Monday 22nd November, 2010 ‘Most fast bowlers don’t want to play Test cricket these days’ Aravinda says team needs tougher and fitter bowlers BY REX CLEMENTINE Muralitharan, what we need is to have Thushara and brought in Nuwan men is to play with pain.” fast bowlers who are going to be fit Kulasekara and the uncapped “You can’t be successful in Test hairman of cricket selectors enough and who are able and willing to Shaminda Eranga. Lasith Malinga, the cricket unless you are mentally tough. Aravinda de Silva says that the play Test cricket. Murali and Vaas were most successful bowler after Some of the physios say that some of Cnational cricket team needs extremely successful. The thing about Muralitharan and Vaas has been rested these bowlers should only bowl 15 balls tougher and fitter fast bowlers as they Vaasy is he wasn’t the most talented with the World Cup in mind. at practice sessions, which we have rebuild the team in the post cricketer, but he put in a lot of hard “My concern is that some of these never heard before. Of course if some- Muralitharan-Vaas era. Muttiah work. Unless we find that sort of com- bowlers find it difficult to bowl two days one is recovering from injury that’s Muralitharan, with 800 Test wickets mitment from fast bowlers we are going in a row. I find it difficult to understand understandable. I don’t know why, and Chaminda Vaas, with 355 Test wick- to struggle in the future. The latest the mentality of the modern medical maybe things have changed but our atti- ets, shouldered the Sri Lankan bowling trend among fast bowlers is that they teams as some of these bowlers are told tude and focus have to be right,” de for 15 years and as the team is search- don’t want to play Test cricket,” de that they can’t play two Tests in a row. I Silva added. ing for replacements, de Silva stressed Silva told The Island yesterday. don’t know whether I am old school, but on the need to have fast bowlers who De Silva’s comments come after the if you take the fast bowlers who played are tougher and fitter. squad for the second Test was in my era, there were niggles here and “As we are entering a new era after announced where the selectors left out there, but they didn’t miss games. One Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Dhammika Prasad and Thilan of the demands of international sports- Aravinda de Silva Australian High Commission pays Kulasekara and uncapped Eranga in Test squad tribute to national cricket team Prasad and Thushara dropped for second Test Sri Lanka’s selectors left out Dhammika Chilaw Marians and has played 23 first Prasad and Thilan Thushara from the class games, has been picked because of squad for the second Test against the West the extra pace he could generate. The two Indies that gets underway on Tuesday here fast bowlers join Dilhara Fernando and in Colombo at R. Premadasa Stadium. Suranga Lakmal in the 16 man squad. Experienced Nuwan Kulasekara and Eranga, however, is unlikely to make his uncapped Shaminda Eranga, a 23-year-old debut. from Chilaw, have been named in the Sri Lanka squad for second Test: squad. Kumar Sangakkara (Captain), T. M. Sri Lanka’s captain Kumar Sangakkara Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela was critical of the fast bowlers in the post Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo match media conference after the first Test Kulasekara Eranga Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene, Suraj when he said “Our attitude probably in the for us to put any pres- Randiv, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan first two sessions was a bit wanting. The sure on them either to get wickets or to cut Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando, Suranga first six overs were probably okay although down on runs.” Lakmal, Rangana Herath, Thilina we didn’t make batsmen play too much. But Kulasekara certainly brings the option of Kandamby, Kaushal Silva and Shaminda after that I thought the lines and lengths we containing while Eranga, who represents Eranga. (RC) bowled on this track was not good enough Ms. Kathy Klugman, the Australian High Commissioner handing over a memento Shearer criticises to national captain Kumar Sangakkara. SLRFU names controversial BY REX CLEMENTINE Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Capello's England record Kadirgamar responded saying, A reception was held at the “Shopping is for Sissies”. LONDON (AP) - Former England cap- Australian House in Horton Place on Then later when Muralitharan was tain Alan Shearer says the national Marija in provisional squad team has failed to improve since Fabio Saturday to celebrate the national called again in 1999, former captain BY RAVI NAGAHAWATTE China for the Asian Games, when the lat- cricket team’s historical victory over Arjuna Ranatunga withdrew the team Capello took over as manager nearly ter group returns. Till then the new Australia in the recent three match ODI and there were even fears that the three years ago. The Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union squad will commence training today series down under. Members of the series might be called off. Capello has come under fierce criti- (SLRFU) has named an additional squad Monday) under assistant coach Sudath national cricket team were present at To defuse the situation the Foreign cism from the British media since of 13 to train for the upcoming Chennai Sampath. the reception hosted by H.E. Kathy Ministers of the countries were England's disappointing World Cup Sevens and Carlton Sevens tournaments, Dullewa said that a decision was yet Klugman, the Australian High involved in discussions. Although at the campaign in South Africa earlier this which includes discarded Kandy SC star, to be made whether Sri Lanka will send Commissioner. turn of the new decade things calmed year, and the team's 2-1 defeat to Fazil Marija. a development squad or the national Cricket relations between Sri Lanka down considerably, Australia-Sri Lanka France on Wednesday has provoked Marija has hinted in an interview team for the Chennai Sevens which will and Australia have improved drastical- encounters have attracted the odd inci- further debate about its future under the with a leading weekly newspaper that be held in India from December 10-12. ly since mid 90s. The stained relations dent like the racial slur on the Sri Italian coach. the national rugby selectors are taking Sri Lanka’s rugby players this year started following the chucking contro- Lankan team by Darren Lehman. Shearer, who scored 30 goals for revenge from him and hence would stay have had opportunities to play in six versy on Boxing Day in 1995 when Subsequently the South Australian England in 63 appearances, tells BBC away from attending national pool prac- international sevens tournaments up to Muttiah Muralitharan was called for batsman was banned for five matches. radio that "Fabio's been here for two- tice. Marija claims he had been told by now. The Carlton Sevens and the throwing by umpire Darrel Hair. The Sri Lankan sentiment of and-a-half years and I'm not sure we've national selectors that he was not fit to Chennai Sevens will raise that figure to Australia also refused to play their Australian attitude was probably actually gone forward in that time." play sevens rugby. eight. This could probably be the highest World Cup match in Colombo in 1996 summed up by a poster displayed by a The former Newcastle and SLRFU secretary Shane Dullewa said number of tournaments that the nation- due to security reasons. Ace spinner Sri Lankan fan during the 1996 World Blackburn striker added Sunday that he that he opined Marija had a lot more al rugby team had taken part in during a Shane Warne said that a bomb might go Cup which said, “Aussie PM is Keating, didn't think Capello knows which play- years of rugby left in him and wished calendar year. off in Colombo while he was shopping. Aussies are cheating.” ers to select or the system he would the player would make himself available The additional squad - Fazil Marija, utilise if he had a fully fit squad. for national duty. “I can’t comment on Gayan Weeraratne, Roshan Weeraratne, the statements he (Marija) has made to Saliya Kumara, Kalana Amarasinghe, BY REX CLEMENTINE tions, the player now needs to as we look ahead to the ing in place of fast bowler the newspaper without talking to him. Chula susantha, Niranjan analyse his action with a match. We are building Andre Russell. First we must see whether these are his Wickremeratne, Mithun Chamil, Nuwan West Indies have backed human movement specialist towards doing well in the sec- statements or whether he has been mis- Hettiarachchi, Dinusha Chathuranga, off-spinner Shane and if he’s found to have ond Test, as we did in the first led,” Dullewa said. Gayan Iddamalgoda, Gayan Ratnayake, Shillingford, who was report- bowled with an illegal action Test. As a team we are look- Marija is considered as one of the subash Pathirana. ed for a suspected illegal he will not be allowed to take ing forward to the upcoming best sevens players the country has pro- bowling action following the further part in international match. Shane bowled very duced and has already captained Sri drawn Test between Sri cricket until he rectifies his well for us in the last Test and Lanka and his club Kandy SC. Lanka and the West Indies in The SLRFU Secretary answered in Galle on Friday. Shillingford the negative when asked whether players (27) troubled most Sri Lankan Off-spinner could play second Test skipping national pool practices gave batsmen picking up four wick- any indication that there was a rift ets in their first innings and between the Kandy SC players and the one more in the hosts’ second rugby union.