Late City Edition Wednesday 29th September, 2010 SL Rugby manager Several Sri Lankans shortlisted downplays Game’s Skipper Butt dragged me into in Cricinfo’s World XI concerns opular cricket web- BY RAVI NAGAHAWATTE site cricinfo has spot-fixing, Amir tells PCB Plaunched a mission to Sri Lanka rugby sevens manager find out the all-time Test Imthie Marikar is of the opinion n what has come as a shock tains, and even Pakistan’s for- World XI after it picked the that the island’s rugby players have to the Pakistan Cricket mer President, Pervez all-time Test XIs of all Test been through tougher times and IBoard (PCB), budding fast Musharraf, have urged the ICC playing nations over a 15 says that India’s troubled run-up to bowler Mohammad Amir has to show leniency towards Amir, month period. 88 players the Commonwealth Games would said he was lured and dragged all of 18. But chief selector, were shortlisted by a panel not give them worries. into spot-fixing by suspended Mohsin Khan said he didn’t of 12 that had eight former “I’m very close with the New Test skipper Salman Butt. agree with the viewpoint that Test captains, including Sri Zealand coach and trainer and have The young left-arm pacer is at Amir should be shown leniency Lanka’s Duleep Mendis, received positive information about present under suspension by the because of his age. cricket writers and cricket what India will offer participating ICC for his alleged involvement “I don’t buy this argument historians. teams as facilities. Of course we in spot-fixing during the fourth because if you can do something Some of the all time have our concerns, but with the Test against England at Lord’s wrong at 18, you can keep on cricket greats of Sri Lanka first set of foreign athletes having last month. So are Butt and doing it later as well. If these such as Arjuna Ranatunga, Ranatunga arrived in India, things seem to be Mohammad Asif. three players are found guilty, ok,” said Marikar. Sources in the PCB said that they should be punished, includ- Aravinda de Silva, Kumar The Sri Lanka team manager Amir had told chairman Ijaz ing Amir,” Mohsin had said. Sangakkara, Muttiah said that he was a little concerned Butt that he never wanted to be The chief selector insisted Muralitharan, Sanath about news of a dengue outbreak part of this “business” (spot-fix- that no cricketer was indispen- Jayasuriya, Marvan in India. “There is also the ‘Indian ing) but was forced into it by sable and there should be no Atapattu, Chaminda Vaas water’ that we must be very careful Butt and Asif. “Aamir had gone compromise on discipline and and Mahela Jayawardene about,” said Marikar. to Butt and claimed he was inno- commitment towards your team were among the ten Sri According to Commonwealth cent and a victim of the ‘sen- and country. Lankan cricketers picked Games sources, Sri Lanka will play iors’ power lobby’ in the team,” “Amir must be punished if he by the panel. England and Australia in the a source said. Mohammad Amir is guilty. I just hope that these While Atapattu and round-robin matches of the rugby Another source revealed that three are eventually cleared Jayasuriya, both converted sevens tournament which will be Amir, regarded as one of what he was told to do. He is because they have already dam- openers, were shortlisted held on October 11 and 12 at the Pakistan cricket’s most promis- claiming innocence now and aged the reputaion of Pakistan in the category of openers, Delhi University’s North Campus. ing young talent, had told man- says he didn’t even know cricket and the country,” Mohsin Ranatunga, De Silva and The rugby teams that have con- ager Yawar Saeed about the Mazhar Majeed before Majeed said. Jayawardene were picked firmed participation at the Games pressure being exerted on him was introduced to him by Butt up in the list of middle are New Zealand, Samoa, Australia, by Butt. and Asif,” the source said. (Indianexpress and order batsmen that consist- South Africa, England, Kenya, De Silva “Amir’s claim is that he did Quite a few former Test cap- Agencies) ed other greats such as Sir Wales, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Graeme Pollock, Greg Tonga, Malaysia, Canada, Guyana and India. Chappell, Javed Miandad, New Zealand won the Gold Aussie lasses ready for Games Sir Viv Richards, Alan Medal at the last three Border and Sachin Commonwealth Games rugby Tendulkar. events which were held in Kuala Kumar Sangakkara was Lumpur (1998), Manchester (2002) picked in the category of and Melbourne (2006). wicketkeeper alongside Adam Gilchrist, Alan Knott and Ian Smith while Chaminda Vaas was in the list of all-rounders along- Sirisena to go with side Sir Garry Sobers, Sir Richard Hadlee, Sir Ian Botham and Kapil Dev. national team Of the 29 bowlers picked Jayasuriya four were Sri Lankans with It was inadvertently reported in Ashantha de Mel, Rumesh The Island of September 27 Ratnayake and D.S. de (Monday) in the story titled ‘Coach Silva teaming up with Ellepola wants TTASL to look after Muttiah Muralitharan. National players’ that Sri Lanka Cricinfo said that it will captain Rohan Sirisena, who con- announce the all-time tested a domestic tournament in World XI on October 12. Maldives, would join the national The shortlists team in New Delhi, for the Openers: Arthur Morris, Commonwealth Games. Sirisena Barry Richards, Glenn will return to Sri Lanka and travel Turner, Gordon Greenidge, with the national table tennis team Australian women’s field hockey captain Madonna Blyth, left, along with fellow team members Casey Graeme Smith, Hanif for the Games. We regret the error. Eastham, centre, and Kate Hollywood attend a press conference at the Commonwealth Games athletes’ vil- Mohammad, Marvan lage in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010. (AP) Atapattu, Saeed Anwar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Sir Conrad Hunte, Sir Jack Hobbs, Sir Leonard Hutton, Sangakkara Rain a spoiler at Stewie Dempster, Sunil Meloney Abeysekera’s funeral today Gavaskar, Victor Trumper, The funeral of Meloney Abeysekera, (Friday) after a brief illness. Virender Sehwag wife of cricket cheerleader Percy Cortege will leave residence at No.51, Peradeniya Middle order: Aravinda Abeysekera, will be held this evening at Gemunu Mawatha, Kalutara North at de Silva, Alan Border, BY RUKSHAN RAZAK hours of play on the first Arjuna Ranatunga, Bert Kalutara. Meloney Abeysekera nee 5.30 pm for cremation at Waskaduwa day. The outfield was Sutcliffe, Brian Lara, Silva, aged 59, died on September 24 Cemetery, scheduled for 6 pm. Leg spinners I. Madushan already wet due to and D. Prathapasinghe overnight showers and play Dudley Nourse, George shared six wickets between that commenced at 10.15 Headley, Graeme Pollock, them to place Kingswood had to be stopped by lunch Greg Chappell, Inzamam- College Kandy on a strong as things only got worse. ul-Haq, Jacques Kallis, footing against Maliyadeva Right hander I.Prabath Javed Miandad, Ken Sanath and Mahela bat for Reebok’s newest shoe College Kurunegala, who top scored for Maliyadeva Barrington, Kevin had slumped to 113 for 7 with an unbeaten 29. when rain put a stop to play Pietersen, Mahela Maliyadeva College 113 Jayawardene, Martin by lunch in their inter- for 7 in 36 overs ( N. Crowe, Martin Donnelly, school cricket tournament Karunaratne 23, S. Herath match that got off to a Rahul Dravid, Sachin 20, H. Prabath 29 n.o., D. Muralitharan delayed start at Peradeniya Dhanushka 11, I. Madushan Tendulkar, Sir Donald yesterday. 4 for 40, D. Prathapasinghe 2 Bradman, Sir Viv Richards, Unrelenting rain played for 29) Vijay Hazare, Wally Ashantha de Mel, Bill spoilsport enabling only two Hammond, Zaheer Abbas O’Reilly, Curtly Ambrose, All-rounders: Aubrey Daniel Vettori, Dennis Faulkner, Chaminda Vaas, Lillee, Derek Underwood, England to focus on 2018 WCup bid Imran Khan, John Reid, Erapalli Prasanna, Fazal LONDON (AP) - England despite president Sepp Kapil Dev, Keith Miller, Mahmood, Fred Trueman, will withdraw from the race Blatter backing such a sce- Mike Procter, Sir Garry Glenn McGrath, Harold to host the 2022 World Cup nario. Sobers, Sir Ian Botham, Sir Larwood, Hugh Tayfield, and concentrate on its 2018 England and other Richard Hadlee, Vinoo Jack Cowie, Javagal bid if - as the English expect - European bidders Russia, Mankad Srinath, Lance Gibbs, the United States formally Spain-Portugal and Belgium- Wicketkeepers: Adam Malcolm Marshall, Michael ends its interest in the earlier Netherlands are still vying Gilchrist, Alan Knott, Ian Holding, Muttiah tournament. for both events as a formality. Smith, Jackie Hendriks, Muralitharan, Rumesh Two former Sri Lanka Captains, Mahela Jayawardena and Sanath Jayasuriya, who FIFA, which votes on the The United States is the John Waite, Kumar Ratnayake, Shane Bond, are Reebok brand ambassadors, launched Reebok’s newest and trendiest shoe at hosts of both events in only non-European country Sangakkara, M. S. Dhoni, Shane Warne, Shaun the Reebok Flagship store in Maitland Crescent, yesterday. Here Jayasuriya and December, has not officially still contesting both editions, Rashid Latif Pollock, D.S. de Silva, Jayawardena display the new shoe, launched under the brand named ZIGTECH. declared that 2018 should go after Australia, Japan, Qatar Bowlers: Abdul Qadir, Sydney Barnes, Waqar D.N. Rajapaksa, Chairman, D. Samson and Son (Pvt) Ltd was also present at the to Europe, leaving the rest of and South Korea focused Allan Donald, Anil Kumble, Younis, Wasim Akram. launch. (Pic by Saman Abeysiriwardena) the field to contest 2022 - their resources on 2022. Published by Upali Newspapers (Private) Limited, 223, Bloemendhal Road, Colombo 13 and Printed at 195/187, High Level Road, Homagama on Wednesday 29th September, 2010.