Tuesday 14th February, 2006 15 Selectors lack of imagination exposed... Lion Stout promotes a stronger brew of national volleyball Lion Stout, together with the the national sport of the nation. Sri Lanka’s weakest-ever Volleyball Federation of Sri Lanka, Eighty players were selected in the began selecting potential volleyball first round based on age, height and players from eight rural districts last physical fitness. week at an official ceremony held at the They will next compete in the second Hali-ela Volleyball Stadium in Badulla. The event marks another significant round, where 40 of these players will be basketball team to go on display step in an initiative made by the two selected for the third and fourth rounds parties recently to develop and improve scheduled to take place shortly. by Rex Clementine stopped with a capital ‘S’. asketball selectors picked what Incidentallly, ‘The Island’ Sports Desk must be the weakest-ever basket- could vouch that during the last basket- Bball team to represent the country “Basketball doesn’t provide ball season, we have witnessed more Deputy Minister and in the upcoming Indian South Zone games compared to all the selectors put the President of Sri Basketball Championship, which fea- players any financial together. Lanka Volleyball tures India’s south states and visitors While there seems to be nothing Federation Dilan incentives for representing the wrong with the women’s team that has Sri Lanka. Perera, who graced The selectors have picked a 12-mem- been picked the Sri Lankan selectors country and it’s just a matter the occasion, is ber squad captained by Chaminda de have got it completely wrong with Alwis, which has got the Sports Minsitry of prestige for the players”... regard to the men’s team and you can seen with Manjuka approval. The squad doesn’t include any only hope against hope that they will at Prasantha, of Lion of the Sri Lanka’s best three players, least win a single game in India. Brewery Ceylon and namely, Rasika Prabath, Duke Men’s team: Susil Ranasinghe, Rajapakse and Prageeth Pushpakumara Sri Lanka needs badly is the 32-year Chaminda de Alwis, Jagath Kulatunga, Chamath General Secretary of for various reasons. In the circum- Prabath, who easily could go on to play Serasinghe, Roshan Gunasekara, Heshan the Sri Lanka stances, the result of the tour is a fore- Premachandra, Asanka Perera, Sujeeva Wijeweera, for another two to three years. Volleyball Federation gone conclusion. Basketball doesn’t provide players Chamath Danawansha, Chanaka Perera, Roshan While Prabath has indicated that he’s any financial incentives for represent- Randima, Gayan Meedeniya and Mithila after lighting the tra- no more motivated to play the game at ing the country and it’s just a matter of Abeysekara ditional oil lamp. the international level, Rajapakse is prestige for the players. The selectors Women’s team: down with injury, while Pushpakumara and others responsible must look at Premila Fernando, Danushka Wijesinghe, Kumarine has been surprisingly left out. ways and means to combine the best Silva, Inoka Sandamali, Suleka Dissanayake, The criterion the Sri Lankan selec- players available to constitute the best Benika Thalagala, Amaya Kalpani, Chandima tors use in selecting teams is to conduct team possible. Dodangoda, Himani Shanika, Sanali Weerasuriya, a few trial sessions and pick the team Sadly the selectors haven’t bothered Sanduni Bollagala and Rasuni Karunaratna from them, whereas they should be con- to call Prabath and encourage him to Officials: sistently watching top level matches to continue for a couple of more seasons. K.G. Somadasa (Chef de Mission), IP Salinda assess which players do well. Their apparent disinterestedness seems Samarakoon (Manager Men’s Team), Group The trials were also held while the to be affecting the game dearly. Captain Harsha Fernando (Manager Women’s Mercantile Basketball Tournament was Witnessing key basketball games is a Team), Dr. Chula Senarathna (Physiotherapist), S. in progress and obviously there were ’must’ for selectors as they need to get Kurumbulapitiya (Lady Chaperon), Ajith Kuruppu players who missed out. an idea of the players’ skills, compe- On current form, Sri Lanka need to tence and physical fitness when it mat- (Senior National Coach), Charles Perera (National accommodate a player like ters most. The practice of selecting Coach – Men’s Team), Hayaz Haroon (National Pushpakuamra.. The technical point teams on a handful of trials is down- Coach – Women’s team), Srikalal Fernando that he didn’t attend all the trials is right idiocy smacking of a lack of imag- (Assistant Coach) and Channa Perera (FIBA Referee). absolutely ridiculous. Another player ination and creativity. It has to be A section of young players who took part in the volley ball camp. PontingPonting getsgets JayawardeneJayawardene apologyapology forfor disputeddisputed catchcatch Mahela Jayawardene has apologised “Their fielders in the close proximity Ponting accepted the apology and the series. The leaders said no and would have been off straight away.” batsmen. “I was just exhausted,” to Ricky Ponting for claiming he caught both thought that it did carry, but I got an went on to make 124 in an Australian- Ponting last night benefited as his side Tom Moody, the Sri Lanka coach, Symonds said in the Sydney Morning the batsman’s cut shot during last night’s apology from Mahela out on the record partnership of 237 with Andrew pushed the contest to a third final at said it was obvious after watching the Herald. “I had my head down. As I second final at Sydney. Jayawardene ground,” Ponting, who was 57 at the incident on television that it was not a looked up, the bloke had his arms in the was convinced he had taken the low- time, said in The Australian. “He came catch. “It was quite clear on the replay air and I thought he was going to hug down chance, but Ponting, who has up to me a few overs later, a message VB Series – Second Final that it hit half ground, half finger,” Moody me. been trying to forge a code of fielding must have come from inside [the dress- Symonds. At last year’s ICC captains’ Brisbane on Tuesday. said. “I just would have collapsed because I had nothing left. I just put my bat in his honesty in controversial decisions, stood ing-room] after watching the replay and conference Ponting pushed for an hon- “If you saw my face, I looked at the Symonds was also involved in an chest so he couldn’t jump on me.” his ground despite the disbelief of the Sri he apologised and said: ‘I’m really sorry, our system where batsmen would take fielder and then turned straight to the incident at the end of his 151 when he Symonds was named Man of the Match Lankans, and was given not out by the I didn’t know that it bounced short of the word of fielders in close catches if it bowler and said ‘I’m 100% sure that did- used his bat to push away a spectator as Australia sealed the game by 167 umpire Peter Parker. me.’” was agreed on by the captains before n’t carry’,” Ponting said. “Otherwise I who looked like he was going to hug the runs. Sri Lanka bunkers down around Murali he Sri Lankan camp has taunts. after they performed bunkered down around “I blame the Australian media strongly there earlier Tunder-siege spinner for the public reaction,” he said. in the competition. Muttiah Muralitharan after for- “There are some cheerleaders Australian quick mer skipper Arjuna Ranatunga in the Australian media and it’s Nathan Bracken is launched a stinging attack on a sad situation.” another who is look- Australian cricket fans and sec- Muralitharan was unavail- ing forward to play- tions of the press. able for comment but Sri ing at the ground. Ranatunga accused the local Lankan coach Tom Moody Bracken claimed 2- media of sparking crowd taunts backed the former world-record 9 from three overs in over Muralitharan’s bowling Test wicket holder to bounce the Twenty20 interna- action after he returned the back. tional against South worst 10-over spell in the history “He’s obviously disappoint- Africa and 1-37 in the of limited-overs cricket on ed,” Moody said. following day-nighter at Sunday. “He’s a world class performer the Gabba. He finished with 0-99 from 10 and he likes to perform at his He also took four overs as Australia rode the coat- best all the time. wickets in the second tails of Andrew Symonds and “This hasn’t happened that innings of the opening Ricky Ponting to a crushing 167- often in his career. Test against the West run win at the SCG. “The opposition got the better Indies last year. It set up what is likely to be a of him but knowing the charac- “I love bowling in dramatic series-deciding third ter and knowing the quality of Brisbane,” Bracken final at the Gabba on Tuesday the person and the bowler, he’ll said. with Muralitharan anxious to bounce back.” “The last few bounce back from his 0-99 off 10 It’s unlikely Muralitharan games I’ve had a bit overs tally. will receive a deserved reprieve of success up there. Muralitharan struggled from Australian fans in “To start with, throughout the second final Brisbane on Tuesday despite it was a bit of a against the world champions as moves by Queensland Cricket scary spot because the crowd continued to taunt this week to curb alcohol-fuelled NSW only used to him over his action. crowd abuse. (last) two days (in Calls of “chucker” and “no The body banned the sale of the Pura Cup) up ball” echoed around the ground spirits at the ground and have there but now it’s every time Muralitharan ordered security to clamp down improved and approached the bowling crease.