Thursday 7th February, 2008 New panel Sanga stresses need to have to manage ICC umpires confidence in umpires February 06 2008: The International Council (ICC) Rex Clementine game. If there's greater confidence between is set to appoint a four-member reporting from Sydney players and officials, we can have less mis- selection panel for the appointment understandings as possible. of umpires, Cricket365 has learnt. Umpiring controversies nearly raised its The teams playing in this tournament According to highly placed ugly head yet again when Rudi should be mindful whichever the way deci- sources in the ICC, the panel mem- Koertzen wrongly gave India's middle order sions go, we should be gracious enough to bers will be named before March this year. batsman Rohit Sharma caught behind in accept that," he said. The new panel will be responsible the second ODI of the tri-nation series In an exclusive with 'The Island' soon for the nomination of umpires to the involving , India and the hosts. after the Hobart incident, Sangakkara ICC Elite Panel, and will increase The appeal was upheld following a loud stressed the importance to move on and the number of umpires on the panel shout by Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper Kumar even rated Koertzen as one of the best from ten to twelve. Sangakkara, but the bowler, Muttiah umpires in the world. In Sydney on The appointment of Elite Muralitharan didn't show that much of Wednesday, speaking of the Hobart inci- Umpires has been governed by the enthusiasm. dent, Sangakkara felt umpiring decisions ICC management, but following Sharma stood his ground and showed at the end of the day recent controversies concerning his disapproval and was punished for dis- even out. "I wasn't in that situation. and , the sent by Match Referee Jeff Crowe, and the When that happened in Hobart I was very disappointed, but it wasn't hard for me to council are eager to avoid any Indian media raised questions whether it repeats. was fair enough to penalize the player and shake my head and walk off and there must have been many times where there It was not known whether the let go the man who had made the initial posting of umpires and referees for blunder - umpire Koertzen. were close leg before shouts that were not given when I was batting and I didn't com- various series would be named by Sangakkara was the victim of a the new selectors or by Doug Cowie, Koertzen shocker three months back, when plain then and I shouldn't have complained when I was given out." the 61-year-old ICC manager for he was wrongly declared out on 192. The umpires. batsman graciously accepted the decision Meanwhile, speaking on the rained off game at the Gabba on Tuesday, Sangakkara The future of umpires Hair and and walked off showing no dissent and Bucknor, whose contracts expire in later Koertzen apologized to the Sri felt Sri Lanka had a good chance to chase India's target. "We are very disappointed March this year, also will rest with Lankan. the new selection panel. When the Sri Lankan team arrived in and it would have been a good chase and 260 was a gettable total on a track like that. However the ICC's Elite Panel for Sydney on Wednesday ahead of Friday's Match Referees is not likely to be day-nighter against Australia, he was asked Sangakkara is given out by at Hobart. (FILES) We were very confident. When you take the twenty over Power Play and the faster out- expanded. At present there are eight by journalists about the contentious deci- referees on the panel: Chris Broad, sion. "The only reason I appealed was field into account, it was an opportunity missed," he felt. Jeff Crowe, Alan Hurst, Clive Lloyd, because I heard a noise and I thought the Ranjan Madugalle, Roshan batsman nicked it," Sangakkara explained Historically, Sri Lanka have done well at the spinner friendly Sydney Cricket Mahanama, Mike Procter and and called for more understanding between Javagal Srinath. players and umpires. Ground and even on the last occasion they "There were lots of things said about played a game here in 2006, Sri Lanka beat umpiring decisions after the Hobart Australia, thanks to a whirlwind hundred Test and much more during the last by Sanath Jayasuriya. month. We as players need to realize that it The Australians authorities have never goes both ways. Players make mistakes at given the Sri Lankans a Test match at the Shoaib Malik times and we don't really help the umpires SCG knowing their strengths in the slow when a decision is expected. These guys are bowling department, but whenever the denies marrying the best umpires in the world and if they teams have met for ODIs, the Sri Lankans do make mistakes, you get on with the have given the opposition a good run. Indian woman ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan cricket Shoaib Isipatana Malik threatened to sue an Indian family for alleging he married their ground Bad light, Suriyakumara daughter in a ceremony conducted re-opening over the telephone five years ago. on Feb. 19 disappoints Ananda

The Isipatana by Reemus Fernando Ambalangoda, made 205 all Siriwardena 2/04) College, Colombo, Forced to follow-on, out in the second innings to ground re-opening Wesley College were 93 for offer Kalutara Vidyalaya a tar- Abeysekara bags ceremony, which three when bad get of 214 to win, after Sri nine for Mahanama light forced an early end to was set for this Lanka Under-19 discard, Shamala Dinusha and their match against Ananda Friday, has been Ushan Manohara picked up Yohan Fernando scored half College at Campbell Park, postponed to four wickets to restrict the centuries for De Mazenod on Wednesday. Tuesday, February home team to 138, in their College to better their first Pakistan's skipper Shoaib Malik Having amassed a mas- 19, due to drawn inter school match at innings total. poses with the winning trophy sive 358 for 9 declared on the unavoidable cir- Kalutara on Wednesday. But Mahanama College during the award distribution Indian tennis player Sania Mirza ges- first day, Ananda had their Chasing 214 runs to win, cumstances. rode on the performances of ceremony at the end of the fifth tures as she addresses a press confer- opponents bowled out for Kalutara Vidyalaya were 64 Invitees are Danushka Gunathilaka and and final one-dday international ence at her residence after her return 242 runs. Commencing their for 3 when bad light put an cricket match at Sheikupura requested to be Ishan Abeysekara to take from the Australian Open. Asia's top- second innings with a early end to the match. Stadium in this Feb. 2, 2008. present at the ranked women's player Mirza plans to first innings honours in deficit of 116 runs, Raninda Savith Priyan had a Malik threatened to sue an college by 7.45 skip the Bangalore Open tennis tourna- their drawn Inter School Suriyakumara, who top match bag of eight wickets Indian family for alleging he am, states a ment next month to avoid possible con- match at Kandana, on scored with 54 runs for excelled for Kalutara married their daughter in a cere- media release. troversies in her home country. Wednesday. Wesley in the first innings Vidyalaya. mony conducted over the tele- (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File) Ishan Abeysekara bagged was unbeaten on 33 runs SCORES: phone five years ago. nine wickets for Mahanama. when play was called off. Devananda 146 all out in (AP Photo/K M Chaudary, File) SCORES: SCORES: 41.1 overs (Ramesh De Mazenod 95 all out in Ananda 358 for 9 decl in Lakshitha 38, Supun 28 overs (Vineetha Padmalal Ari, Guy and Asoka in SLC 60 overs (Praboda Priyanga 30, Samith de Silva 28, Yohan Fernando 27; Seneviratne 173, Sameera 37, Pulina Tharanga 16; Danushka Gunathilaka 4/34, Cricket to return Interim Committee Wijesuriya 89, Ishan Imesh Fernando 2/34, Isuru Ishan Abeysekara 4/09) and Wickramasinghe 42; Jeffrey Waduge 2/23, Savith Priyan Former Sri Lankan 219 all out in 65 overs Vandersay 3/105, P. 4/25, Iranga Shashimal 2/18) to Terrestrial TV? caps , (Shamal Dinusha 67, Yohan Samarasekara 2/20, R. and 205 all out in 46.2 overs keeper batsman Fernando 61, Vineetha February 06 2008: The Labour Suriyakumara 2/47) (Isuru Jayaweera 40, Guy de Alwis and veter- Padmalal 39; Ishan MP for Selby John Grogan has Wesley (98 for 4 Pathum Wickramarachchi an club cricketer Asoka Abeysekara 5/59, Dilesh overnight) 242 all out in 73.4 25, Ramesh Lakshitha 32, renewed his calls for English cricket Pathirana were appoint- Buddhika 2/17, Danushka overs (Raninda Supun Priyanga 40, Samith to be broadcast on terrestrial televi- ed to the Sri Lanka Gunathilaka 2/69) Suriyakumara 54, de Silva 25; Savith Priyan sion. Cricket Interim Mahanama 138 all out in Rabindranath Mathusudan 4/42) Committee, headed by 46 overs (Danushka The England and Wales Cricket 30, Jefrey Vandersay 26, Kalutara (138 for 8 Arjuna Ranatunga, on Gunathilaka 41, Ashen Board (ECB) sold the rights to BSkyB Trian Harmer 27; Udara overnight) 138 all out in 54 Wednesday. Jayasinghe 16, Anura in 2006 in an exclusive, £220m deal Peiris 3/59, D. Perera 2/36) overs (Iranga Shashimal 21, Asoka Pathirana is Prasad 15, Maduka and 93 for 3 at close in 30.1 Isuru Waduge 41, Sandun which expires in 2009. The ECB the son of former Dharmawardena 15, Sohan Justice, Jaya Pathirana. overs (R. Gomes 20, R. Chamara 21 n.o; Ushan insisted that the deal was done in the Samarasuriya 15; Shamal The trio received Suriyakumara 33 n.o, Asela Manohara 4/19, Sham best interests of "cricket as a whole", Dinusha 4/35, A.D. their letters of appoint- Fonseka 30 n.o; W. Ishara Suranga 2/23) and 64 for 3 at Madhuranga 2/24, Vineetha but viewing figures have dropped off ment yesterday. 2/23) close in 20.1 overs (Savith Padmalal 2/36) and 33 for 1 from the 8 million strong who tuned (Russ) Priyan 26 n.o, Imesh A draw at Kalutara at close in 9 overs (Sajith in to see England regain the Ashes in Fernando 21 n.o; Prathapa Aravinda Devananda College, Ruberu 20 n.o) 2005.