Category Archives: technology and cricket

December 21, 2011 · 1:38 am

ICC told that corruption extends beyond the field

Michael Atherton, courtesy of The Times and The Weekend Australian 17-18 december 2011

GIVEN the scandals that have enveloped the game since the veil was lifted on the activities of several players during the 1990s, it is only natural that when the word “corruption” is uttered, attention falls on the cricketers themselves. Transparency International, an organisation committed to challenging corruption worldwide, made an important contribution to clearing up some of those misconceptions this week.

Cricket is not the kind of playing field that TI normally steps on to, but it was encouraged to do so partly by the wide-ranging nature of the consultation over the ICC’s governance review that closed last week. TI released a number of recommendations for the ICC to consider before the publication of the review, the most important of which was to remind people that on-field corruption is just a small part – albeit the most damaging part – of the temptations that envelop the game as a whole. Continue reading →

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October 5, 2011 · 12:59 pm

Drugs for Lankan Sportsmen: Mendis and White under the gun

Saroj Pathirana, BBC Sinhala Service

The sports minister in Sri Lanka has said he will launch an investigation into allegations that the ministry’s own medical unit provided banned substances to some of the country’s sports personnel. Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told the BBC Sinhala Service that he was sacking the head of the unit, Dr Geethanjana Mendis, and replacing the whole team with sports medical experts. “We have received numerous serious complaints from sports personnel and sports associations that individuals at the unit provided banned substances,” said Aluthgamage. “The unit also does not have any sports medical specialist. Under these circumstances, mainly due to the recent doping incidents, we need to strengthen the unit to conduct a wider anti-doping programme island-wide.” Continue reading →

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September 8, 2011 · 6:12 am

From Murali to Mendis, there’s method in the madness

Peter Roebuck, in the Sydney Morning Herald, 8 September 2011

Pic from AFP

Pic from Reuters

No country has in recent times produced more original cricketers than Sri Lanka. Sanath Jayasuriya, Lasith Malinga, Murali and Ajantha Mendis stand out as the most unorthodox players of their generation. In that time,Sri Lanka has endured a civil war, reporters have been eliminated, the defeated presidential candidate languishes in jail, and the cricket community has for 15 years been run by interim committees. Maybe chaos can be liberating, maybe organisation can stifle.

Murali’s freakish style has been admired and debated but not copied. Like Thommo, he has been inimitable. In his youth, he turned the ball prodigiously but latterly he relied as much upon disguise. Jayasuriya was the first of the modern breed of blasting openers; he struck the ball with awesome power. Malinga is a round-armer, a bunch long assumed to be extinct who ruled the roost briefly between the underarmers and overarmers. Continue reading →

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August 16, 2011 · 2:36 am

Kushil and Murali reach out for FOG in Los Angeles

There was fund raising event in LOS ANGELES on the 13th August for FOG organised by a cross-ethnic body of Sri Lankans with Murali and Kushil as stars; and I received this note from Naj Nagendran, one of the chief organisers:

 Pic of Kushil and MuralI with American college students and Helen Brohier ( FoG, pre-school head) who volunteered at the event

“Michael, The event was successful – 530 attended. Aravinda De Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya joined Murali in LA. Kushil was as usual impressive in showcasing what has been achieved in Seenigama and the progress so far in the Mankulam project. His appeals for funds was well received and excess of $ 200,000 in donations is expected. Murali was very passionate   in his appeal for the Northern project

 They are heading to San Fransisco for similar fundraising events.'” NAGE

 Pic of Kushil with Carl Strecker ( movie producer) who has visited Seenigama post tsunami with medical team and producer of latest  FoG video

 This video is a must see … and must circulate to friends who are not buried in the caverns of bitterness and anger that disable them fromseeing any progress in sri Lanka. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egUNMCg-izM&feature=related

Do also visit the FOG sie for reports on what is being done, step by step, at Mankulam. SEE http://foundationofgoodness.org/m-sectors_north.php. I have jsut got a report from Anura de Silva re the Third Training Camp at Mankulam Maha Vidyalayam –repeat vidyalayam — where training was provided for 12 girls in netball, 22 and 15 boys in cricket and volleyball respectively.

The following are the web references for the Mankulam reports/pics.

*http://www.unconditionalcompassion.org/sub/20110712_2ndCoaching.php

* http://www.unconditionalcompassion.org/sub/201100614_fristever.php

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August 6, 2011 · 11:17 am

A Winning Ethos

Michael Atherton, in The Weekend Australian, 6-7 August 2011

ANDY Flower is worried we are getting ahead of ourselves. He is right, of course, as he will no doubt drum into his players on the eve of next week’s third Test between England and India at Edgbaston. It is for the rest of us to have some fun, to wonder how the present team and players within compare to past eras. But how did we get here? How did we get to the point where we are even having a debate about whether England is the best in the world?

Pic from AFP

In England’s case the transformation has taken about 15 years and you have to go right back to 1997 when Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth was appointed chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board. He was the first administrator who really listened to the captain (me) and other senior players and recognised how disadvantaged England was, in comparison with other teams, because of the refusal properly to resource the national team. Continue reading →

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August 4, 2011 · 3:03 pm

ICC joins forces with broadcasters to hold third-umpire technology training: Taufel to conduct programme in Galle

From the Island, 3 August 2011

The International Cricket Council is partnering with Ten Sports and Sri Lanka Cricket to deliver the first simulated TV umpire technology training course at Galle, Sri Lanka, on August 30. The course will be run by the highly respected Australian umpire and member of the Emirates ICC Mite Umpires panel, Simon Taufel, who has been named Umpire of the Year at the LG ICC Awards on five occasions. Taufel said; “this is a great initiative which will benefit the elite panel umpires and also the international panel umpires fromSri Lanka. The decision-making module will involve training on run out, stumping, clean catches, bump ball, lbw (Decision Review System), caught (DRS), boundaries and front-foot no-balls. While working through the various decision-making elements, there will also be a focus on effective communication skills.” Continue reading →

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June 21, 2011 · 2:50 am

Sri Lanka Cricket Run Out … and run over by Hambantota

Frederica Jansz, in the Sunday Leader, 19 June 2011

Sri Lanka Cricket also known formerly as the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka is in a financial melt down due to political interference, large scale corruption and short-sighted management policies. Cricket  has become a passion for almost every Sri Lankan.  Sadly the gentlemen’s game has been swamped by high finance, leading to persons without the requisite mental and moral make up wanting to be a part of it for upward social mobility and / or financial gain.
The morass that Sri Lanka Cricket is in today has a direct relationship to the recently concluded World Cup 2011, hosted in the sub continent. The 1996 World Cup where Sri Lanka emerged champions was also hosted in the sub continent. Therefore, the Sri Lankan people were expecting a repeat performance which by no mean measure was helped by a nationalistic hype that was being marketed by a government riding high, having defeated the LTTE. Continue reading →

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June 12, 2011 · 4:50 am

Upul Tharanga and Eliyantha White under the gun

S.R. Pathiravithana , in the Sunday Times, 12 June 2011

The beleaguered Sri Lanka ODI opener Upul Tharanga will face an official ICC panel of inquiry to explain about his side of the story following reports that he had been tested positive for banned drugs, according to informed sources. The ICC inquiry will be held in Dubaion or about June 24. If the Lankan opener cannot substantiate his innocence at this inquiry, he stands to face a maximum two-year ban, the sources said citing World Anti-Doping Agency rule Sri Lanka Cricket which was keeping mum on the issue last week broke its silence and issued a statement saying, “The ICC, has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that Upul Tharanga has been tested positive for the presence of a prohibited substance during a testing of a urine sample collected from him after the semi final match against New Zealand on March 29, 2011and a disciplinary charge has been initiated. “Since there is an ongoing inquiry to verify this charge, Tharanga will not be making himself available for selection until the conclusion of the inquiry and therefore will not be available for the ODI and T20 matches in England and the Sri Lanka “A” Team tour of England.” Continue reading →

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May 31, 2011 · 2:14 am

Malcom Speed’s Sticky Wicket

Peter Roebuck

Former International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket Australia (CA) Chief Executive Malcolm Speed’s memoir of his time in cricket, ‘Sticky Wicket’, is an unbiased and relevant eye-opener about what went on behind the scenes in cricket in the past 10 years, noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck has said. “If the style is as dry as a paper clip, the content is colourful. Along the way Speed describes the rumour-ridden inquiry into Bob Woolmer’s death at the 2003 Cricket World Cup, an investigation hijacked by a vainglorious detective and a silly coroner,” Roebuck wrote in his syndicated column for the Sydney Morning Herald. “He talks about the disastrous 2003 Cup, the growth of Indian power, the move from London to Dubai, the advent of Twenty20, the attempt to spread the game beyond the Old Empire, and the sensible changes made to the throwing law.” “He focuses on the notorious SCG Test againstIndiathat showed numerous players and both boards in a poor light, an issue from which only a Kiwi judge emerged with credit,” he added. Continue reading →

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May 17, 2011 · 6:27 am

Tsunami Windfall: New Surrey-SLC cricket ground at Maggona … Two perspectives

Ranjan Paranavithana, in Lakbima News,http://www.lakbimanews.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1473:sri-lankas-wonderful-ground&catid=49:sports&Itemid=49

Let’s talk about the opening of the new cricket ground in Maggona today. But what is strange with this ground is, before today it has been declared open twice. And this is the third time. Surrey Village in Maggona where this cricket ground is, was built after the 2004 tsunami catastrophe. After the tidal wave disaster Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) set up ‘Cricket Aid’ to help the affected parties. And they entered into an agreement with England’s Surrey County where they agreed to build a village with some cricket background at a place affected by tsunami.
In July 2007 work at Maggona began. The plan was to build 39 houses with a ground so youth in the vicinity could use it. Surrey Cricket Club in England promised a grant of 85 million rupees. Then Surrey CC’s CEO Paul Sheldon declared open the houses and a half finished ground in February 2008. Then in June 2009 President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared open the ground and the turf wicket. But sadly till today no matches have been played there. Continue reading →

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