14 Friday 17th June, 2011 Davis Cup 2011 Indian domination Sri Lanka beat Myanmar with ease of world cricket enter next year’s Group-II in her Zone. RESULTS: June 16, Thursday: SL bt Myanmar 3-0 Oshada Wijemanne bt Phy Min Thar 6- 2, 6-1 Harshana Godamanna bt Nge Hnaung 6-4, 6-2 H. Godamanna & Rajeev Rajapakse bt Zaw-Zaw Latt & P. M. Thar 6-4, 6-3 June 15, Wednesday: SL bt Vietnam 3-0 O. Wijemanne bt Quoc-Khan Le 6-3, 6- 4 H. Godamanna bt Thanh-Hoang Tran 6-1, 6-4 H. Godamanna & R. Rajapakse bt Q. Le & Quang-Huy Ngo 6-1, 6-7(4), 7-5 Kuwait bt Myanmar 3-0 Mohammed Ghareeb bt Zaw-Zaw Latt 6-2, 6-2 Abdullah Maqdas bt Phy Min Thar 6-1, 6-0 M. Ghareeb & A. Maqdas bt Nge Sharad Pawar Hnaung & Z. Latt 6-1, 6-0 Lebanon bt Oman 2-0: BY ZAKIR HUSSAIN SYED Karim Alayli bt Mohammed Al Nabhani In my opinion, the 6-1, 7-5 There is nothing more Bassam Beidas bt Khalid Al Nabhani 6- gratifying than being proven International Cricket 2, 6-1 right at international level. Council (ICC) should K. Al Nabhani & M. Al Nabhani vs B. In my article last year, I had be renamed ICC Beidas & Patrick Chucri written that Indian domina- Oshada Wijemanne, who beat Quoc-Khan Le of Vietnam 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday, the opening day of the Davis Cup, in tion of world cricket had India incorporated. I Malaysia vs UAE 1-1: action at the SLTA clay courts in Colombo. (Pic by Nimal Dayaratne) become so pronounced that, had also written that Yew-Ming Si (Mal) bt Hamad Abbas in my opinion, the By Revata S. Silva Group-III which continued at the against strong Kuwait which fea- Janahi (UAE) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 International Cricket with a weak chief SLTA. The matches were shifted to tures seasoned players like Omar Awadhy (UAE) bt Ariez Elyaas Council (ICC) should be executive like Sri Lanka cruised to a 3-0 win hard courts as the clay courts on Mohammad Ghareeb and Abdullah Deen Heshaam (Mal) 3-6, 7-6(4), 2-6 renamed ICC India incorpo- Haroon Lorgat, rated. I had also written that over Myanmar on Thursday (June which they were to be played were Maqdas, will be vital in her attempt Ahmed Deedat Abdul Razak & Indian influence on 16) in their second tie of this year’s water-logged due to overnight rain. to be among the top two of the eight Mohamed Nazim Khan (Mal) vs O. with a weak chief executive like Haroon Lorgat, Indian Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone The tie for the home team today, participating countries so as to Awadhy & H. Janahi. world cricket affairs influence on world cricket affairs would become even would become even more strong. This very reali- more strong. This ty has now been openly very reality has now Nalanda rugby players get jerseys Caltex Inter-club rugby lamented by Tony Greig, Micheal Holding and Arjuna been openly High-riding Navy SC pose Ranatunga, three great lamented by Tony cricket personalities from Greig, Micheal three different countries. challenge to host CR&FC I had backed my reason- Holding and Arjuna ing with specific examples Ranatunga, three Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club league is open. Every game is important like ouster of ICC chief great cricket per- (CR&FC) will see the challenge they face for a team like us. We (Navy) are out to executive Malcolm Speed from other teams increasing significant- win the league,’ said Ibrahim. Navy SC, after he refused to bow down sonalities from three ly when they face a stiff hurdle in the led by flanker Yoshitha Rajapaksha, has to Indian pressure and the different countries. appointment of IS Bindra as form of a vastly improved Navy Sports already beaten Army SC (12-5) and Sri ad visor to the ICC when Club in a Caltex sponsored Inter-club Lanka Air Force 19-8. there was no such post in that they were willing to Division 1 rugby fixture at Longden Police, who made a giant kill last the ICC establishment set send a team and latest ‘reve- Place tomorrow (Saturday). week, will scrum down with CH&FC, up. The second thing that I lations’ that certain CR&FC lost a big piece of their confi- while Havelocks SC and Kandy SC will had highlighted was about Pakistan businessmen are involved in high level dence by succumbing to Police last week play the role of hosts in their matches the caliber of the high flying match-fixing are all clear and it is interesting to see how this against Air Force and Army SC respec- Indian Premier League (IPL) boss Lalit Modi whom I had indications of what is going team, which has opted to play sans for- tively. These three matches are sched- met very briefly in Abu on behind the scenes and eigners, will remain as worthy con- uled for July 19 (Sunday). (RN) Dhabi before the India- who is pulling the strings. tenders for the league title. CR&FC fin- Pakistan match. Though Unfortunately, our great ished the league season last year as run- Matches this week- this meeting was very brief, PCB chairman neither has ners-up. I had ventured to say that the ability nor the public June 18 (Saturday)- relations at international New faces in the club like former Sri basically, he was a com- CR&FC vs Navy SC at Longden Place level to handle such crisis Investors Services Asia (ISA) and Ceylon Tours have come for- Lanka and Kandy SC prop Dunstan de plexed individual without ward this year to play the roles of co-sponsors for the Nalanda June 19 (Sunday)- gentlemanly qualities. Later situations. We had an excel- Silva, Mushin Faleel and Hasthika CH&FC vs Police SC at Maitland Crescent events proved exactly that lent fall back clout in the College First XV rugby team. Nalanda College Principal Ranjith Bandaranaike give all the signs that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Havelocks SC vs Air Force at Havelock Park and he is now a sort of fugi- Jayasundara (Left) is seen accepting a set of jerseys presented to ‘Red Shirts’ have the potential to attract where Pakistan enjoyed Kandy SC vs Army at Nittawela tive in his own country. the school’s rugby team by Shirani Rambukwella (Coordinator players to the club, which has for close harad Pawar, a shrewd sen- strong support but thanks to to a decade watched Kandy SC brush ior Congress party leader total lack of interest in the ISA/right) and Suren Ediriweera (CEO Ceylon Tours) at a ceremony ACC affairs as the president past them to grab league honors. and current ICC president, held at the principal’s office. Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club: of this body Ijaz Butt, we Dushanth Lewke’s players did well in has slowly but methodically Shehan Dimithri, Mohammed Rizwan, Dunstan de strengthened Indian stakes have lost that clout and even the opener beating arch-rivals CH&FC Silva, Ishan Noor, Hasitha Perera, Sharo in this governing body of Bangladesh now enjoys Wayne Rooney reveals new (14-8), but some grey areas in the side Fernando, Tilanka Samaraweera, Dushanth international cricket, the more support in that body were exposed in last week’s game where Lewke (captain), Srinath Sooriybandara, Ashan de latest example being the than Pakistan. I am afraid look after hair transplant they went down fighting to Police (11-10). Costa, Nuwan Chamara, Mushin Faleel, appointment of Yogendra we may be in trouble in that The team will miss Dhanushka Pal Singh, an Indian police forum also before long! Manchester United and He tweeted: “Hi all Mohammed Sheriff, Vishwamithra Jayasinghe, The other worrying devel- Perera, who has crossed over to Navy Riza Mubarak, Terrence Henry, Hasthika official in the ICC anti-cor- England striker Wayne there’s my head. It will take ruption unit. opment at international SC, but seasoned players like Ashean Bandaranaike, Ashean Karthelis, Anuja Perera, Rooney has expressed his a few months to grow. Still a This should be a clear level is the latest statement Karthelis and Terrence Henry not being Niroshan Fernando, Radeesha, Heshan delight after undergoing a bit bloody to. But that’s all danger signal for Pakistan of Tim May, president of the hair transplant. named in the starting line-up suggest Guneratne international players body, normal. #hairwego. cricketers who are already Rooney showed off his the Longden Place club has the option of Navy Sports Club: under a cloud. Pakistan’s who has come out in sup- “I was going bald at 25 new look on Twitter after it digging deep into its reserves. Piyumal Manchanayake, Dulanjana Wijesinghe, exclusion from the last port of the IPL league even why not. I’m delighted with was revealed he visited a Navy SC will be one of the favourite Sathya Ranatunga, Sumedha Malawana, Antony, World Cup host countries at the cost of international the result.” cricket calendar despite its top London clinic for treat- teams in the league with the potential to Issadeen, Yoshitha Rajapaksha (captain), was a small example of how At the weekend, Rooney Pawar has successfully cre- negative fall out on sched- ment in a bid to restore his lay its hands on the coveted league tro- Dhanushka Perera, Samantha Lakshan, Dev receding locks. said he was still a bit sore. ated an anti-Pakistan lobby uled events and tours just phy. Last year the ‘Sailors’ finished third Anand, Dinusha Chathuranga, Chula Susantha, in the ICC with more trou- because it is a source of in the league, but coach Ronnie Ibrahim Kosala Tissera, Niranjan Wickremaratne, Eranda ble brewing in the shape of more money for players. I told The Island that he believed his team Weerakkody, Suranga Pushpakumara, Nawin an amendment in the ICC am all for greater financial Kandy SC leads the pack could win the league this season. ‘No Wijetunga, Uthpala Senewiratne, Absal, Shehan rules which could deprive rewards for cricketers but certainly not at he cost of game is easy this season because the Deen, Hamza Hassen, M.E.C Silva Pakistan from presidency of after two weeks of rugby the ICC in 2015 under the national teams or scheduled existing rotation format. tours. I am sort of old fash- Being a seasoned politi- ioned that way because to Reigning champions Kandy SC lead the points table after Inter-club Carrom Championship cian, Pawar has played his me personally, there is no the second week of matches in the Caltex sponsored inter- cards very cleverly making a greater honour for an indi- club league rugby tournament. According to the points table fool of PCB chairman Ijaz vidual than playing for one’s prepared by the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Federation to be held on league format Butt who backed out of sup- country and wearing the national colours. If profes- (SLRFU) Kandy head the table with two wins from two games. The Carrom Federation of Sri in the years 2010/11. The C and D port for John Howard’s can- sional ‘prostitution’ is to be Kandy SC is followed by Navy SC which occupies second Lanka will conduct the Inter-Club divisions are for the rest of the play- didature, despite having made a commitment forcing preferred, I am the last one place with two wins. The Sailors are closely followed by Carrom Championship 2011 with the ers. Malcolm Speed to call him a to support it. Yes, moral val- Havelocks SC which is placed third. first set of matches scheduled for In the women’s segment, there will ‘buffoon’. While all this anti- ues have changed but the The other three teams which have remained among the top July 16. It is considered the biggest be two divisions: A and B. There will Pakistan lobby in the ICC administrators of all sports six teams are CR&FC, Police and Air Force in numerical tournament by the clubs affiliated to be two players per team. The winner was being developed, former should get together to stop order. (RN) the Carrom Federation of Sri Lanka. will be decided on the basis of best of ICC chief Ehsan Mani was this decline from reaching a level where this degradation The Championship will be held on a five games - 4 singles and one double. the lone voice that kept will drown the very sport league format. Entries for the tournament will warning us about the real intentions of Pawar without which has give them these The Men’s teams consist of four close on July 1 and the draw will be anybody taking any notice. opportunities! divisions and the winner will be held on July 2. Entry forms for the Sri Lankan player (Daily Times, Pakistan) decided on the basis of best of nine tournament are available at the Tillakaratne Dilshan’s state- singles. There should be four players Carrom Federation of Sri Lanka, ment on arrival in England (Zakir Hussain Syed is per team. ‘A’ division will comprise Reid Avenue, Colombo 7 or at 228/5, that he would never go to Pakistan’s internationally renowned sports administra- two rankers and two non rankers Hill Street, Dehiwala. Further Pakistan again despite a tor, sports broadcaster and while ‘B’ teams will comprise those details on the tournament could be clear understanding from the Sri Lankan government sports analyst) who have entered the rankers’ events obtained by calling 2725896. (MP)