Category Archives: Aravinda de Silva

April 28, 2017 · 11:33 am

Gahaapan Machaang! Sixer, Sixer!!! Sri Lanka’s TOP TEN

….  Courtesy of Daily Mirror, 27 April 2017, where the title is “Top Ten Sri Lankan batsmen with most sixes in ODI’s –

Cricket is not just a game of boundaries and sixes, but modern day batsmen are rated highly if they could clear the boundary with ease. There are few Lankan batsmen who had cleared the ropes many times. Below is a list of Top 10 Batsmen who have hit most number of sixes for Sri Lanka in ODI’s.
10 – Nuwan Kulasekara 

 Yes you saw it right, its Nuwan Kulasekara as at now the most experienced fast bowler of the country gets to the top 10 list of most sixes for a Sri Lankan. The lower order dasher has contributed with the bat on many crucial occasions.  In 120 innings he has smashed 39 sixes at an average of 41 balls faced per six. 

 

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Filed under Aravinda de Silva, cricketing icons, cricketing records, Mahela Jayawardene, patriotic excess, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket, unusual people, unusual statistics, violent intrusions

December 2, 2016 · 1:17 pm

Wasim Akram in Praise of Sri Lanka and Its Cricket

Rex Clementine, in The Island, 2 December 2016, where the title is “Sri Lanka is Heaven on Earth – Wasim Akram”

Pakistan hero in their 1992 World Cup triumph, Wasim Akram, recalled fond memories of touring Sri Lanka as a Test cricketer and claimed the future is bright for country’s cricket during a media briefing at SLC headquarters at Maitland Place, Colombo yesterday. Former great Aravinda de Silva, who heads SLC’s Cricket Committee, had requested Akram’s services to conduct a workshop for the national cricket team, SLC coaches and fast bowlers. Akram is expected to do a couple of more stints next year as well. “I first toured Sri Lanka in 1986 with Pakistan Under-23 team. I have happy memories here of lovely places and people. Sri Lanka is heaven on earth,” Akram said addressing the media briefing.

aa-wasimat  Sri Lankan cricketer Kasun Rajitha (R) speaks with former Pakistan great Wasim Akram during a training session at the Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) grounds in Colombo on December 1, 2016.(Pic by Ishara Kodikara

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November 6, 2016 · 1:05 am

Breaking News Today: 1996 World Cup Squad in Victory Jaunt in Australia … Marking a Golden Era

Boasting greater solidity and bodily weight today, the triumphant Sri Lankan cricket team of 1996 were hosted in celbratory manner in the land of the vanquished THEN— in Melbourne, the cricketing centre of the cricketing giants Australia,

aa-996-squad

Rex Clementine, in The Sunday Island, 6 November 2016, where the title runs ” Golden era of Sri Lankan cricket”

The World Cup winning Sri Lankan cricket team has just concluded a trip to Australia to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their triumph on that remarkable night of March 17th 1996 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Seeing images of the team touring Australia brought back nostalgic memories as it was the players of this particular team that formed the nucleus of the side that ushered in the golden era of Sri Lankan cricket. The four year period from 1995 to 1998 can easily be considered as the golden era of Sri Lankan cricket for their outstanding achievements and the fear they created in opposition. They were not as dominant as Clive Lloyd’s West Indies of the 1970s, but the exciting brand of cricket they played helped change the way the sport was played.

 

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Filed under Aravinda de Silva, cricket and life, cricket tamashas, cricketing icons, murali, Rex Clementine, sanath jayasuriya, Sri Lanka Cricket, world cup squad

October 6, 2016 · 2:14 pm

Rangana Herath: A Leftie Lovable

Andrew Fidel Fernando, courtesy of THE CRICKET MONTHLY, where the title is “Left-arm lovable”

It was perfect that Rangana Herath‘s parents bought the family their first television shortly before Aravinda de Silva‘s 1984 debut, because soon de Silva was Herath’s favourite player. “When Aravinda is smashing sixes and fours,” Herath remembers, “who doesn’t want to watch?”

There was sometimes a crowd in the house. In the lush village of Waduwawa, on the southeastern tip of the Northwestern Province, this was one of the first black-and-white television sets. Matches drew friends and neighbours to the lime-green living room, and when games finished, the mob scattered into the front yard. Beneath thambili palms, with birdsong in the trees, and the Buddhist temple’s bana on the breeze, they poured out pent-up aspirations into matches of their own.

herath-with-his-son-in-galle-2014-afp With his son in Galle, 2014 © AFP

When no friends were around, older brother Deepthi was cajoled into games. “Aiyo I could never get away from him,” Deepthi says. “He was always wanting to play. I had to learn batting left-handed even, so that I wasn’t breaking windows when I hit to the leg side. He batted left-handed from the small days, so he was always whacking balls into the trees. If I couldn’t play, he’d hang a ball in a sock from the mango tree, and hit it by himself. He had more than enough shots.”

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Aravinda de Silva, child of empire, cricket and life, cricketing icons, English cricket, performance, player selections, Rangana Herath, sanath jayasuriya, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, unusual people

July 10, 2016 · 4:06 am

Striking Pictorial Moments from the Past

ARI raises ams in triumph

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May 8, 2016 · 1:35 pm

Sanath talks to Sa’adi: Selector’s Policies and Team Prospects in Engand

Sa’adi Thawfeeq, in The Sunday Observer, 8 May 2016, where the title is “Our bowling attack is one of the best in the world”

SANATH --lake houseThe Sri Lankan cricket team presently touring England maybe undergoing a period of transition, but chairman of selectors Sanath Jayasuriya is of the belief that if there is one department they are on par with, it is the bowling which he described as being one of the best attacks in the world.”The one department we are really good at is bowling. We have the top best bowling side in the world – five fast bowlers and spinners who are all experienced and very good,” Jayasuriya told the Sunday Observer.The Lankan pace attack comprises Dhammika Prasad, Shaminda Eranga, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal and Dushmantha Chameera. They are backed by spinners Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera. Their total experience amounts to 164 Test appearances and 582 wickets. Continue reading →

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May 4, 2016 · 2:29 pm

Clementine, Fernando and Jayasuriya’s Thoughts on the Sri Lankan Squad and England Tour

I. Rex Clementine: “United Sri Lanka geared up for bigger challenges,” in Island, 3 May 2016

Aftermath of the national cricket team’s disastrous World T-20 campaign in India, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has taken several measures to help the team get back to winning ways and although there’s not much optimism, an improved performance is expected as Angelo Mathews’ side take wings to England today. Under new Chairman of Selectors Sanath Jayasuriya and Team Manager Charith Senanayake, certain initiatives were taken with the supervision of Head Coach Graham Ford to help the team raise their game in England and authorities are hopeful that the team will come up with an improved performance.

Sri Lanka's captain Angelo Mathews (R) speaks as cricket coach Marvan Atapattu (C) and chief cricket selector Sanath Jayasuriya look on during a press conference in Colombo on March 27, 2015. Chief Selector Sanath Jayasuriya said they will draw up new standards to ensure better fitness and take "hard decisions" about players who were below par. AFP PHOTO / ISHARA S. KODIKARA (Photo credit should read Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

Sri Lanka’s captain Angelo Mathews (R) speaks as cricket coach Marvan Atapattu (C) and chief cricket selector Sanath Jayasuriya look on during a press conference in Colombo –one year previously – on March 27, 2015. Chief Selector Sanath Jayasuriya said they will draw up new standards to ensure better fitness and take “hard decisions” about players who were below par. AFP PHOTO / ISHARA S. KODIKARA (Photo credit should read Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

Leading up to the World T-20, there were infighting between senior players and captain Lasith Malinga had allegedly stopped talking to Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne. One of the things that the new management has worked on is to help the players gel together and although a lot is left to be done, several good initiatives have been made. Continue reading →

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, Aravinda de Silva, cricket and life, cricket governance, cricketing icons, Lasith Malinga, performance, player selections, politics and cricket, Rex Clementine, sanath jayasuriya, Sri Lanka Cricket

April 2, 2016 · 9:20 am

Selection Errors and On-field Mediocrity condemn the Sri Lankan Team’s T20 Performance

Michael Roberts, courtesy of IslandCricket …….. http://www.islandcricket.lk/columns/michael_roberts/475520202/evaluating-sri-lankas-mediocre-wt20-performances, where the title is different

DASUN SHANAKA--www.gettyimages One bright spark, Dasun Shanaka–Pic Getty Images

ONE: Sri Lanka’s mediocre performances at the T20 World Cup were the result of poor selections, poor batting, poor running between the wickets, mediocre bowling, some poor fielding and one atrocious umpiring decision.[1]

The awful umpiring mistake by John Cloete that sent Dilshan back to the pavilion at 3.1 overs – a decision that was marked explicitly by several TV commentators including Alan Wilkins — was all the more severe because of its timing: viz., when Dilshan was on song and Sri Lanka had got off to a good start against the West Indies with 20 runs in 18 balls. Continue reading →

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Filed under Angelo Mathews, Aravinda de Silva, cricket governance, Mahela Jayawardene, performance, player selections, politics and cricket, Rangana Herath, Russel Arnold, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket, T20 Cricket, West Indian Cricket

March 15, 2016 · 10:12 am

Musings III: Misfortunes that have hit Sri Lankan cricket

Michael Roberts,  courtesy of islandcricket.lk …. http://www.islandcricket.lk/columns/michael_roberts/472740219/wt20-misfortune-has-compounded-sri-lankas-problems

 From way back it was widely recognized that the retirement of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara would probably weaken Sri Lanka considerably. However, planning for the future from 2014 has not been assisted by the musical chairs in coaches and Selection Committees. The present coach is the third (or is it the fourth?) since mid-2014; while the present lot of selectors is the third —with no continuity via the retention of at least one or two selectors in order to sustain trajectories held in view by the previous Committee. Note that the Committee prior to that headed by Wijegunawardene was headed by Sanath Jayasuriya.

KUSAL PERERA-islandckt Kusal Perera

That said, I underline the impact of bad luck in the roll of the island’s cricketing dice. The biggest blow has been the doping ban received by Kusal Janith Perera (aged 25) in December 2015. I do not have the inside story or stories attending this event, so I do not know whether this was self-inflicted by Perera and his mentors or the result of some curious happenchance or error. However, he had been groomed as an explosive opening batsmen and gradually accumulated experience in this role. His present T20 stats read thus: 22 inns-0-596 runs—84—27.09 average– 133.03 s/r–05 fifties. These are better than those for AB de Villiers and Steven Smith. Continue reading →

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Filed under Angelo Mathews, Aravinda de Silva, chaminda vaas, cricket and life, cricket governance, cricketing icons, Lasith Malinga, performance, player selections, politics and cricket, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket, T20 Cricket

March 9, 2016 · 12:11 pm

Andrew Fernando plays a Straight Bat on Sri Lanka’s Selection Turmoil

Located as he is abroad — I think –Andrew Fidel Fernando would have limited access to the grapevine information surrounding the heavy-handed interference with the selection of Sri Lanka’s squad by the corporate boss Sumathipala with Aravinda alongside and a Sports Minister prepared to do their bidding. His preliminary news report itakes a strait forward approach and presents theviews of the blokes calling the shots.  Michael Roberts

aa=slc Malinga and team in Bangladesh

Andrew Fidel Fernando: “Malinga steps down as captain, Mathews to lead in World T20”, …. courtesy of ESPNcricinfo,

Lasith Malinga has stepped down as Sri Lanka’s T20 captain ahead of the World T20 in India, but will remain part of the squad. Angelo Mathews will lead the team in his place. The team is hopeful Malinga can be available for their first match on March 17, though that is dependent on his recovery over the next week. Continue reading →

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Aravinda de Silva, cricket governance, Lasith Malinga, performance, player selections, politics and cricket, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket, T20 Cricket