The Island, Friday 22nd December, 2006 Sri Lanka take Twenty-20 games seriously Shane Warne has revealed he chose today to announce Rex Clementine reporting Prasanna out of hospital his retirement because he wanted to go out on top and “my from Wellington Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Prasanna time is now”. Jayawardene is out of hospital after Warne explained: “I wanted to go out on my terms”. Warne told a packed press conference at the MCG that Sri Lanka's captain Mahela going through surgery to remove his he had had an “unbelievable ride” in cricket and winning Jayawardene said that his team is taking appendix. Jayawardene joined the rest back the Ashes meant that he could finally leave the game the two Twenty-20 Internationals, that of his team-mates Thursday morning. on his terms. begin today at the Westpac Stadium in However, the player won't be able to fly He said he would have quit after the 2005 Ashes series Wellington, seriously and not as mere back to Colombo as he needs to take bed if Australia had won. warm ups for the five match ODI compe- rest at least for couple of more days. “For me it was a mission to try and get that urn back.” tition that'll follow. The Asian region "Prasanna is fine now. He's out of “It’s been unbelievable,” Warne said. doesn't give much priority for the the hospital. I went to see him yesterday “I think my journey and my ride in international cricket Twenty-20 matches, the condensed ver- soon after the operation. He'll probably has been phenomenal. sion of ODI cricket which promotes big have to stay a week or so in New “My time is now - I couldn’t have asked for things to go any better”, he said. hitting, but in places like New Zealand, Zealand as he has been advised not to Warne said he would play his last international cricket England and South Africa Twenty-20 is a fly soon after the operation," at the final Ashes test in Sydney. big attraction. The tourists will move to Jayawardene said. “It’s still my proudest moment playing the first test Auckland for the second Twenty-20 match”, he said. Warne said he was looking forward to to International on the Boxing Day. spectator interest in that country. The England and won the game in style Teams: “have that opportunity to walk off in Sydney where it all "We are taking it very seriously. It game lasts for just three hours where before thrashing England 5-0 in the ODIs. Sri Lanka (from) began”. improves your skills and we want go into teams face 20 overs each and the format "It was a good experience in England. Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya, “I sit here today a very happy man”, he said. the ODI series on a winning note," is a bowlers' graveyard. It was hectic for me as the captain. Doing Mahela Jayawardene (Captain), Kumar Warne said his decision to retire was about “knowing Jayawardene told reporters after train- Moody has been planning Sri Lanka's fielding changes, bowling changes and I Sangakkara, Marvan Atapattu, the right time - I think I’ve earned that right to go out on my ing in Wellington yesterday. training meticulously. The batsmen are had to make sure that we finished off Chamara Silva, T.M. Dilshan, terms”. Warne also revealed that his children - who he could Although many cricket playing divided into groups and while one partic- bowling our allotted 20 overs within the Chaminda Vaas, Farveez Maharoof, now spend more time with - had been disappointed that he nations ignored the Twenty-20 games ular group tries out big hitting, another time limit. I learned a few things and one Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah was quitting international cricket because they were wor- sometime back, it has got far more atten- group work on rotating the strike getting of those was that I had to plan bowling Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, ried it would mean an end to backyard matches - but he tion after the International Cricket quick singles. changes two overs before," Jayawardene Akalanka Ganegama and Chamara assured them they would continue. Council announced a Twenty-20 World "We've played just one Twenty-20 said. Kapugedara. Warne will continue his cricket career through a com- Cup next year in South Africa. international before and I found it to be Although Sri Lanka had named three mentary deal with Channel Nine and is also expected to "We are very excited by these Twenty very interesting. It's an opportunity to more players for the shorter version New Zealand (from) develop a range of cricket-related businesses. Courier Mail -20 games. Our guys have done well in improve your skills whether it's bowlers games, only Marvan Atapattu arrived on Stephen Fleming (Captain), Andre ODI cricket and they should enjoy this or batsmen or whatever. It's not as easy time while leg-spinner Malinga Bandara Adams, Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, condensed version of one-day cricket," as people think," Jayawardene pointed and paceman Ruchira Perera were forced James Franklyn, Peter Fulton, Mark coach Tom Moody added. out. to miss the opening game. However, Gillespie, James Marshal, Brendon Twenty-20 was introduced in England Sri Lanka made its debut in Twenty- Jayawardene said that it didn't hinder McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Jeetan a couple of years ago to improve the 20 Internationals early this year in team's preparations. Patel and Ross Taylor. Susanthika up in rankings Susanthika Jayasinghe has World Rankings. reclaimed a place among the best 50 Jayasinghe, who managed only a performers in the 200m dash following bronze in 200m dash, is now placed at her recent success at the Asian Games 37th place, the first time in many years in Doha, Qatar. She has moved up 31 that the star-sprinter managed a place places to occupy among the best 50 athletes. the 52nd position Jayasinghe, battled out a viral flu to in the shorter won silver in the women’s 100m dash and sprint, according bronze in the 200m dash at the recent to the latest IAAF games. Iraqi cycling coach killed BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - secretary general of Iraq’s Iraq’s Olympic cycling coach National Olympic was killed after gunmen kid- Committee. napped him from his home in He said Fulayih was kid- the latest attack on one of the napped three days after he nation’s sports figures, offi- returned with the cycling cials said. team from the Asian Games Family members identi- in Doha, Qatar. The team did fied the body of 48-year-old not win any medals there. Mahoud Ahmed Fulayih at “We lost another one. He the central morgue in the is not a politician and has no capital on Monday, two days link with any party,”al-Amidi after he was abducted, said said. “It looks like no one is Indian women cricket team members (from right), Amita Sharma, captain Hemlata, Mitali Raj, and player of Hussein al-Amidi, the acting excluded from the violence.” the series Trishkamini, ride a two-wwheeler after winning the third Women’s Asia Cup Cricket, in Jaipur, India, yesterday. India beat Sri Lanka in the final. (AP Photo) Vaughan back, Harmison Indian women trounce retires from one-day cricket MELBOURNE, "After careful con- Australia (AP) - sideration and having Lanka in Asia Cup final Former captain Michael taken advice from sev- Vaughan was recalled eral people who have Jaipur, Dec. 21 (PTI): India her team reach nearer the three-fig- Thursday to an been close to me trounced Sri Lanka by eight wickets ure mark. England one-day squad throughout my career, to lift the women’s cricket Asia Cup For the hosts, Jhulan, Rumeli and which is missing I have decided to for the third consecutive year at the D Palshikar claimed two wickets Steve Harmison, who retire from one-day Sawai Man Singh stadium here today. each. Vaughan Harmison has retired from limit- international cricket Sri Lanka elected to bat first but In reply, India lost both their open- ed-overs international cricket. with immediate effect," said Harmison. the move back-fired as they were bun- ers, S Naik (16) and Tirush Kamini Vaughan, recovering from long- "This has been a difficult decision dled out for 93 in 44.1 overs against (13), early. But unbeaten knocks by S standing knee problems, has been but I want to play at the highest level the accurate bowling of the Indians. Paranjpe (35) and skipper Mithali Raj included in a 16-man squad to com- for as long as I can and believe that The Lankans received an early jolt (17) helped the hosts cruise to victory pete in the tri-nations tournament with concentrating solely on test cricket is Australia and New Zealand in January the best way forward for me during the when Dedunu de. Silva fell to seamer in 27.5 overs. and early February before the start of next phase of what will hopefully be a Jhulan Goswami in the third over. Paranjpe was declared player-of- the World Cup in March. long England career." Then Rumeli Dhar accounted for the-match. Harmison, who had planned to England squad: James Lankan skipper Shashikala Young Indian opener Kamini and retire from one-day international crick- Anderson, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Sriwardane (1) and I Galagedra (4) to Dedunu de Silva of Sri Lanka shared et after the World Cup, has brought James Dalrymple, Andrew Flintoff, Ed keep up the pressure. the player of the tournament award.