Sri Lanka minister pledges swift changes to cricket

The sports minister in Sri Lanka has pledged to rejuvenate the game of cricket in Sri Lanka after the defeat by India in the World Cup final.

"We have to begin a new journey, new approach in the game in the near future," Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told BBC Sinhala service, Sandeshaya.

He was commenting after the series of resignations from captain Kumar Sangakkara, his deputy Mahela Jayawardena and the select committee chaired by Aravinda de Silva.

The minister said the changes are needed, after the resignations, to prepare for the upcoming tour of England and then for the Twenty20 World Cup to be hosted by Sri Lanka in 2012.

"We expect to appoint the new captain, vice-captain as well as the select committee within the next week," he said.

According to sports regulations, the minister cannot appoint the captain or the vice-captain. They are picked by the select committee, which is appointed by the minister.

"We hope to begin a new chapter in the game as soon as possible," he explained.

A crisis brewed in Sri Lanka cricket after the unexpected departure of the skipper, vice-captain and the select committee.

Addressing media on Tuesday, Kumar Sangakkara insisted it was decision taken prior to the tournament.

And analysts said it is customary for the vice-captain to resign after the departure of his skipper paving the way for the selectors to appoint a new team.

Sri Lanka cricket fans and certain media have accused the government of political interference, an accusation categorically denied by the minister.

"If there have been political interference, Sanath Jayasuriya should have been the captain of the World cup team," Minister Aluthgamage said.

Two members of the 1996 World Cup winning team, Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas, were left out of the squad having been initially selected for the 30-member provisional team.

Sanath Jayasuriya is a member of parliament representing the ruling party in his hometown, Matara.

"This is a propaganda carried out by the opposition to sling mud at the government," added Aluthgamage.

The minister also commented that no decision has been taken to replace the cricket Interim Committee at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), for the moment, despite serious accusations of mismanagement and financial irregularities.

Commenting on the World Cup ticket sales controversy, "a certain group in Colombo," he said, has systematically bought the cheap tickets and resold them for a higher price, but the SLC should not be made responsible for the racket.

"We went to India to watch the World Cup final and when you compare the ticket prices in India, we can be satisfied that Sri Lanka did this in a very fair manner."

Source: BBC News

BCCI, ICC want cricket-specific doping code: Lorgat

Brushing aside concerns over a potential clash with the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Cricket Council on Tuesday said the sole point of difference was over the "whereabouts" clause of the WADA code to which it is a signatory.

"BCCI (Indian cricket board) is WADA-compliant. It's just a question of agreeing on the finer details of the whereabouts clause," said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat at a media conference to announce the launch of online sales of tickets for the 2011 World Cup to be held in the sub-continent.

He also brushed aside suggestions that WADA Director General David Howman had issued an ultimatum to the ICC and its member boards last month to fall in line with its code in its entirety by November.

"I'm not sure that's what he said. In fact he was very complimentary about the progress cricket has made in terms of doping. He is very much with us in terms of putting something specific for cricket," Lorgat said.

"Being a signatory, we expect the ICC and cricket to remain committed to the WADA code. The ICC has done a lot in the last three years, now they just need to give the final push," Howman had told reporters in Delhi on May 24.

"The ICC is responsible for its member boards. ICC's job is to ensure that member boards comply with the WADA code. We are going to have our next review in November 2011 and by that time if ICC fails to convince its member boards to comply with the Code, we will declare them non-compliant in our report to the International Olympic Committee," Howman had said.

"We don't have the purview to take actions against any non-complaint member, it is the IOC and respective Olympic Council's prerogative," the WADA official had said.

The controversial clause requires the cricketers in the common testing pool to furnish details of their whereabouts three months in advance to the anti-doping authorities.

Indian players have rejected the clause, saying it's a violation of their fundamental right to privacy and poses a threat to their security.

"World over international and national federations are in total compliance with whereabouts clause. 13,000 athletes are part of this clause. We have time to time reviewed this clause and will continue to do so. There is no need to fear," Howman had stated.

BCCI CAO and World Cup Tournament Director Ratnakar Shetty also said that the way out is a cricket-specific whereabouts clause as pointed out by Lorgat.

"We need a practical solution. We need a cricket specific whereabouts clause as Mr Lorgat said. The ICC's Executive Board is seized of the matter and is in the process of putting

up a plan for WADA," he said.

Sidebottom replaces injured Bresnan for second Test

London: Ryan Sidebottom has been named as a replacement for the injured Tim Bresnan in England's squad for the second Test against Bangladesh at Old Trafford.

Pace bowler Sidebottom, a key member of England's World Twenty20-winning campaign in the Caribbean last month, has not played Test cricket since the final match of four against South Africa in January.

The 32-year-old comes back into the fold as Bresnan suffered a stress fracture of his left foot during England's first-Test win over Bangladesh at Lord's.

Bresnan will undergo further assessment this week before a recovery time frame is established.

National selector Geoff Miller, said: "We can be very pleased with a number of aspects from the first Test at Lord's, resulting in a comprehensive win against Bangladesh. It's very unfortunate that Tim Bresnan will miss the second Test through injury, because his bowling benefited from five days of Test cricket at Lord's - and he would have been looking forward to getting more overs under his belt at Old Trafford."

"It does, however, provide Ryan Sidebottom with an opportunity to push for Test selection following his outstanding performances in the World Twenty20. The entire bowling unit will be better for the overs bowled during the first Test and looking to further build on this in Manchester."

England's 12-man squad to face Bangladesh in the second Test at Old Trafford:

Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Alastair Cook, Steven Finn, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Prior (wkt), Ajmal Shahzad, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott.

Source: Yahoo News

Preity Zinta in IPL season 2

Preita Zinta, owner of the IPL team "Kings XI Punjab" in South Africa.

Muralidharan Set Up World Record Of Heighest Wickets In Test And One Dayers

Muttiah Muralitharan, the off spin storm has finally equaled the 502 wickets world record in one dayers of Wasim Akram. Muralitharan reached this mile stone by taking wicket of Yuvraj Singh in the ongoing series of India and Sri Lanks’s third one day international.

Being an off spinner it’s not an easy task for an individual to reach such a milestone in both the phases of international cricket one day and test matches but Muralidharan is the one who is having such honour right now with 769 test and 502 one day wickets.

These records will really inspire the younger players that nothing is impossible to do if one has wish to do. Apart from the bowlers only cricketer who keep the world records in One dayers and test both is Sachin Tendulkar with heighest runs. Now muralidharan is somewhat at the same position where Sachin stands.

Finally Aussies Level The Series Against South Africa in Hobart

It was Shaun Marsh who made 78 runs to make Aussies win against South Africa in the one day series . Chasing the south africa’s 244 runs, Australia made 249 runs after fall of 9 wickets. It was a marathon chase for Australia when their batsman was failed to stand up on the pitch and build up a long partnership.

Marsh was also dropped just after reaching his fifth half century in 10 matches, with stand-in skipper Johan Botha the culprit, but he and Ponting eventually fell in quick succession….read full story