Test match beginning on Wednesday at P. Sara Oval but sources said that he will not be part of the side. Instead, veteran off-spinner Dilruwan Perera has been drafted into the side. Perera has recovered from a hamstring injury.
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PIYAL WIJETUNGE
SACHITH PATHIRANA
Full name Sachith Shanaka Pathirana
Born March 21, 1989, Kandy
Current age 30 years 153 days
Major teams Colombo Cricket Club, Combined Provinces,Kandurata, Kandy Youth Cricket Club, Ragama Cricket Club,Southern Express, Sri Lanka Under-19s
Nickname Podda
Playing role Allrounder
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Slow left-arm orthodox
Height 5 ft 9 in
Education Trinity College, Kandy
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct | St | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 18 | 14 | 1 | 332 | 56 | 25.53 | 383 | 86.68 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| T20Is | 5 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 14 | 5.40 | 24 | 112.50 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| First-class | 94 | 144 | 7 | 3714 | 168 | 27.10 | 4235 | 87.69 | 3 | 22 | 344 | 148 | 51 | 0 |
| List A | 106 | 89 | 9 | 1939 | 90* | 24.23 | 2189 | 88.57 | 0 | 10 | 162 | 51 | 28 | 0 |
| T20s | 62 | 49 | 11 | 676 | 48 | 17.78 | 503 | 134.39 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 20 | 15 | 0 |
| Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 18 | 18 | 765 | 720 | 15 | 3/37 | 3/37 | 48.00 | 5.64 | 51.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is | 5 | 5 | 95 | 119 | 5 | 2/23 | 2/23 | 23.80 | 7.51 | 19.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| First-class | 94 | 151 | 15390 | 9785 | 320 | 7/49 | 11/144 | 30.57 | 3.81 | 48.0 | 17 | 21 | 3 |
| List A | 106 | 102 | 4375 | 3462 | 128 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 27.04 | 4.74 | 34.1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| T20s | 62 | 55 | 1036 | 1250 | 63 | 4/17 | 4/17 | 19.84 | 7.23 | 16.4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| ODI debut | Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Pallekele, Jul 15, 2015 scorecard |
| Last ODI | India v Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam, Dec 17, 2017 scorecard |
| ODI statistics |
– Statsguru ODI analysis – Player analysis menu/filter ODI match list ——————————— Batting career summary Batting innings list High scores Batting series averages ——————————— Bowling career summary Bowling innings list Best innings bowling Bowling series averages ——————————— Fielding career summary Fielding innings list Most catches in an innings Fielding series statistics |
| T20I debut | Sri Lanka v Australia at Pallekele, Sep 6, 2016 scorecard |
| Last T20I | Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Lahore, Oct 29, 2017 scorecard |
| T20I statistics |
– Statsguru T20I analysis – Player analysis menu/filter T20I match list ——————————— Batting career summary Batting innings list High scores Batting series averages ——————————— Bowling career summary Bowling innings list Best innings bowling Bowling series averages ——————————— Fielding career summary Fielding innings list Fielding series statistics |
| First-class debut | Colombo Cricket Club v Nondescripts Cricket Club at Colombo (CCC), Nov 21-23, 2008 scorecard |
| Last First-class | Ragama Cricket Club v Badureliya Sports Club at Colombo (Bloomfield), Feb 1-3, 2019 scorecard |
| List A debut | Colombo Cricket Club v Nondescripts Cricket Club at Colombo (CCC), Nov 26, 2008 scorecard |
| Last List A | Colombo Cricket Club v Badureliya Sports Club at Colombo (CCC), Mar 12, 2019 scorecard |
| T20s debut | Kandurata v Ruhuna at Colombo (Colts), Apr 17, 2008 scorecard |
| Last T20s | Badureliya Sports Club v Kandy Customs Cricket Club at Colombo (CCC), Feb 19, 2019 scorecard |
| Bat & Bowl | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date | Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20, 0/33 | Badureliya | v Col CC | Colombo (CCC) | 12 Mar 2019 | LA |
| 9, 1/54 | Badureliya | v KTC | Kaluthara | 10 Mar 2019 | LA |
| 64, 0/21 | Badureliya | v Lankan CC | Kaluthara | 9 Mar 2019 | LA |
| 2/54, 8 | Badureliya | v Saracens | Kaluthara | 6 Mar 2019 | LA |
| 5/37, 37 | Badureliya | v Colts | Colombo (Colts) | 4 Mar 2019 | LA |
| 27, 2/21 | Badureliya | v Kandy CCC | Colombo (CCC) | 19 Feb 2019 | T20 |
| 2, 1/22 | Badureliya | v Burgher | SLAOCIC Stadium | 18 Feb 2019 | T20 |
| 1/17, 17 | Badureliya | v Galle CC | Colombo (CCC) | 16 Feb 2019 | T20 |
| 0/35 | Badureliya | v Lankan CC | Panagoda | 15 Feb 2019 | T20 |
| 42, 1/162, 23, 0/22 | Badureliya | v Ragama | Colombo (Bloomfield) | 1 Feb 2019 | FC |
An allrounder who bowls slow left-arm, Sachith Pathirana’s rise to the national side has been long-awaited, since his promising time in the Under-19 team. Pathirana captained Sri Lanka’s U-19 side at the age of 17 in a one-day tri-series against England and Malaysia, and a year later, made a major impact in the 2008 U-19 World Cup, hitting 231 runs and taking 10 wickets.
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