Andrew Fidel Fernando, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo,where the title reads “”Murali and SLC involved in war of words”
Sri Lanka Cricket and Muttiah Muralitharan have traded caustic verbal blows following an altercation between Murali and the Sri Lanka team manager. SLC has made a formal complaint to Cricket Australia over the altercation, and has also contended Murali had conducted centre-wicket training at the Pallekele ground without permission.
Sudatta Mukherjee, writing about “SEVEN foreign cricketers who married Indian women” …. https://thuppahi.wordpress.com/2016/07/16/the-seductiveness-of-indian-women-cricketing-stars-in-love/
Murali at his wedding ceremony in Chennai with Madhimalar Ramamurthy
Sir Viv Richards with his Indian paramour Neena Continue reading
Rex Clementine, courtesy of The Island, 20 May 2016, where the title is “Herath – Sri Lankan cricket’s most loyal man”
How many of you knew that Rangana Herath made his Test debut before former great Kumar Sangakkara? Herath debuted aged just 21 when the Steve Waugh’s Australians toured the island in 1999 in Galle. In a rain affected game, the Australians batted just once and Herath picked up four wickets for 97. Despite a promising start, opportunities were few and rare for Herath due to the presence of champion spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. Sri Lanka also had in their line-up all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya, who bowled left-arm spin as well and an overdose of spin wasn’t required.
Herath pleased with his 300th Test wicket
Bernard Whimpress served — and impressed — cricketing aficionados by editing the Baggy Green journal for years …. and has now brought together a selection of essays from previous runs in an anthology that will please cricketing buffs in the world…. the more so because the collection of authors are altogether eccentric. Book available from bernardwhimpress@gmail.com and 0447 003 654
PREFACE
I began Baggy Green as a Journal of Australian Cricket with Barry Nicholls as associate editor in 1998 and continued it through twelve volumes and twenty-four issues until 2010. In my opening editorial I made reference to the Australian Cricket Journal which had operated several years before and stated that the occasion of an Ashes tour was an appropriate time to launch a new national journal. I went on to say that England had a number of outlets for historical cricket writing and presenting ‘thoughtful high-quality articles with a primarily historical focus’ was the main aim in the new publication. Twelve years later I believe I had achieved that aim. Continue reading
Warwick Franks, in a dual book review in Spotting Traditions • vol. 15 no. 2 • May 1999 = of Ian Woodward: Aussies versus Windies: A History of Australia-West Indies Cricket. Walla Walla Press, Petersham, 1998. Appendices, illus., scorecards, stats. pp. vii + 260. $29.95…. & Michael Roberts and Alfred James: Crosscurrents: Sri Lanka and Australia at Cricket.Walla Walla Press, Petersham, 1998. Illus., scorecards. pp. $50 hardback, $19.95 paperback…. with footnotes and illustrations inserted here by Cricketique.
These two books represent a welcome widening in the perspectives on Australian cricket writing. While the enthusiastic crowd response to the 1998-99 Ashes series underlined the special position of these matches in the ethos of Australian cricket, it is also obvious that there are many ways in which English cricket is increasingly marginal in the development of the world game. Yet such has been the concentration of Australian cricket writing on the Anglo-Australian game that Mike Coward’s Cricket Beyond the Bazaar(1990) has been one of the only books to go beyond the Lord’s-MCG axis. Continue reading
The Foundation of Goodness confirmed Tuesday that it is organising a Murali Harmony Cup Unity tour to the United Arab Emirates following an invitation from Kevin Pietersen’s KP24 Foundation. The Unity Squad includes exceptionally talented under 18 cricketers from different schools island-wide, including five boys from previously war-affected areas in the North and East. The young cricketers were invited to participate in the tour after their outstanding performances during the 2015 Murali Harmony Cup completed in October.
Sharda Ugra, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, where the title reads “The man preparing Sri Lanka for life after Herath”
There are no experienced spinners to replace the ageing spinner, but the country’s spin-bowling academy is busy identifying younger alternatives. If there was ever an opposition against whom Sri Lanka could consider a set of try-outs, West Indies would be it. In the light of Tharindu Kaushal‘s current entanglements over his action, Sri Lanka will certainly need to test the spin options that will be available to them in a post-Rangana Herath world.
Piyal Wijetunga
Bharat Sundaresan, in The Indian Express, 19 August 2015, where the title reads: “Tharindu Kaushal: Breaking walls, building walls”
In December 2014, Tharindu Kaushal left from his 100-year-old ancestral home to make his Test debut in New Zealand. When he returned from tour a month later, there was nothing left of it. The young off-spinner had no home to come back to. There was only rubble.The disintegration of the already-dilapidated house started with the roof caving in one night. Kaushal’s parents, father PH Dhanapala and mother Deepti Hemalatha were asleep inside the house at the time, but they escaped without any injury.
Next morning, they had no choice but to shift their stuff, along with Kaushal’s, away. Luckily Dhanapala’s sister, Induvati, lived just 100 yards away—at Rathgama’s highest point—in a slightly more opulent house. In a day or two, Dhanapala’s home had completely crumbled. When Kaushal heard the news, he was understandably upset, but not too surprised.
Tharindu Kaushal’s parents, father Dhanapala and mother Deepti Hemalatha (centre), pose with their son’s gift to them, a rickshaw.
“Tharindu had asked us to move to my sister’s house before he left. I wanted to fix the house but never had the money,” says Dhanapala, dressed in a purple shirt and trousers. So the first thing the 22-year-old, who spun India to a massive defeat in Galle, did upon his return was buy a tiny plot in the neighbouring town of Seenigama — which was badly affected by the tsunami — and start building a house for his parents, both 50 now. For now, even Kaushal still sleeps in the aunt’s house when in town. Continue reading
Rex Clementine in Q and A with Kumar Sangakkara, in The Island, 12 August 2015,where the title is “Sanga on cricket and life after cricket”
The curtains will come down on Kumar Sangakkara’s illustrious Test career following the second Test Match against India at P. Sara Oval. The star batsman is the highest run getter (12,305) among those still playing while his batting average of 58:03 is significantly higher than several modern greats like Sachin Tendulkar (53:78), Brian Lara (52:88), Rahul Dravid (52:31) and Ricky Ponting (51:85). The 37-year-old, who returned home on Friday after his stint with English county Surrey, spoke to journalists here in Galle on the eve of the first Test on a host of subjects.
Question: What’s the reason for you to play only two Test Matches?
Kumar Sangakkara: The reason for the two and two Test split even though it is not ideal was the agreement I had with the previous selection committee when I was discussing my future. I had plans to retire immediately after the World Cup but they wanted me to try and play a bit more Test cricket. This was all I could offer them and I said as long as they were okay and the board was okay, I will be willing to play four more Test matches. They were ok with that and I said if they were not, to tell me that that would be fine. And that I can then retire after the World Cup. That’s why it’s a two and two split. Continue reading
Dharmasena’s Reflections on Cricket Past and Present
Dinesh Weerawansa, in Sunday Observer, April 2016, where the title is “Lankan team only lacks experience – Former Observer Schoolboy Cricketer Kumar Dharmasena”
Observer Schoolboy Cricketer turned ICC elite panel international umpire Kumar Dharmasena does not see any crisis situation in the Sri Lanka national team. In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer during his short visit to Colombo for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, Dharmasena said he does not see any crisis or an alarming situation in the Sri Lanka team. The former Sri Lanka all-rounder who was a member of the 1996 World Cup-winning team, attributed the recent dismal performance of the national team due to lack of experience and international exposure and expressed confidence that the team would be able to bounce back in near future.
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