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Who delayed the announcement of Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup squad?

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It was noticeable that many newspapers had reported that only the Sri Lankan squad was not announced until the last moment. On further investigation, it was reported that the Sri Lanka Selection Committee forwarded the 20-man squad for the approval of the Sports Minister on August 12. But until yesterday (19) it had not received approval.

However, last night (19) at 9.51 on his Twitter account, the Minister of Sports stated that the relevant news was not correct and that he was referred to him for the approval of the squad yesterday (19). It was further stated in the Twitter message that approval was given within an hour of receiving the named squad.

Last night (19) 9.54 making another note, the minister announced the official squad for this year’s Asian Cup breaking the tradition.

However, Sri Lanka Cricket issued a statement in response to the minister’s announcement. The letter states that the Sri Lanka selection committee met on August 10 and named the squad for the Asian Cup and on August 12, the squad was sent to the Minister of Sports. The announcement further states that the letter indicating that Asitha Fernando and Pramod Madhushan were called up to the squad due to the injuries of two players in the named squad was arranged to be given to the minister on August 16.

Meanwhile, in an announcement on the afternoon of August 20, the Ministry of Sports said that the Sri Lanka Cricket Board was delayed in giving the approval for the squad due to the fact that the documents to be provided along with the player pool were not properly provided.

Under the leadership of Dasun Shanaka, the Sri Lanka squad for the Asia Cup consists of 08 batsmen, 05 fast bowlers, 03 spinners and 04 all-rounders.

ආසියානු කුසලාන ශ්‍රී ලංකා සංචිතය ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කිරීම ප්‍රමාද කරණු ලැබුවේ කවුරුන්ද?

ශ්‍රී ලංකා සංචිතය පමණක් අවසන් මොහොත දක්වාම ප්‍රකාශයට පත් නොකිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් පුවත්පත් රැසක්ම වාර්ථා කර තිබීම කැපී පෙනෙන්නට විය. මේ පිළිබද වැඩි දුරටත් සෙවීමේදී වාර්ථා වූයේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා තේරීම් කමිටුව 20 දෙදෙනෙකුගෙන් යුත් සංචිතය අගෝස්තු මස 12 වැනිදා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යවරයාගේ අනුමැතිය සදහා යොමුකර ඇති බවයි. නමුත් ඊයේ (19) වන තෙක් එයට අණුමැතිය නොලැබී තිබූ බවයි.

කෙසේ වෙතත් ඊයේ (19) රාත්‍රියේ 9.51 සිය Twitter ගිණුමේ සටහනක් තබමින් ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යවරයා, අදාල පුවත් නිවැරදි නොවන බවත් සංචිතයේ අනුමැතිය සදහා තමා වෙත යොමු කලේ ඊයේ (19) දින බවත් ප්‍රකාශකර තිබුණා. නම් කල සංචිතය ලැබී පැයක් ඇතුළත ඊට අනුමැතිය ලබා දුන් බවත් Twitter පණිවිඩයේ වැඩි දුරටත් සදහන් විය.

ඊයේ රාත්‍රියේ (19) 9.54 තවත් සටහනක් තබමින් අමාත්‍යවරයා මෙවර ආසියානු කුසලානයට එක්වන නිළ සංචිතය නිවේදනය කලේ සම්ප්‍රදායද බිද දමමින්ය.

කෙසේ වෙතත් ක්‍රිකට් ආයතනය විසින් අමාත්‍යවරයාගේ නිවේදනයට ප්‍රතිචාර දක්වමින් මෙලෙස නිවේදනයක් නිකුත් කරණු ලැබීය. එම ලිපියේ දැක්වෙන්නේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා තේරීම් කමිටුව අගෝස්තු මස 10 දින රැස්වී ආසියානු කුසලානය සදහා වන සංචිතය නම් කළ බවත් අගෝස්තු 12 වැනිදා එම සංචිතය ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යවරයාගේ අණුමැතිය සදහා යොමු කළ බවයි. තවද නිවේදනයේ වැඩි දුරටත් සදහන් වන්නේ නම් කළ සංචිතයේ ක්‍රීඩකයන් දෙදෙනෙකු අබාධ වලට ලක්වීම නිසා අසිත ප්‍රනාන්දු හා ප්‍රමෝද් මධුෂාන් සංචිතයට කැදවූ බවත් දැක්වෙන ලිපිය අගෝස්තු 16 වැනිදා අමාත්‍යවරයාට ලබාදීමට කටයුතු කළ බවයි.

මේ අතර අගෝස්තු මස 20 වැනිදා පස්වරුවේ නිවේදනයක් නිකුත් කරමින් ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යංශය පැවසුවේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා ක්‍රිකට් ආයතනය ක්‍රීඩක සංචියත් සමග ලබාදිය යුතු ලිපිගොණු හරියාකාරව ලබානොදීම නිසා සංචිතය සදහා අනුමැතිය ලබාදීමට ප්‍රමාද වූ බවයි.

දසුන් ශානකගේ නායකත්වයෙන් ආසියානු කුසලානයට එක්වන ශ්‍රී ලංකා සංචිතය පිතිකරුවන් 08ක්, වේග පන්දු යවන්නන් 05ක්, දග පන්දු යවන්නන් 03 දෙනෙකු හා තුන් ඉරියව් ක්‍රීඩකයින් 04 දෙනෙකුගෙන් සමන්විතය.

ஆசியக் கோப்பைக்கான இலங்கை அணி அறிவிப்பை தாமதப்படுத்தியது யார்?

கடைசி நிமிடம் வரை இலங்கை அணி மட்டும் அறிவிக்கப்படவில்லை என்று பல பத்திரிகைகள் செய்தி வெளியிட்டிருந்ததை கவனிக்க முடிந்தது. மேலதிக விசாரணையில், இலங்கைத் தெரிவுக்குழு 20 பேர் கொண்ட அணியை விளையாட்டு அமைச்சரின் ஒப்புதலுக்கு ஆகஸ்ட் 12 ஆம் திகதி அனுப்பியுள்ளதாக தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஆனால் நேற்று (19) வரை அதற்கு உத்தரவு கிடைக்கவில்லை.

எவ்வாறாயினும் நேற்று (19) இரவு 9.51 மணியளவில் விளையாட்டுத்துறை அமைச்சர் தனது டுவிட்டர் கணக்கில், இது தொடர்பான செய்திகள் சரியானதல்ல எனவும், நேற்று (19) குழாமின் ஒப்புதலுக்காக தம்மிடம் பரிந்துரைக்கப்பட்டதாகவும் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார். பெயரிடப்பட்ட அணி கிடைத்த ஒரு மணி நேரத்தில் ஒப்புதல் வழங்கப்பட்டதாக ட்விட்டர் செய்தியில் மேலும் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

நேற்றிரவு (19) 9.54 க்கு மற்றுமொரு குறிப்பை முன்வைத்து, பாரம்பரியத்தை உடைத்து இந்த ஆண்டுக்கான ஆசிய கோப்பைக்கான உத்தியோகபூர்வ அணியை அமைச்சர் அறிவித்தார்.

எனினும் அமைச்சரின் இந்த அறிவிப்புக்கு பதிலளிக்கும் வகையில் கிரிக்கெட் நிறுவனம் அறிக்கை ஒன்றை வெளியிட்டுள்ளது. இலங்கைத் தெரிவுக்குழு ஆகஸ்ட் 10ஆம் திகதி கூடி ஆசியக் கிண்ணத்திற்கான அணியை அறிவித்ததாகவும், ஆகஸ்ட் 12ஆம் திகதி அந்த அணி விளையாட்டுத்துறை அமைச்சருக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டதாகவும் அந்தக் கடிதத்தில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. பெயரிடப்பட்ட அணியில் இரு வீரர்கள் காயமடைந்ததன் காரணமாக அசித பெர்னாண்டோ மற்றும் பிரமோத் மதுஷன் ஆகியோர் அணிக்கு அழைக்கப்பட்டதை சுட்டிக்காட்டும் கடிதம் ஆகஸ்ட் 16 ஆம் திகதி அமைச்சரிடம் வழங்குவதற்கு ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளதாக அந்த அறிவிப்பில் மேலும் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதற்கிடையில், ஆகஸ்ட் 20 ஆம் தேதி பிற்பகல் வெளியிட்ட அறிவிப்பில், வீரர் குழுவுடன் வழங்க வேண்டிய ஆவணங்கள் சரியாக இல்லாததால், இலங்கை கிரிக்கெட் வாரியம் அணிக்கான அனுமதியை வழங்குவதில் தாமதம் ஏற்பட்டதாக விளையாட்டு அமைச்சகம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது. வழங்கப்படும்.

தசுன் ஷனக்கவின் தலைமையில் ஆசியக் கிண்ணத்திற்கான இலங்கை அணியில் 08 துடுப்பாட்ட வீரர்கள், 05 வேகப்பந்து வீச்சாளர்கள், 03 சுழற்பந்து வீச்சாளர்கள் மற்றும் 04 சகலதுறை ஆட்டக்காரர்கள் உள்ளனர்.

Cricket

Sri Lanka Stunned by Zimbabwe Despite 178 as Bowling Falters in Colombo

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Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup campaign suffered a major setback as they went down to Zimbabwe by six wickets at the R. Premadasa Stadium — a result few predicted before the first ball was bowled.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Sri Lanka posted what appeared to be a competitive 178/7. But defensive bowling and a lack of control in key moments allowed Zimbabwe to chase down 179 with three balls to spare, finishing on 182/4 in 19.3 overs.

Where Sri Lanka Lost the Game

Strong Start, Poor Finish with the Bat

Sri Lanka flew out of the blocks, scoring 61 runs in the Powerplay.

  • Pathum Nissanka led the charge with a fluent 62 off 41 balls.
  • The opening stand raced to 54 inside five overs.

However, momentum dipped sharply in the middle overs:

  • Kusal Mendis struggled (14 off 20).
  • The run rate slowed between overs 7–14.
  • Despite a late push from Pavan Rathnayake (44 off 25), Sri Lanka managed only 28 runs in the final three overs.

From a position of dominance at 108/2, they could not push beyond the 185–190 mark — a total that, in hindsight, proved costly.

Failure to Strike Early with the Ball

Zimbabwe’s chase was built on a solid foundation:

  • 55 runs in the Powerplay without losing a wicket.
  • 69-run opening stand removed early pressure.

Sri Lanka never truly regained control.

The Raza–Bennett Counterattack

The turning point came when captain Sikandar Raza launched a brutal counterattack:

  • 45 off 26 balls
  • 4 sixes
  • 50-run partnership in just 27 balls

Brian Bennett anchored the chase superbly with an unbeaten 63 off 48.

Raza’s assault in overs 15–18 shifted the momentum completely, taking the game away from Sri Lanka just when it seemed evenly poised.

Bowling Concerns Under Lights

Sri Lanka’s bowling lacked penetration:

  • Maheesh Theekshana conceded 47 in 3.3 overs (13.42 economy).
  • No early breakthroughs from the seamers.
  • Only one Powerplay wicket across both innings combined.

On a Colombo surface that slowed slightly, Zimbabwe adapted better, rotating strike efficiently before accelerating at the death.

Key Numbers That Hurt Sri Lanka

  • Zimbabwe Powerplay: 55/0
  • Sri Lanka Powerplay wickets: 0
  • Zimbabwe scored 150 in just 16.1 overs
  • Sri Lanka conceded 9.33 runs per over in the chase

What This Means

Sri Lanka entered as favourites, especially batting first at home. But tactical lapses, middle-over stagnation, and expensive spells under pressure proved decisive.

Zimbabwe, disciplined with the ball and fearless in the chase, fully deserved their two points.

For Sri Lanka, questions now emerge:

  • Is the bowling attack lacking bite?
  • Are middle overs becoming a recurring concern?
  • Was 178 ever going to be enough on this surface?

With tougher fixtures ahead in the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka must regroup quickly — because performances like this could derail their campaign early.

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Sri Lanka Sweats on Pathirana Injury; Hasaranga Comeback on the Cards

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Sri Lanka’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign has suffered a major setback, with fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana likely to miss the remainder of the tournament due to injury.

The 23-year-old sustained a calf injury during Sri Lanka’s Group B encounter against Australia on Monday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The incident occurred in his opening over when, after delivering the fourth ball, Pathirana suddenly pulled up clutching his left calf before collapsing to the ground in visible discomfort.

Team physiotherapists rushed onto the field as concerned teammates gathered around. The pacer was unable to leave the field without assistance, immediately raising concerns about the severity of the injury. Captain Dasun Shanaka completed the over in his absence.

Shortly after, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed that Pathirana would take no further part in the match. In a brief statement, SLC said the bowler had experienced discomfort in his left calf and would undergo medical scans for a full assessment.

Major Blow to Pace Attack

Initial indications suggest the injury could rule Pathirana out for the rest of the World Cup — a significant loss for Sri Lanka’s bowling unit. Known for his slingy action and deadly yorkers, especially at the death, Pathirana has been one of Sri Lanka’s most reliable T20 strike bowlers.

If ruled out, team management is expected to consider Dilshan Madushanka or Nuwan Thushara as potential replacements. While both offer pace and variety, replacing Pathirana’s unique skillset will be a challenge.

Hasaranga Return Under Discussion

In a parallel development, Sri Lanka are reportedly exploring the possibility of bringing Wanindu Hasaranga back into the squad as he continues recovery from a hamstring injury.

Although Hasaranga has not yet regained full match fitness, officials are said to be evaluating whether he could feature later in the tournament — particularly if Sri Lanka qualify for the Super Eight stage.

With their final group match effectively a dead rubber, Sri Lanka have a short window to reassess their injury situation and make strategic decisions. The team management is likely to wait for clearer medical reports before confirming any squad changes.

As the tournament enters a decisive phase, Sri Lanka’s hopes may depend as much on fitness updates as on performances on the field.

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Colombo Set for High-Voltage India–Pakistan Night Battle

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ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup

Colombo is preparing for one of cricket’s biggest nights as India and Pakistan meet in a marquee clash of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.

Beyond tactics and statistics, this is a contest built on history and pride. With both teams in form and World Cup ambitions on the line, Sunday night promises a high-quality contest under the Colombo lights.

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