Tuesday 22nd June, 2010 Amarasekara Sehwag ruled out of seeks President’s assistance take on India in dead rubber BY REEMUS FERNANDO REX CLEMENTINE been called up as cover. Troubled sprinter Prasanna India fast bowler Ashish REPORTING FROM DAMBULLA Amarasekara is seeking the help of Nehra, who suffered back President Mahinda Rajapaksa to per- Sri Lanka will take on India spasms during the above game, severe in his in the last preliminary round has recovered completely and is athletic career match of the Asia Cup tourna- available for selection for which was on today’s match. ment in what would be a warm- the up before Sri Lanka are the defending up for Thursday's final here at the athlete got the Rangiri Dambulla champions of the Asia Cup having beaten India in the final involved in a International Stadium human smug- today. of the last tournament held in gling case. Returning to athletics after a long lapse, the sprinter, who has proved that he is still the one to beat in the Prasanna men’s 400 Amarasekara metres finds it hard to meet his ends as he is without a job. “I seek the help of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to persevere in The Sri Lankans were Karachi in 2008. athletics. I know that I am capable of expected to make a few changes Both Sri Lanka and India winning a gold medal at the forthcom- to this inconsequential game have won the Asia Cup four ing Asian Games if I am relieved of times apiece with Sri Lanka after a meeting with the the financial burdens I have to face National Selection Committee. qualifying for all finals of this regional tournament. India, now,” Amarasekara told ‘The Island’ , Rangana yesterday. Herath and , however, last won an Asia Cup Sri Lanka's Anjelo Mathews plays with soccer ball during a practice session in Dambulla, Sri “I find it extremely hard to find who haven't played a game so in 1994. far, are expected to play in Lanka, Monday, June 21, 2010. The India versus Sri Lanka cricket match is scheduled for Tuesday. day to day expenses and to attend to Entrance free today - today’s match. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) my sick mother while dedicating my Entrance for open stands of India, meanwhile suffered a Gambhir, , and -keeper), Muttiah Suraj Randiv, time for athletics,” Amarasekara the Dambulla grounds in heavy blow when their opener Muralitharan, Mahela and Thilina Kandamby. today's India - Sri Lanka clash Ravindra Jadeja, , explained. was forced to Jayawardene, Tillekeratne Umpires: Billy Bowden is free, the Sri Lanka Cricket , , “I know that His Excellency is a pull out from the tournament Dilshan, , (NZ) and Bruce Oxenford officials announced yesterday. Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, sports lover. I have faith that he would with a hamstring injury that he , Angelo (Aus) Teams – , , sustained during their last Mathews, , Third Umpire: S. Shashid help me. I am looking forward to his India (From) - Saurabh Tiwary and Dinesh game played against Pakistan Chamara Kapugedara, Nuwan (Ban) help,” Amamrasekara said. M.S. Dhoni ( and Karthik. on Saturday. Wicket-keeper Sri Lanka (From) Kulasekara, Chanaka : Andy Amarasekara produced a time of batsman Dinesh Karthik has Wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Welagedara, , Pycroft (Zim) 47.02 seconds at the recently held ath- Ashwin, Ashok Dinda, Gautam (Captain letics trials and is a strong contender for medals in the Asian track where the 400 metre is down. “I have high hopes about the Elephant Asian Games. I have the ability to go attacks vehicle Afridi hits fastest Asia Cup for gold. If I could get close to 46.01, I am within the reach of the gold. I carrying SLC know that I can reach that mark,” expressed Amarasekara. employees hundred as Pakistan win Amarasekar is one of the very few Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Sri Lankan athletes to have run the that has come under heavy just 54 balls, beating the previ- in Nairobi against Sri Lanka in men’s 400 metres below 46 seconds attack from several fronts dur- ous record held by India's 1996, a game that marked the and experts believe that the 29-year- ing the last few months was in Suresh Raina, who had reached emergence of Afridi who, as a three figures against Hong Kong 16-year-old, blasted ODIs’ fastest old still has the capability to reach the for a surprise attack Monday top level if he is relieved of his finan- night when an elephant in 68 deliveries. hundred in just 37 balls. cial burdens. attacked an SLC vehicle carry- A difficult chance off Afridi Bangladesh's batting, that ing two employees of the board. was missed by Mashrafe has been criticised during the The two female employees Mortaza at mid-off with the series seemed to be having just attached to cricket operations batsman on 32 and he made it one purpose in this game as and finance divisions were count with his career best score. they tried to bat out the 50 being driven to their hotel in His 124 came in just 61 balls overs. In doing so they were SLC ignores Habarana from Kandalama with 17 boundaries and four able to score 246 for five, the fist where they attended a function sixes as Pakistan totaled 385 for time they crossed the 200 run conducted by the Asian Cricket seven. He also broke Sanath mark in the series. protocol, top Council. Jayasuriya's record for most batted in his The vehicle that came under number of sixes in ODI cricket. typical aggressive style racing attack on the Dambulla- Afridi now has 272 sixes in ODIs to 34 off 27 balls with six bound- officials miss Habarana road was partially while Jayasuriya has 270. aries. What followed was a 160- damaged and one of the His knock is also the highest run stand between Imrul Kayes ACC function employees was admitted to the individual score improving on and , Dambulla hospital as a precau- 's 123 at Bangladesh's best Dambulla. for the second wicket. Kayes Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that has tionary measures, but was later broken many protocols in several released. (RC) Afridi's efforts also enabled scored 66 in 110 balls with three Pakistan to post their highest boundaries while Siddique fell administrative matters in running total in One-Day Internationals, three runs short of a maiden the sport left room for more criti- improving on their 371 for nine hundred. cism when all Interim Committee Davydenko takes members missed the Asian Cricket SCOREBOARD Council official dinner at Kandalama on Monday. 4hrs to win Pakistan M Rahim run out (U. Akmal) 1 I Farhat b Hasan 66 S Al Hasan b Farhat 25 The current SLC Interim Wimbledon opener S Hasan lbw b Razzak 50 J Islam 11 Committee's lack of administrative U Amin run out () 22 M Mahmudullah not out 0 skills have been well and truly WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - raises his bat after completing his 53-ball century dur- Seventh-seeded Nikolay A Shafiq st Rahim b Hasan 17 Extras: (5lb, 1nb, 6w) 12 exposed over and over again and this ing the Asia Cup cricket match against Bangladesh in Dambulla, Sri Davydenko has withstood 36 U Akmal b SIslam 50 TOTAL: (for 5 ) 246 event was another case in point as aces from Kevin Anderson to Lanka, Monday, June 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) S Afridi c Shuvo b SIslam 124 Overs: 50. all top cricket administrators avoid- beat the South African 3-6, 6-7 Pakistan captain Shahid 398, scored by Sri Lanka in a K Akmal c Iqbal b SIslam 23 Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-199, 3-203, 4- ed the function, but representatives (3), 7-6 (3), 7-5, 9-7 in the first Afridi scored the fastest Asia World Cup game against Kenya A Razzaq not out 21 210, 5-245. from other boards were present. round of Wimbledon. Cup hundred as in Asgiriya, survived to remain A Rehman not out 1 Did not bat: Suhrawadi Shuvo, With Sri Lanka supposed to co- Davydenko broke Anderson Pakistan earned a consola- the record. Extras: (1b, 4lb, 1nb, 5w) 11 Mashrafe Mortaza, , host next year's TOTAL: (for 7 wickets) 385 for the fourth and last time in tion win in the tournament beat- Despite 14 years of interna- Abdur Razzak. with its sub-continent neighbours, Overs: 50. : Akhtar 8-2-22-1 (3w), Asif the last game of a match last- ing Bangladesh in their last tional cricket, Afridi had strug- SLC cold shouldering the co-hosts is Fall of wickets: 1-81, 2-135, 3-155, 4- 10-0-60-1 (1nb), Razzaq 7-0-47-1, ing 4 hours, 12 minutes on group game by 139 runs yester- gled to be a consistent per- sure to attract the wrath of the Monday. day. former for his team, but that 176, 5-313, 6-347, 7-364. Rehman 10-0-37-0 (1w), Afridi 10-0- neighbouring countries. It's the sixth time Pakistan, who were knocked outlook seems to be changing as Did not bat: Shoaib Akhtar, 54-1 (2w), Farhat 5-0-21-1. Davydenko, who returned to out of the competition after los- he posted his second ODI centu- Mohammad Asif. Result: Pakistan win by 139 runs. Observers were also asking that the ATP circuit two weeks ago ing their fixtures against Sri ry in the tournament and the Bowling: Mortaza 5-0-47-0, Islam 10- Player of the Match: S Afridi when SLC Secretary Nishantha after 11 weeks out due to a bro- Lanka and India earlier, came sixth fastest in One-Day 0-95-3 (3w), Razzak 10-0-48-1, Shuvo (Pakistan) Ranatunga is globetrotting attending ken wrist, has come back from up with a splendid effort with Internationals, three of which 8-0-65-0 (1w), Mahmudullah 7-0-52- Toss: Pakistan. each and every meeting and function two sets down. the bat to post the highest total are owned by him. 0, Al Hasan 10-0-73-2 (1nb, 1w). Umpires: Billy Doctrove, West Indies that is even meant for other SLC offi- Davydenko, whose best in Asia Cup and the highest Afridi, who smashed 109 runs and Bruce Oxenford, Australia. cials, why he couldn't make himself result at Wimbledon was the total at the Rangiri Dambulla in the curtain-raiser against Sri Bangladesh TV umpire: Ranmore Martinez, Sri available for a function that was held fourth round in 2007, will play International Stadium. They Lanka, came up with a brutal T Iqbal c KAkmal b Asif 34 Lanka. in his own country, especially with I Kayes c Farhat b Afridi 66 Match Referee: Andy Pycroft, Daniel Brands of Germany in narrowly missed the record ODI onslaught yesterday scoring Sri Lanka being the host nation. the second round total on Sri Lankan soil as the Asia Cup's fastest hundred in J Siddique c and b Akhtar 97 Zimbabwe.

Tuesday 22nd June, 2010