Lanka World Cup venues on schedule
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Sri Lanka Cricket is confident that it can meet its November schedule for the three World Cup Venues.
When the 2011 edition of the World Cup comes to the Indian sub-continent, Sri Lanka will be one of the major share holders.
Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga speaking to the Sunday Times said: “We are on course with the time schedule given to us by our contractors. We are more than confident that we can satisfy the ICC delegation when they visit Sri Lanka in November. They are expected to give their nod to the three Lankan venues – R. Premadasa Stadium, the Pallekelle Stadium and the Hambantota Stadium.”
However, the final ICC deadline is December 2010. The SLC is also hoping to have the official ticket launch of the World Cup on October 17 in Colombo.
The three grounds will get their proper international blessing during the West Indies tour with the R. Premadasa Stadium hosting the 2nd Test and the last three ODIs while the Pallekelle will host the 3rd Test match thus becoming the latest Lankan Test venue and the Hambantota Stadium the 1st and 2nd ODIs.
On February 20, 2011 Sri Lanka will open their World Cup run at the Hambantota International Cricket Stadium with a day game against Canada starting 9 a.m. and on the 23rd Pakistan will take on Kenya at the same venue in a day-night game. The third World Cup match at the Hambantota International Stadium will also be a day-night encounter between Pakistan and Sri Lanka starting 2.30 p.m.
The accent will move to Colombo on March 1 with Sri Lanka taking on Kenya at the R. Premadasa Stadium (D/N) and Pakistan will play Canada at the same venue two days later.
On March 5, Sri Lanka will play their most important game in the preliminary round by taking on Australia at the R. Premadasa Stadium starting 2.30 p.m.
The scene will move to the hill capital on March 8 with Pakistan playing their vital game against the New Zealanders at the Pallekelle Stadium.
Sri Lanka will host Zimbabwe on March 10 at the Pallekelle Stadium (D/N). Pakistan will take on Zimbabwe at the same venue on March 14.
On March 18, Sri Lanka will play their only preliminary match out of Sri Lanka when they take on New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, which is also a day/night match.
The next two matches in Sri Lanka will be the last quarter-final game on March 26 and the first semi-final on March 29 – both matches will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium which will have a revamped capacity of 35,000 spectators.
Revised West Indies Tour Itinerary
10th-12th Nov Practice Match SSC
15th-19th Nov 1st Test Galle
23rd-27th Nov 2nd Test Premadasa Stadium (Colombo)
1st-5th Dec 3rd Test Pallekele (Kandy)
9th-Dec 1st ODI Sooriyawewa (Hambantota)
11th-Dec 2nd ODI Sooriyawewa (Hambantota)
15th-Dec 3rd ODI Premadasa Stadium (Colombo)
17th-Dec 4th ODI Premadasa Stadium (Colombo)
19th-Dec 5th ODI Premadasa Stadium (Colombo)
21st-Dec T20 International Premadasa Stadium (Colombo)
All limited overs matches will be day-night
Labels: Sri Lanks
posted @ 1:28 PM,
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Sri Lanka Selectors for the World Cup
Monday, May 31, 2010
Former skipper Aravinda de Silva has been appointed Sri Lanka's chief cricket selector and set the challenge of preparing a team capable of winning a World Cup just nine months away.
''I want another team to win a World Cup,'' said De Silva, whose unbeaten century against Australia in the 1996 World Cup final brought cricket's most prestigious limited-overs title to Sri Lanka for the first time. ''I'll try and work hard and honestly as possible to ensure this task is achieved.''
Sports Minister C.B. Ratnayake on Monday announced the new selection panel which also includes former international wicketkeeper and television commentator Ranjith Fernando, former national player Amal Silva and Shabir Asgaraly, a former first-class cricketer.
The 44-year-old De Silva said his immediate challenge will be to develop depth in every position and identify batsmen who can repair and rebuild an innings if the top order fails.
He said rather than experimenting with new players in the national squad, he'd make players work hard for a place by performing for lower tier teams.
The outgoing committee headed by Ashantha de Mel was accused of inefficiency, favoritism and political bias in team selection.
But Ratnayake assured the new panel that he will not allow any political interference.
Sri Lanka will co-host the 2011 World Cup with India and Bangladesh. No Asian team has won the World Cup in the 50-over format since Sri Lanka's title in '96, also when it was co-hosting the tournament.
Sri Lanka lost the 2007 final to Australia in the Caribbean but has since slipped to No. 6 in the international ODI rankings and fourth in the test rankings.
De Silva retired from international cricket after the 2003 World Cup, having played 308 limited-overs internationals and 93 test matches.
A dashing stroke-making batsman, he averaged just under 43 in test cricket with 20 centuries. He scored 11 hundreds and 64 half centuries in ODIs, and had a strike rate of 81 runs per hundred balls faced.—AP
posted @ 7:39 PM,
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