SLAF women win seventh consecutive Defence Services handball title

Sidath Wettimuny heads SLC’s Cricket Committee where former captains Roshan Mahanama and Kumar Sangakkara are members.

Sri Lanka Cricket is tightening the screws on fitness and discipline, with random alcohol and drug tests among several measures aimed at raising standards among contracted players.

Former Sri Lanka great Sidath Wettimuny said the measures, introduced in consultation with Head Coach Gary Kirsten, would address concerns over team culture and instil the professional habits needed to compete at the highest level.

Wettimuny heads SLC’s Cricket Committee, which also includes former captains Kumar Sangakkara and Roshan Mahanama. All three set demanding standards during their playing careers and are now seeking to ensure the present generation follows suit.

“Discipline, integrity, lifestyle and fitness are key aspects when you are a top sportsman. We will conduct skinfold tests every week. We understand that smoking and alcohol have been a bit of a problem within the team, and there will be random tests conducted,” Wettimuny told reporters.

“According to Gary, food intake has been an issue as well. The coach has written to the hotel where they are staying in Pakistan, specifying what players can and cannot eat,” he added.

Wettimuny stressed that rebuilding Sri Lanka’s fortunes would require patience and sustained preparation, pointing to the groundwork laid before the country’s finest cricketing hour.

“Everyone remembers that we won the World Cup in 1996, but what people don’t know is that we set out on that journey in 1994. Success didn’t happen overnight. We want to gradually prepare a team good enough to compete with the rest of the world,” he said.

Mahanama, who also attended the briefing, echoed concerns that some players viewed representing Sri Lanka as a stepping stone to the lucrative franchise circuit.

Under the new measures, players will be permitted to compete in only three franchise leagues, including the Lanka Premier League. They will also be required to return home at least ten days before an international commitment to prepare with the national side.

Outlining the committee’s short term goals, Mahanama identified a strong showing at next year’s World Cup in South Africa as a priority. Preparations will be rigorous, with monthly reviews to assess whether the team is meeting its targets.

He said considerable emphasis was also being placed on next year’s Women’s Champions Trophy in India and the ICC Under-19 World Cup.

Sri Lanka’s women have made encouraging strides in recent months, and Mahanama said they would receive strong backing to build on that progress and fulfil their potential.

Dilshan Madushanka picked up career best figures of five for 34.

Sri Lanka served Pakistan a generous helping of humble pie in Lahore, romping to an eight wicket victory to book their place in the tri-series final and send former world champions England packing.

Left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka led the demolition job with career best figures of 5-34 as Pakistan were bundled out for 110 in 25.3 overs.

Sri Lanka then knocked off the target with precious little fuss, reaching 114-2 in 18.1 overs. Kamindu Mendis stroked an unbeaten 62 at just under a run a ball, peppering the boundary with eight fours and two sixes, while Pavan Rathnayake finished unbeaten on 23.

The result leaves England’s fixture against Sri Lanka on Thursday a dead rubber, with Sri Lanka and Pakistan set to battle for the trophy in Lahore on Saturday.

England have been left nursing their wounds after losing two closely fought games. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, appear to be gathering momentum at just the right time.

Madushanka spearheaded a disciplined bowling effort, with his colleagues keeping Pakistan on a tight leash. Wickets fell at regular intervals and only two home batters reached double figures.

Eshan Malinga bowled with fire, hurrying the batters with sharp bouncers. His solitary wicket was a prized scalp of Babar Azam, trapped leg before for 29.

All-rounder Sahan Arachchige chipped in with 2-24 as Sri Lanka kept their foot firmly on the accelerator.

Having stumbled out of the blocks with a defeat to Pakistan in the curtain-raiser, Sri Lanka have regrouped impressively. They now head into the final with the wind in their sails and a chance to finish the job.

Pakistan 110 all out in 25.3 overs

(Babar Azam 29; Dilshan Madushanka 5-34, Sahan Arachchige 2-24).

Sri Lanka 114-2 in 18.1 overs

(Kamindu Mendis 62, Pavan Rathnayake 23).

Sri Lanka won by eight wickets.

Dilshan Madushanka sent back Fakhar Zaman with a short ball (Cricinfo)

Dilshan Madushanka’s career-best ODI figures of 5 for 34 set up a dominant eight-wicket win in Lahore, as Sri Lanka snapped a five-game losing streak against Pakistan, and with it, secure a final clash with the same opponents. The result left England mathematically eliminated from final contention, rendering their match against Sri Lanka on Thursday a dead rubber.

Having skittled Pakistan out for just 110, Sri Lanka knocked off the target in 18.1 overs – the match itself lasted a total of 43.4 overs and finished not long after the floodlights had been fired up. This was Pakistan’s second lowest total on home turf, and their third-lowest against Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka are also responsible for their lowest total at home.

Kamindu Mendis finished unbeaten on 62 off 60 as he spearheaded the chase, while Pavan Rathnayake cut one away in front of square to wrap up the win; he finished on 23 off 26. Fortune too was certainly in Sri Lanka’s favour, with Kamindu being dropped behind the stumps early by Saad Baig. Later, he holed out at deep backward square leg trying to reach his fifty, only for the fielder to tread on the boundary skirting after completing the catch.

That said, the two wickets to fall in the Lankan innings were largely against the run of play, as Pakistan struggled for penetration on a pretty placid surface. Avishka Fernando pulled a short one from Shaheen Afridi straight to midwicket, while Kusal Mendis made it two unlucky dismissals in two after a bizarre passage of play that saw his back foot defence off Arafat Minhas bounce forward before hitting the back of the bat at the top of the follow through and trickle back on to the stumps. Kusal walked off with a bemused grin on his face, but it’s a dismissal he would not have minded all that much considering the stellar performance his side had put forward.

For Pakistan, Babar Azam top scored with 29 off 33, but only three other batters managed double digits as Sri Lanka’s bowlers ran through the Pakistan batting. Sahan Arachchige, who has had a quiet series thus far, finally sunk his teeth into the contest picking up two wickets, while there was a wicket each for Asitha Fernando, Eshan Malinga and Dunith Wellalage.

But it was the lively Madushanka who caused all manner of trouble for the hosts, extracting menacing bounce on an otherwise decent batting track, despite clocking speeds in the mid-130s. It was just his second five-for in ODIs, his last coming against India in the 2023 World Cup. There he was among the tournaments top wicket-takers but injuries derailed his progress in the years since, so Sri Lanka will be pleased to see him returning close to his best in a World Cup year.

Fakhar Zaman was his first victim, a short one that reared up and saw the left-handed opener only able to fend to the onrushing point fielder. The left-arm seamer repeated the trick in his second spell, this time causing Arafat Minhas all sorts of discomfort with a spritely bouncer that popped up generously off the shoulder of the bat for Kusal Mendis to gobble up eagerly.

That second one brought to an end a burgeoning 27-run seventh wicket stand which would end up being the highest of the innings and had been shaping up to somewhat consolidate Pakistan’s flagging innings. That partnership between Minhas and Hasan Nawaz saw the last two recognised batters in the middle.

Madushanka’s intervention left Nawaz alone to battle it out with the tail, but if the fans at the Gaddafi Stadium had been holding out for a potential repeat of the Pink Sunday heroics, Nawaz proceeded to summarily chip a lofted drive straight to long-off. Pakistan at that point had lost eight wickets with just 91 runs on the board.

The soft nature of these dismissals were a common theme across the innings. Baig fell driving straight to short cover, Salman Ali Agha feathered an attempted dab through to the keeper, and Shadab Khan gloved an attempted sweep that limply dropped into Kusal’s gloves.

Shadab, who had been reprieved on Sunday by a review that he was on the verge of not even taking, swiftly put his hands up asking for this one to be checked. Except that Pakistan were out of reviews.

Those reviews had come at the fall of Maaz Sadaqat and Babar; the former courtesy a searing inswinger from Asitha, the latter after Malinga nipped one back in from outside off. Both reviews produced three reds, and only served to rubber-stamp the dreadful day Pakistan were having out in the middle. Incidentally, Shadab’s review to would have been burned had it transpired.

Madushanka picked up his fourth of the day when he had Haris Rauf edging behind, as Kamindu held on excellently at first slip, low to his right. It was the cherry on top of an exceptional Sri Lankan performance in the field, one that had seen players throw themselves about from the very start of the innings.

A pair of late blows from Shaheen Afridi gave the home crowd something to cheer about, but he eventually became Madushanka’s final scalp, top-edging a hook down to fine leg.

It was a game in which Sri Lanka were in control from start to finish, and one Pakistan would do well to take note of ahead of their rematch in the final.