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

Andrew Flintoff: 'I never want to captain England again'

He was at it again this morning, just like the day before, just as he will be tomorrow. Rising before 6am, out of the house at 6.20am, thudding the treadmill by quarter to seven. A public gym beside the M60 is where the first, sweat-salted steps towards the Ashes are being taken. Recent events make English cricket appear ill but Andrew Flintoff is a picture of health.

He has seldom looked or — though four ankle operations leave you taking nothing for granted — felt better. We met on Monday which, for Freddie, started the same as almost every day since Christmas. “I do two hours in the gym, six days a week. I use the David Lloyd by the Trafford Centre. We’re not like footballers, we don’t have gyms in our houses,” he says, smiling........read more

Andrew Flintoff: 'I never want to captain England again'

He was at it again this morning, just like the day before, just as he will be tomorrow. Rising before 6am, out of the house at 6.20am, thudding the treadmill by quarter to seven. A public gym beside the M60 is where the first, sweat-salted steps towards the Ashes are being taken. Recent events make English cricket appear ill but Andrew Flintoff is a picture of health.

He has seldom looked or — though four ankle operations leave you taking nothing for granted — felt better. We met on Monday which, for Freddie, started the same as almost every day since Christmas. “I do two hours in the gym, six days a week. I use the David Lloyd by the Trafford Centre. We’re not like footballers, we don’t have gyms in our houses,” he says, smiling........read more