Thursday 8th September, 2011 The IPL mess Clarke prays Mendis won’t play second Test We weren’t vigilant in REX CLEMENTINE REPORTING FROM PALLEKELE

Australian Michael Clarke admitted that his players are glad they didn’t face unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis in Galle and hoped they won’t be playing him in the second Test that handling IPL deals - Srinivasan starts today here at the Pallekele International Stadium. Mendis was not picked for the first oard of Control for in (BCCI) “coherent and consistent policy should be devised for Test, but following Sri Lanka’s 125 run Secretary N Srinivasan has admitted before the future whereby high-profile money-spinning events defeat in Galle, he looks set to play in BParliament’s Standing Committee on finance that such as the IPL are not kept out of the ambit of law and place of off-spinner Suraj Randiv. the Indian board needed to own up for financial irregu- taxability”. Mendis picked up a World Record six larities in the (IPL). Srinivasan Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda, a member of the here in Pallekele when Sri said the BCCI could not claim exoneration simply by Standing Committee, said, “When we questioned them Lanka took on Australia in the second claiming that suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi was (BCCI president and secretary), they had absolutely no T-20 International and captain Michael running the show. answers. With folded hands they just stood there and Clarke said that he The BCCI had previously put the onus on Modi when admitted they had no explanations to offer. The problem hoped the spinner it came to explaining lapses in expenditure during the with BCCI is too much money and too many big names doesn’t play. first three editions of the IPL, maintaining that other involved in the administration. Sharad Pawar, Farooq “I always senior officials had no idea of wrongdoings since Modi Abdullah, Arun Jaitley and all politicians want to be thought that he’s a was given a free hand. part of it.” very good bowler. The change in the BCCI’s stance is revealed in a The Standing Committee noted that the BCCI “meek- He’s got a lot of dif- report of the Standing Committee. The committee, of ly endorsed and approved decisions that were taken by ferent deliveries which former finance minister Yashwant Sinha is chair- the chairman (Modi) and all those responsible in and lot of varia- man, stated in its report that BCCI president Shashank breaching the law should be investigated and punished tions. I am sur-

Manohar - “when closely questioned by the committee” - BCCI bigwigs Shashank Manohar N. Srinivasan without further loss of time”. prised he didn’t admitted that the cheques were signed not by Modi, but Based on these recommendations, the government play in the first , by Srinivasan, who was the BCCI treasurer, and subse- , now seems to be keen on bringing the BCCI under the Test to be honest. quently by M P Pandove, who replaced Srinivasan. umbrella of the central government. Hopefully they The report has Srinivasan stating on record: “We Darda added: “It was harrowing when we went don’t select him for were taken for a ride. I know we cannot plead before you “It was harrowing when we went through through the records. Money transferred from some tax tomorrow. But we Michael Clarke that we did not know all this was happening. Your ques- the records. Money transferred from haven to some other tax haven finally ends up with some will wait and see. We tion would be, were you not vigilant? What did you do? I connection in IPL. The committee wants to know what looked at a lot of footage, but it’s harder am sorry, sir, there is no defence for me. No defence in some tax haven to some other tax haven has been going on. We will have to ensure that they are to go and face him than to watch him front of you. So, I am not pleading that at all. We just finally ends up with some connection in brought to account.” on video,” Clarke told journalists yes- put our heads down.” It is understood that Manohar and Srinivasan will be terday. The committee report revealed that there had been IPL. The committee wants to know what summoned by the Standing Committee again as and Quick bowler Shaminda Eranga was serious irregularities in awarding media rights and has been going on. We will have to when required. “Monopoly is an issue too,” Darda said, another player to impress during the commercial contracts, and that the board flouted rules ODI series and after left-arm seamer and norms with impunity. ensure that they are brought to “If the board is brought under RTI, the ordinary cricket fan will at least know what he’s paying for. Far too much Chanaka Welagedara complained of a The revelations come in the backdrop of the board’s account.” knee pain, he has been put on stand-by. refusal to come under the ambit of the Right to is either unaccountable or being swept under the car- pet.” “He (Eranga) bowled really well. It Information Act (RTI) and will lend credence to sports ,, looks like with the new ball he can minister Ajay Maken’s insistence that the cash-rich The Standing Committee - formed by members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - has been investigating swing it away from the right-handed body be made more accountable to the public, and its batsman. I think his natural angel, once workings be made more transparent. government for funds and hence could not come under issues related to alleged financial bungling in Indian the RTI, but the Standing Committee has noted that a cricket. the ball gets older, is into the right-han- The BCCI had argued that it did not depend on the der. He’s a pretty talented bowler. Has a good slower ball. He is young and inex- perienced and if we bat well, I would like to see how he is going. No doubt he Second Test starts today at Pallekele has talent and he bowls pretty good pace and I am sure he’s looking for a Eranga on standby for Welagedara chance,” Clarke added.

REX CLEMENTINE arm seamer is ruled unfit, he will make his reporting from Pallekele Test debut today. Mendis, however, is sure to play the Test Science and Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis will be after the touring Australians expressed drafted into the playing 11 for today’s second their surprise at not seeing the spinner in the first Test in Galle. He picked up a world Thurstan through Test match against Australia here at the Pallekele International Stadium in place of record six wickets in the second T-20 off-spinner Suraj Randiv, but Sri Lanka’s International against Australia, at this venue. to the semis preparations for the crucial game suffered a blow as left-arm paceman Chanaka Sri Lanka trail the series 0-1 after losing Welagedara withdrew to the dressing room, the first Test in Galle by 125 runs inside four BY CHATHURA PINNAWALA complaining of a pain in the knee, while days, on a difficult . They were training, yesterday. bowled out for 105 runs in the first innings, Science College left no stone Welagedara returned for a net session their lowest in Galle. “All the batsmen are unturned as they crushed Dharmapala later in the day,but Sri Lanka have put aware of their mistakes in Galle and the Vidyalaya 57-0 to clear their passage to Shaminda Eranga as standby and if the left- wicket was not an easy one either. However, the Cup semi finals of the WPRFU (Western Province Rugby Football Union) organized under 18, 15 a-side invitational tournament at Havelock Park yesterday. Science have been a dominant outfit so far in the tournament, cruising towards victories in the first round as well. Dharmaraja weren’t able to Australian cricketer Peter Siddle poses for a photograph with a Sri Lankan child during a change the menu. At half time, the win- charity event in Kandy, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011. ners led 26-0. The day’s other scheduled quarter (AP Photo/ Eranga Jayawardena) final never got under way as D.S this strip looks really good for a Test match. birth of his child. , the Senanayake couldn’t compete due their I expect all the batsmen to take up responsi- Western Australian top order batsman and inability to field a team. So Thurstan bilities and do their best for the team,” Sri the son of former Test opener Geoff Marsh, advance without flexing their muscles Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, told will make his debut and bat at number in the form of a walkover. journalists. three. They are the second father-son combi- That leaves Dharmaraja and D.S to Sri Lanka has not won a Test match in nation to play for Australia. slug it out in the bowl semi finals. The 13 months, extending their winless streak other two quarter finals will be held to nine Test matches since the retirement Australia (Probable XI): today in which C.W.W Kannangara face of off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. , Philip Hughes, Shaun Lalith Athulathmudali at the early kick Australian captain Michael Clarke Marsh, Michael Clarke (Captain), Mike off at 3.15pm and Ananda clash with expected Sri Lanka to bounce back Hussey,Osman Khawaja, Brad Haddin Lumbini at 4.30pm. Both games are at stronger after a disappointing game in (Wicketkeeper), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Havelock Park. Galle. “Obviously it’s a very important Harris, Trent Copeland and Nathan Lyon. There will be no gate charges at the game for us. Sri Lanka will be even tougher Sri Lanka (Probable XI): venues and the tournament is spon- though. They know Tharanga Paranavithana, sored by Asian Finance Ltd. The win- the conditions well. I T.M. Dilshan (Captain), ners will receive the Asian Finance tro- have said before as Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela phy. well that they have got Jayawardene, Thilan a lot of good players. Samaraweera, Angelo We will take a lot of Mathews, Prasanna confidence and Jayawardene (Wicketkeeper), momentum from the Rangana Herath, Ajantha first Test and we are Mendis or Suraj Randiv, looking forward to the Suranga Lakmal, Chanaka challenge,” Clarke Welagedara or Shaminda said. Eranga. Australia do not Umpires: Tony Hill (NZ) and have the services of Richard Kettleborough (Eng) former captain Ricky Third Umpire: Aleem Dar Ponting, who flew (Pak) back to to be Match Referee: Chris Broad with his wife for the (Eng)

Thursday 8th September, 2011