Tuesday 29th November, 2011 BY REX CLEMENTINE in him missing out on the tour, the national crick- at the venue. The first Test between the countries gets Prolific middle order batsman Thilan et selectors had requested for Samaraweera as In the last three years, Samaraweera has main- underway on the 15th of December at Centurion Samaraweera has been added to the national cover. tained an average of 68, the best by a Sri Lankan followed by games at Durban and Cape Town. cricket squad to tour South Africa early next His addition means the touring party will now batsman in that period. Sri Lanka have not won a Test Match since month. have 17 players. Samaraweera, who has the second best Test August last year having gone through 14 Tests “I had a meeting with the national selectors The 35-year-old Samaraweera had won back to average by a Sri Lankan all time, was left out of without winning one. In the process, the team has today and they made a request to add Thilan as an back Test Batsman of the Year awards in the last Sri Lanka’s tour of the UAE and was initially suffered series losses to England, Australia and additional player and I have approved that two years and is in the running to win a third title overlooked for the Test series in South Africa Pakistan while the series against West Indies and request,” Sports Minister Mahindananda on the trot in today’s Annual Cricket Awards prompting some criticism. India were drawn. Aluthgamage told The Island yesterday. scheduled to be held at Water’s Edge. This will be Sri Lanka’s first Test tour to South Sri Lanka’s last Test win came against India at Former captain Mahela Jayawardene is nurs- He was dropped for the third Test against Africa in ten years. Sri Lanka have never won a Galle in champion off-spinner Muttiah ing a knee injury and although there’s no danger Australia at SSC, despite having an average of 82 Test Match in South Africa. Muralitharan’s last Test Match. No international Trophy named after Rev. Fr. Sunil Herman Perera CEAT Cricket exposure for SL Awards today Under-19 ahead Peterite Cricket The third CEAT Sri Lanka Cricket Awards 2011 will be of World Cup held today at Water’s Edge. Cricketers of all levels of play BY REEMUS FERNANDO League launched will be feted for their fantastic achievements during the past year. The most coveted awards of the night will be the Sri Lanka Under-19 do not have a sin- CEAT Cricketer of the Year Award and the CEAT Most gle confirmed overseas or home tourna- Popular People’s Player Award. ment involving their international coun- terparts ahead of the ICC Youth World Cup which will be held in eight months time in Brisbane according to SLC No London boycott sources. It is something that has not been expe- rienced by Sri Lanka Under-19 teams in discussed – IOC the run up to Youth World Cups in as NEW DELHI (AP) — ple died and tens of thou- many as six years as the cash strapped India’s Olympic committee sands were maimed when SLC has cut down on non profit earning said Monday the country was poisonous gas leaked from tours. not considering boycotting the Union Carbide factory in Except for the proposed Under-19 Asia the London Games despite Bhopal in central India in Cup, there are no planned tours abroad or growing anger at a sponsor- 1984. Dow Chemical bought international tournaments on the home ship deal with Dow Union Carbide in 2001 but soil for the Sri Lanka Under-19 team ahead of the World Cup, a senior official Chemicals and its links to denies responsibility for of the SLC confirmed to The Island. the company blamed for the Carbide’s Bhopal liabilities. The past Sri Lanka Under-19 teams Bhopal poison gas disaster. Dow has maintained that had had the much needed exposure Indian athletes, rights it never owned or operated against their counterparts before previ- groups and local government the Bhopal plant and that ous Youth World Cups thanks to the pre Roshan Anthony, President, Peterite Cricket Foundation, hands over the tournament draw to Rev. Fr. Travis Gabriel, officials have urged the legal claims regarding the tournament tours during the last six Rector of St. Peter’s College at a media briefing held yesterday to announce the inaugural Peterite Cricket League. Olympic organizers to sever gas leak were resolved when years. Also in the picture are Chaminda Perera, Secretary, Peterite Cricket Foundation, Roshan Dharmaratne, Immediate their relationship with Dow Union Carbide paid $470 mil- out of sensitivity to the vic- lion as compensation for If the proposed Under-19 Asia Cup Past President of OBU and Niranjan Madawala, Chairman Peterite Cricket League. Pic by Saman Abeysiriwardana. doesn’t take place then there is likelihood tims of the world’s worst those killed or injured. The of the Under-19 team traveling to BY REX CLEMENTINE Anthony, Mangala Dharmapriya, star Group Captain Harsha industrial disaster. Indian government is seek- Australia without any exposure. Kitto Fernandopulle and Uresh Fernando. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, ing an additional $1.7 billion Sri Lanka was the only country,by The Cricket Foundation of St. Perera. The Best Batsman’s award is the chief minister of the for the victims. last week, to have consented to an Asian Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya The Six-a-Side tournament named after probably the most state of Madhya Pradesh Last week, 21 Indian ath- Cricket Council proposal of holding an launched the Peterite Cricket will be played based on the reput- elegant batsman the country has where Bhopal is located, has letes sent a letter to the Asia Cup prior to the World Cup. League (PCL) in the presence of ed Hong Kong Sixes tournament produced, Roy Dias while the asked India’s sports minister organizing committee for the A source close to the Under-19 team Rev. Fr. Travis Gabriel, the that takes place in October every Best Bowler’s award has been to boycott the Games. 2012 London Games asking it said that the lack of exposure against Rector of the school at a media year. The tournament will be named after Rumesh Ratnayake, However, the acting presi- to scrap Dow’s sponsorship would be world cup teams is a major con- conference held at the College played for the Cup, Plate and who in 1980s terrorized even dent of the Indian Olympic and the company’s planned cern ahead of the Youth World Cup. “The premises yesterday. The eight Bowl categories. some of the great West Indians Association, Vijay Kumar curtain-style wrap that relevant officials of the SLC are informed franchise based tournament is Addressing journalists, Rev. with his sling arm action. Both Malhotra, said India had no would encircle a stadium. about these concerns and they are doing their best to get the team some exposure,” aimed at bringing together past Fr. Gabriel said, “This tourna- ex-cricketers were products of intention of keeping its ath- Five Bhopal victims’ the source told The Island. and present Peterites and renew ment will be played for Rev. Fr. St. Peter’s College. letes away from the Games. rights groups also demanded In this backdrop the Sri Lanka Under- their comradeship. The tourna- Sunil Herman Perera Trophy. Fr. Each team is allowed to “At the moment, there is the scrapping of the sponsor- 19 team officials are learnt to have sought ment is scheduled for the 11th of Sunil was the Sports Coordinator choose two international players no talk of a boycott,” he said. ship deal, saying it would the help of the premier clubs to arrange December at the school premises. of the school for seven years and apart from two players from the “There are concerns give undue publicity to a limited over fixtures with them during The eight franchises are during that time there were so 25 years to 30 years category being expressed in the coun- company that was refusing the club season. known as Titans, Romans, many achievements by the while two veterans over the age try by some former to clean up the toxic contami- Sri Lanka Under-19 last played a tour- Pirates, Vikings, Gladiators, school’s sports teams.” of 35 will feature in the teams. Olympians and the chief nation of soil and groundwa- nament in October when India hosted Warriors, Knights and Spartans. The Runner-up Trophy has The teams are also allowed one minister of the state where ter in Bhopal. West Indies, Australia and Sri Lanka in a The owners of the eight franchis- been named after late Austin under-23 cricketer and one cur- this tragedy happened,” he The International quadrangular tournament in ers are distinguished old boys of Fernando, former Master-in- rent school cricketer. said. “The idea is to convey Olympic Committee has Vishakhapatnam. Sri Lanka reached the the College such as Michael Charge of Cricket at the school Malinda Warnapura, the the concern about it (to the defended Dow, saying it is “a final where they were beaten by the hosts. Elias, Suranga Seneviratne, for nearly 40 years. Austin nephew of country’s first Test organizers) and to ask them global leader in its field of In what seemed like a move to cut costs Roshan Dharmaratne, Dr. Fernando is the father of former captain Bandula Warnapura was to reconsider it. That’s all.” business and is committed to SLC reduced the backup staff for that Neilhaan Samaranayake, Indunil Air Force basketball and rugby the first player to be auctioned.