Category Archives: financial expediency

January 29, 2018 · 2:19 pm

Surprises and Losers at the IPL Auction 2018

Indian Express News Item, http://indianexpress.com/photos/sports-gallery/ipl-auction-2018-live-player-price-sold-5041190/

IPL Auction 2018 saw some of cricket’s biggest name go for auction in Bangalore. The first surprise of the day was R Ashwin. Coming in at number two in the auction, Ashwin was sold to Kings XI Punjab after Chennai Super Kings decided to pull out of the bidding war. He will join Yuvraj Singh at KXIP for a price of Rs 7.60 crore. This auction has not been the best for Indian veteran players as their prices have plummeted. A couple of big names also went unsold on the first day of the auction.

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Filed under cricket and life, cricket in India, cricket tamashas, cricketing icons, financial expediency, Indian cricket, IPL, performance

January 17, 2016 · 2:55 am

Thilanga Sumathipala Speaks

S R Pathiravithana

Deprivation sometimes could transform into gallantry. It was a make-or-break affair for Thilanga Sumathipala, a man who was turned into a doormat of ‘interimism’ (a word that we coined under the given circumstances) for more than a decade through constant shutting down of the elected power base through the installation of interim committees.

Thilanga Sumathipala

The newly elected Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President, Sumathipala, has gone through the mill of cricket governance seeing the yo-yo effects of these experiences. Yet, he lived with his passion for cricket through all those years and now finally he is sitting in the office by the SSC grounds with that magnificent view and will be holding the magic wand of cricket power presumably for the next two years.

Last week the Sunday Times Musings had an exclusive chat with Sumathipala and he outlined his future vision for Sri Lanka Cricket and other matters pertaining to the wellbeing of the game.

First we asked the new president how he sees the challenges before him – a cricket team which is hobbling in the international arena, along with matters which are relevant to cricket governance. Sumathipala explained: “I think our first priority is the national team. We feel at present the national team is in disarray. Taking the whole gamut of Test cricket, ODI and T-20 cricket, we feel we have fairly a big issue at hand. On the other hand, we have a problem with the national coach.

When we look at a dedicated professional team, his responsibility is not only coaching. He is in-charge of the entire support service, training schedules, warm-up matches, setting up captain’s meetings. Continue reading →

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Filed under cricket and life, cricketer politicians, financial expediency, ICC, interim committees, politics and cricket, SL Premier League, Sri Lanka Cricket, unusual people, unusual statistics, welfare through sport

November 25, 2015 · 2:00 pm

Million Dollar Test Bonanza for the Seven Second Tier Cricketing Nations

Andrew -Fidel Fernando, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, where the title is “ICC to pay seven Full Members $10 million each” … Two Big Men at Cricket’s Peak

The ICC will pay seven full-member boards $10 million over the next eight years, as part of the Test Cricket Fund announced during last year’s Big Three takeover of cricket’s governing body. Other than the BCCI, ECB and CA, the remaining full-member boards will each receive $1.25 million annually, beginning January 2016. The latest figures indicate that each member receiving the Test Match Fund stands to gain $10 million over eight years. This is less than the figure of $12.5 million over eight years announced by ECB president and ICC executive committee member Giles Clarke in February 2014 as each nation’s Test Cricket Fund package. Continue reading →

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, cricket governance, financial expediency, ICC, tower of strength, welfare through sport

November 8, 2015 · 1:15 pm

Jerome Jayaratne will be Coach for Tour of New Zealand

S.R. Pathiravithana, in The Sunday Times, 8 November 2015

The present Interim cricket coach of Sri Lanka, Jerome Jayaratne is likely to be seconded for his services till the end of the World T-20 Tournament which will be held in India April next year according to cricket’s Interim cricket head, Sidath Wettimuny.
SLC’s cricket’s Interim head told the Sunday Times “At the moment the side is pretty much settled and we do not want to rock the boat in any way. So we are hoping to keep him in charge of the national team will the end of the World T-20 tournament in March/April 2016. The discussions are continuing on the matter and we have not arrived at the final decision as yet” Wettimuny said.

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Filed under Angelo Mathews, cricket governance, financial expediency, Sri Lanka Cricket

October 26, 2015 · 12:13 pm

The Longstanding Travails of West Indian Cricket

Tony Cozier, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, October 25, 2015, where the title is “If only West Indies had listened to Murray and Dujon”

There were warnings of the deteriorating relationship between the players and the board 35 years ago. Little has changed, and it could get worse. A familiar story: in 1990, Jeff Dujon highlighted the lack of clarity in players’ contracts © Getty Images

For all its global hype, Back to the Future Day last Wednesday might just have escaped your attention. As it was explained in hundreds of newspapers and websites, Back to the Future II was the title of a 1989 movie that propelled its two main characters, Marty McFly (played by Michael J Fox) and Doc Brown, forward to October 21, 2015. It was a sequel to an earlier film, where the two made a trip back to 1955.

Some of what writer-director Robert Zemeckis prophesied has materialised (video chat is real, cars run on alternative fuel, thumbprints can open doors and pay bills, and while the Chicago Cubs may not be at long last baseball’s World Series champions, they are in the final playoffs). Others (flying cars and skateboards, and – West Indians will be amused to learn – the banning of lawyers!) will have to wait for Back to the Future III. Continue reading →

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Filed under cricket and life, cricket governance, cricketing rules, financial expediency, performance, politics and cricket, West Indian Cricket

February 17, 2015 · 2:27 am

Mike Marqusee from his Grave: Reviewing the 2011 World Cup

Mike Marqusee ** originally published in The Hindu, 20 March 2011 and http://www.mikemarqusee.com/?p=1154 and then presented in cricketiue

At the outset of this World Cup, both the format and the event were on trial. Questions about its pre-eminence in the global game had been raised not only by the best forgotten 2007 instalment but even more by the rise of T20 and the IPL. While it’s too early to say, at the half way point the tournament seem to be answering these questions in the affirmative. At least that’s what it looks like sprawled in front of a TV screen in faraway London.

First, it’s clear, surely, that the 50 over format has plenty of life left in it and remains a much richer, more satisfying spectacle than T20. Fifty overs allows the batsman to build an innings; indeed, it demands it. It’s not just a question of the amount of time but how to use it effectively. Changing gears – which means having more than one or two gears to change through – is an art unique to cricket batting and it plays no role in T20. What’s more, to succeed over the longer duration batters need to play strokes all around the wicket, exploiting the full 360 degrees. It might be said that whereas T20 matches are won by the field placings thwarting the batsman, 50 over matches are won by the batsman thwarting the field placings.The new wrinkle of the batting “powerplay” (I wish they had thought up a less macho name) has proved unpredictable, tactically demanding and in some cases decisive. This moveable five over stretch has expanded the room for comebacks – real comebacks from a losing position that are much more convincing than the helter-skelter swings of the pendulum of T20.

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Filed under cricket and life, cricket tamashas, financial expediency, Indian cricket, IPL, politics and cricket, technology and cricket, unusual people, World Cup 2015

November 7, 2014 · 1:55 pm

Australia’s International Cricket Season kicks off at Adelaide Oval

Allan Donald and Safs in their dug-out

some 26,000 odd fans watched this one-sided T20 match between Australia and South Africa … half the house capacity

… among them were Ronali, Anu, Charitha, Hewan and Madu and a budding young cricketer Dinan Perera Continue reading →

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April 19, 2014 · 1:45 pm

Sri Lanka Cricket Team Future Tour Programs

Courtesy of Harry De Sayrah

May2014
Sri Lanka tour of Ireland 2014
Matches: 2 ODI
Venue: Ireland

May-Jun 2014
Sri Lanka tour of England 2014
Matches: 2 Test, 5 ODI and 1 T20
Venue: EnglandJuly 2014
South Africa tour of Sri Lanka 2014
Matches: 2 Test, 3 ODI
Venue: Sri LankaAugust 2014
Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2014
Matches: 2 Test, 3 ODI
Venue: Sri LankaSeptember 2014
Champions League T20 2014
Matches: 29 T20
Venue: IndiaNov-Dec 2014
England tour of Sri Lanka 2014
Matches: 5 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: Sri LankaDec 2014-Jan 2015
Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand 2014-15
Matches: 2 Test, 5 ODI and 1 T20
Venue: New ZealandJan-Feb 2015
Australia Tri Series 2015
Matches: 5 ODI
Venue: AustraliaFeb-Mar 2015
Cricket World Cup 2015
Matches: 49 ODI
Venue: Australia/New ZealandApr-May 2015
Zimbabwe tour of Sri Lanka 2015
Matches: 5 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: Sri LankaJul-Aug 2015
New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka 2015
Matches: 2 Test, 5 ODI and 1 T20
Venue: Sri LankaSeptember 2015
Champions League T20 2015
Matches: 23 T20
Venue: N/AOct-Nov 2015
West Indies tour of Sri Lanka 2015
Matches: 2 Test, 3 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: Sri LankaDec 2015-Jan 2016
Sri Lanka tour of India 2015-16
Matches: 3 Test
Venue: IndiaFeb-Mar 2016
Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2016
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: Sri LankaMar-Apr 2016
T20 World Cup 2016
Matches: 27 T20
Venue: IndiaMay-Jun 2016
Sri Lanka tour of England 2016
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 1 T20
Venue: EnglandMay 2016
West Indies Tri Series 2016
Matches: 7 ODI
Venue: West IndiesJul-Aug 2016
Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2016
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: Sri LankaSeptember 2016
Champions League T20 2016
Matches: 23 T20
Venue: N/AOct-Nov 2016
Sri Lanka tour of Zimbabwe 2016
Matches: 2 Test, 3 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: ZimbabweNov 2016-Jan 2017
Sri Lanka tour of South Africa 2016-17
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 3 T20
Venue: South AfricaJune 2017
World Test Championship 2017
Matches: 3 Test
Venue: EnglandJul-Sep 2017
India tour of Sri Lanka 2017
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: Sri LankaSeptember 2017
Champions League T20 2017
Matches: 23 T20
Venue: N/AOct-Dec 2017
Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan 2017
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: Pakistan/UAEJanuary 2018
Sri Lanka tour of Bangladesh 2018
Matches: 3 ODI
Venue: BangladeshMar-Apr 2018
Sri Lanka tour of India 2018
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: IndiaJun-Jul 2018
Sri Lanka tour of West Indies 2018
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: West IndiesSeptember 2018
Champions League T20 2018
Matches: 23 T20
Venue: N/AOct-Nov 2018
England tour of Sri Lanka 2018
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 1 T20
Venue: Sri LankaDecember 2018
Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand 2018
Matches: 2 Test, 3 ODI and 1 T20
Venue: New ZealandJan-Feb 2019
Sri Lanka tour of Australia 2019
Matches: 2 Test, 5 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: AustraliaFeb-Apr 2019
Sri Lanka tour of South Africa 2019
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 3 T20
Venue: South AfricaMay-Sep 2019
South Africa tour of Sri Lanka 2019
Matches: 3 Test, 5 ODI and 3 T20
Venue: Sri LankaJun-Jul 2019
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019
Matches: 48 ODI
Venue: EnglandSep-Oct 2019
Champions League T20 2019
Matches: 23 T20
Venue: N/AOctober 2019
Zimbabwe tour of Sri Lanka 2019
Matches: 5 ODI and 2 T20
Venue: Sri LankaFebruary 2020
Sri Lanka tour of Bangladesh 2020
Matches: 2 Test, 3 ODI and 1 T20
Venue: Bangladesh

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Filed under cricket governance, financial expediency, icc champions trophy, performance, politics and cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket, T20 Cricket, technology and cricket, television commentary, unusual people

February 20, 2014 · 7:55 am

Sri Lanka’s Costly Cricket Stadiums

The government had spent Rs. 413 million as administrative expenditure of seven cricket grounds during the past five years, Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told Parliament yesterday. The cricket grounds were R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Galle International Cricket Stadium, Welagedara Cricket Stadium, Surrey Cricket Ground, and Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.

Minister Aluthgamage responding to a question raised by UNP Colombo District MP Ravi Karunanayake said that in addition to this sum, another Rs. 7054 million have been spent for these stadiums as capital expenditure. Continue reading →

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