Selection Committee for Athletics Approved

Thursday 24th June, 2010 Sri Lanka look to snatch Selection committee for athletics approved

BY REEMUS FERNANDO Sahabandu. The selection commit- third successive Asia Cup The Sports Minister tee’s one year life span has approved a five mem- started on Tuesday. ly has given us a bit more confidence. REX CLEMENTINE ber new National Unlike in the selection reporting from Dambulla It’s going to be a new wicket for the final and we need to just push the Selection Committee for committees of other athletics inclusive of major sports bodies, the Sri Lanka, who won the previous last win out of our minds, refocus two editions of the Asia Cup tourna- and start from scratch.” three former members, athletics selection com- ment in 2004 and 2008 will be looking “We’ve got to bowl our first 15 who will serve voluntari- mittee members have not for their third successive regional overs a lot better than we did on ly. been paid for their job in title in today’s grand final of the Tuesday. They got into a very strong Out of the 10 names its long history. sources tournament against India at the position and we managed to change it around with a run out and a hat- forwarded by the said the members are not Rangiri Dambulla International Athletics Association of paid even a travelling Cricket Stadium. trick. These don’t come every game. Sri Lanka, the sports allowance for the thank- Both teams have won the Asia Cup We need to tighten up our game a bit four times each and the winner of and make sure we bowl a good line ministry has picked five, less job they are doing. today’s contest will take the lead with and length,” Sangakkara said. reappointing former It will be a busy sea- the fifth title and for India they will Sangakkara was also asked chairman Dunstan son for the newly whether he knows what makes suc- be looking to win Fernando as its head for appointed members their first title another one year term. ahead of several interna- since 1995. The former chairman is tional athletics events for Sri Lanka - also a former vice presi- which Sri Lanka will India clashes in home ODIs in dent of the Athletics field teams. The recent times Association. Commonwealth Games, have been terri- G.G.U. Saman Asian Games and Asian bly one-sided Kumara, Director of All Stars Championships affairs with the Physical Education, are some of the interna- tourists dominat- University of Kelaniya tional events close at ing, having won two successive and N. Vyravanathan, a hand. five match series senior technical official The decision to retain here and a tri- are the other former Indunil Herath as Sri nation tourna- members who have been Lanka’s ‘universality ment. Struggles against India and reappointed. entrant’ (a kind of wild generally the team’s poor form saw cessive Sri Lankan sides do well in Asia Cups as the team had reached A.T. Nugegoda, a past card) for the Youth them slip down to number seven of chairman and a senior Olympics or to select a the ICC Rankings with poor fielding the finals of all editions of the tour- and inconsistent performances by nament. “I am not too sure. It’s just technical official and new athlete for the world the middle order batsmen being the that we play well at crucial times. We Sarath Galagoda, the for- event will be the tough- main reasons. haven’t always had the strongest of mer project officer for est of jobs for the newly Currently, the team has risen sides compared to the opposition, but athletics at the Sport appointed members in for some reason I think our guys above Pakistan and is ranked at num- Ministry are the new junior selections as ath- have shown lot of character and real- ber six and recent tournaments have inclusions. letes for other junior provided indications that they could ly fight it out. Winning an Asia Cup Sri Lankan cricketers Farveez Maharoof, bottom, Anjelo Mathews, centre, The former members international events, emerge as one of the top three teams is a special thing and it’s going to Lasith Malinga, left background, and Chamara Kapugedera swim in their in the world. Angelo Mathews at inspire us hopefully. Since Arjuna hotel pool in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, June 23, 2010. (AP to have been dropped namely, the Junior Asian number five has helped to sort out Ranatunga took over and took us Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) from the selection com- Championships and through that 1995 season in Australia mittee are former nation- World Junior some issues, although questions wouldn’t be any additional pressure Upul Tharanga, T.M. Dilshan, about the effectiveness of Chamara and through 1996, he made sure that al sprinters Dammika Championships have there’s a lot of toughening up of Sri on his side despite losing to Sri Kumar Sangakkara (Captain and Kapugedara, Thilan Samaraweera Menike and Kosala already been picked. Lankan cricket. That’s paid divi- Lanka ahead of the final. He was also Wicketkeeper), Mahela Jayawardene, and Thilina Kandamby still linger. asked whether not winning an Asia Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Sri Lanka’s overall fielding may dends through the years and you can see a bit of it even now.” Cup in 15 years is a worry. “I don’t Mathews, Farveez Maharoof, have been not up to desired stan- think there’s added pressure on us. Chamara Kapugedara, Nuwan dards, but it too certainly has picked It was Farveez Maharoof who starred for the hosts in their last Somehow we have not been able to Kulasekara, Muttiah Muralitharan, up with captain Kumar Sangakkara win. As a cricketer you just have to Lasith Malinga, Chanaka Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara group match with a hat-trick, ending up with a five wicket haul and the job see it as another game, not see it as a Welagedara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Kapugedara and being Suraj Randiv final. You just need to think that you Herath and Thilina Kandamby. involved in some exceptional fielding of the Sri Lankan team management will be made tougher as they have so are playing the Sri Lankan team and SLC clarifies displays. if you win that game you win the India (from): Sri Lanka, following their unbeat- many options to think about. “It’s going to be pretty tough for us, but final. You don’t really need to think Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, en run in the league stage, will be or treat it like as a final.” M.S. Dhoni (Captain and confident ahead of the final, especial- it’s a good situation to be in. We’ll be We refer to the news We would like to sitting with the selectors and thrash- He also admitted that not having Wicketkeeper), Rohit Sharma, Virat item which appeared in state that we never said ly after beating the Indians in the the services of Virender Sehwag as a Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Pragyan last preliminary round game. In last ing a few issues out and see what the ‘The Island’ of 22nd of SLC Interim best eleven will be going into the blow. The dangerous opening bats- Ojha, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, two Asia Cup finals too, the Sri man was ruled out of the tourna- Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, June 2010, where you Committee members Lankans have beaten India. final. We are going to take this match in isolation, not look ahead and not ment after he sustained a hamstring Suresh Raina, Ashok Dinda, have stated that Sri ‘boycotted’ the dinner. Captain Sangakkara felt that the injury during India’s clash against Ravichandran Ashwin, Sourabh Lanka Cricket’s officials We only said that they win over India on Tuesday will give going to look too much behind us as Pakistan last week. “Not having Tiwari, ‘boycotted’ ‘missed’ the dinner and his team some confidence, but well and just going to focus on pick- ing the best 11 for this particular Viredner Sehwag is a big blow. But Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZ) and the ACC official din- we hope SLC under- reminded that they have to start let’s hope that Dinesh Karthik who Billy Doctrove (WI) game.” ner, on Sunday the 20th stands that there’s a things all over again in the final. “It’s has come in as replacement will be Third Umpire: Ehsan Raza (Pak) hard to say whether we are going to Indian captain Mahendra Singh at Kandalama Hotel, vast difference between Dhoni, meanwhile, said that there able to provide us with a good start.” Match Referee: Andy Pycroft have any advantage. The win certain- Sri Lanka (from): (Zim) Dambulla, much to the the two. annoyance of ACC. We would also like We wish to state to point out here that that this was a dinner the invitation for the hosted jointly by SLC dinner stated ‘the Maharoof keen to get over one more hurdle and ACC and since the Chairman of ACC and Interim Committee of Chairman of SLC’ REX CLEMENTINE effort that won him the Man of the be a confidence booster if I make campaign in the 2011 World Cup, Sri Lanka Cricket had were inviting the reporting from Dambulla Match award. “It’s something that the playing eleven. Good perform- but reminded that there was no an important meeting guests. njuries, poor form and the I didn’t plan. I am really happy ances like this will certainly give substitute for hard work. the next morning in Therefore, the emergence of the likes of with what I have done. This partic- me a lot of confidence. I just want “Farveez, over the last 18 Colombo, they got guests would have IAngelo Mathews and Thissara ular venue suits my style of bowl- to turn up for the next game and months has realized that nothing themselves excused expected the host to be Perera had pushed Farveez ing. It was one of those days do the right things.” comes easy. You have to work hard and assigned their sen- present at the function. Maharoof out of reckoning for where all what I did went perfectly “There was not much of assis- and if someone’s working harder ior officials present at SLC has stated that national duty. well and hopefully, I’d be able to tance from the wicket. I just than you, you’ve got to match that, Dambulla to attend the it ensured their senior Before becoming a keep that up for one more day,” bowled a good length. It was one of not just on the field, off the field function on their officials were present surprise inclusion in Maharoof said speaking to those days where it just happens as well. Training and preparation behalf. for the dinner, which is the Asia Cup squad, he journalists, after for you. For example, that hat- is the key, he said. The Asian Cricket not true. According to had played his last game Tuesday’s trick ball, I thought I would bowl “For Maha to go through such Council is neither SLC’s structure, the for Sri Lanka 15 months game. there and I bowled and it just hap- a tough period and come back, go annoyed nor upset at Interim ago, but made his The one pened. Day time it doesn’t do through a tough game first stuff the absence of the SLC Committee is the return a memorable more day much but it does help bowlers and then again to come back and officials. supreme body. Then one claiming only he had under lights,” he further said. do well shows that he has built up comes the CEO of the the third hat-trick spoken After getting the hat-trick, his character over the last 18 Sports Editor’s Note: board, whom sadly SLC by a Sri Lankan in of was Maharoof raised his arms as he months. We want him to continue We would like to has made redundant, Tuesday’s One Day the final was given a standing ovation by what he does, train hard and pre- mention here that the followed by additional International scheduled the spectators. “I had a few bad pare hard. Everyday is not going CEO of the Asian CEO and the four against India at the for today and injuries. I should thank all the to be a good day, but if you can get Cricket Council (ACC), Heads of Rangiri Dambulla prior to the last people who got me here, especially through the tough days and have Syed Ashraful Huq too Department - International Cricket game against India it the management. I always knew one brilliant day like this, every has issued a letter in Operations, Finance, Stadium. was a fair certainty that I had my ability and it was couple of months or so we are support of Sri Lanka Marketing and Maharoof also went that he wouldn’t play just executing on the day. going to be very happy. He’s going Cricket (SLC) and has Coaching. We would on to pick up his second the final, but follow- Captain Kumar Sangakkara to be a very important player for stated that the ACC like to state here that five wicket haul in ing his match winning was also present during the media us. We have a lot of faith in him understands why SLC of these six senior SLC ODIs and was over the effort, he’s certain to be briefing and he felt that Maharoof and he repaid that faith today,” officials weren’t be able officials, just one was moon following the in the side. “That’ll had a role to play in Sri Lanka’s Sangakkara added. to be present at the din- present for the official Farveez Maharoof ner. dinner.

Thursday 24th June, 2010