Wednesday 10th August, 2011 Ajantha says Drug ban, toughest moment world record result of hard work REX CLEMENTINE reporting from Pallekele in my life – Tharanga Ajantha Mendis’ fall was as sudden as his rise. The once mystery spinner played the opening Test in Cardiff during Sri Lanka’s recent tour of England and was left out of the side since that game. He was in the REX CLEMENTINE REPORTING sidelines for the remaining two Tests and was overlooked for the T-20 from Pallekele International in Bristol and didn’t play any part in the five ODIs that fol- Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga been found guilty of deliberately cheat- lowed. says the three month ban imposed on ing, but the ICC maintains its zero-toler- He did, however, play in the warm up game in Chelmsford between him for the use of a banned drug by the ance approach towards doping for the the second and third Tests and the one-day warm up game in anti-doping tribunal was the most diffi- benefit of all its stakeholders. Cases Worcester, ahead of the ODI series where he didn’t do much. cult situation he experienced in his life. like this serve as a reminder to all play- The selectors privately admitted that they were losing patience with Tharanga, who scored 395 runs dur- ers that they must take great care and the 26-year-old, as returns were minimal in the Inter-Provincial tourna- ing the ICC Cricket World Cup at an personal responsibility at all times for ment which followed. average of over 55, was suspended after the substances that they consume,” ICC He was overlooked for the first T-20 on Saturday, but as the second the tournament, but his submission Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said that he had ingested the substances by when his ban was announced. T-20 was played on a used wicket here in Pallekele, he was brought drinking a herbal medicine given to “The ICC conveyed to the board that into the side and Mendis wouldn’t let another chance slip away, claim- him to ease discomfort caused by a during the three month period I can’t ing a World Record six for 16, the best bowling analysis in T-20 shoulder injury was accepted by the participate in any training of the Internationals, as Sri Lanka came from behind to beat Australia by eight International Cricket national squad and that I runs. Council. can’t play any domestic Despite poor form, Mendis owned the best two bowling performanc- “It was one of the matches and take part in es by a Sri Lankan in T-20 cricket and it was his excellent record that most difficult situa- any training with any saved his place in the squad. Captain Dilshan admitted that Mendis’ tions I have experi- domestic team. So I did record was in his mind when he sat down for selections. “Before we enced. The ban everything on my own selected the T-20 squad, I had confidence in Mendis. Suranga Lakmal affected me psycho- during these three played well on Saturday, but still we gave Ajantha a chance as we logically and that months.” knew that he could be a handful on this wicket,” Dilshan told journalists, was one of the tough- The ban meant that after his side won the T-20 series, 2-0. est periods in my life. Tharanga was ruled out of “Missing out in England made me work harder on my game,” Fortunately that’s the recent tour of England. Mendis said. “I worked extremely hard to get back into the team. All the over now and I am He was one of the success bowlers are doing well and it’s tough to get back to the side. I believe looking forward to stories when Sri Lanka Monday’s results is the effort of that hard work.” the future,” the 26- toured England for a series Mendis, who bowls a mixture of googlies, flippers, off-spinners, leg- year-old told ‘The last time scoring two hun- Island yesterday at dreds in the five match breaks and top-spinners, said that he’s about to unleash a new delivery. Pallekele after a ODI series including one at “I am developing a new ball. But I haven’t still tried that in a game situa- training session. Lord’s where he became tion and hopefully it will come out soon,” he said. Tharanga’s test was done after Sri the youngest Sri Lankan, at the age of On Monday, Mendis was introduced into the attack in the sixth over Lanka’s World Cup semi-final fixture 21 to score a century. with Australia cruising on 64 for none. Shane Watson had completed against New Zealand at R. Premadasa “Playing in England is what every his half-century at that stage, off just 20 deliveries and he welcomed Stadium, three days after he had hit an player wants to do. It’s a unique chal- Mendis back to international cricket by slogging his googly for a six. unbeaten hundred in the quarter-final lenge to play and succeed in England Two balls later, however, another attempt to clear the boundary saw his against England. due to the conditions and I had a good dismissal and Mendis was unstoppable from thereon. “I was shocked when I got to know tour last time in 2006. It was disappoint- “When I came into bowl, we had given away some runs as the that I had failed a drug test. I just ing to miss out on this occasion,” Power Play was in progress. The plan at that time was to limit the run couldn’t understand what had hap- Tharanga added. flow more than picking up wickets as they had got off to a flying start. pened,” Tharanga added. “Everything is over now and the cap- We had a plan and we bowled according to that plan.” At the end of the tribunal, the ICC tain and the selectors have recalled me “I really enjoyed what I did. I just wanted to bowl a good line and declared that Tharanga had not cheat- as soon as the ban is over. I am looking length and that worked off. The wicket helped me a lot. I mixed up my ed, but the three month ban meant that forward to do well in this series,” deliveries and I thought that catch Angelo Mathews changed the com- he couldn’t even train with a domestic Tharanga further said. plexion of the game in a hurry.” team. “We recognize that Upul has not “I was shocked when I got to know that I had failed a drug test. I just couldn’t understand what had happened,” says Tharanga Dilshan says Mathews’ Sri Lanka eye number one rank in ODI cricket REX CLEMENTINE REPORTING Malinga. lenge in my career so far. The opportuni- on. But it has been decided to play the ‘catch’ was the turning point from Pallekele “Following the two wins in T-20s we ty to lead Australia is fantastic and it’s a game on a fresh track, but the spin Having secured the two match T-20 are in a good frame of mind. Looking at real challenge. We want to have some bowlers are expected to still play a big Sri Lanka dominated proceedings in the first T-20 the Australian ODI side, some of their success on this tour. I am excited and part. International against Australia on Saturday, but series against Australia, Sri Lanka look to maintain the winning momentum as experienced players are returning to the looking forward to it,” he said yesterday “The wicket looks quite dry and fan- Monday’s second game here at Pallekele, which they the first of five match ODI series side and they have a different outfit. If after Australia’s training session in the tastic. The outfield, as we saw during the won by eight runs was a lot closer. A good bowling between the countries gets underway we play like we did during the T-20s, morning here at Pallekele. T-20s, was lightning fast. Once you get in effort by the tourists saw Sri Lanka being restricted to here at the Pallekele International there shouldn’t be any problems for us to “I certainly think that this will be a as a batter, it’s a beautiful place to bat. It’s 157 and the Australians got off to a flying start reach- Stadium today. do well,” Dilshan told journalists yester- very tough series. Sri Lanka have shown just going to be tough to start off against ing 73 for one in the eighth over of the innings. The series provides the Sri Lankans day. that they are playing some good cricket the spinners. We don’t expect anything Experience was something that the at the moment. They love playing in their different throughout the tour. We know They were cruising and were on course for a com- with a chance to become the number one ranked team in the world for the first tourists lacked during the T-20s and they home conditions and looks like we will wickets are going to be conducive to spin fortable win before Angelo Mathews pulled off a stun- will have plenty of experience with the have a lot of spin to face.” bowling here,” Clarke added. ning catch that triggered a sensational collapse. time if they beat Michael Clarke’s side 4- 1. Currently,the losing finalists of this return of captain Michael Clarke, former The last time these sides played in an After the one off day night encounter Opener David Warner slogged Ajantha Mendis and year’s World Cup are rated at number in the hill capital, the teams move to Mathews fielding on the midwicket boundary took a two behind Australia with 118 points.