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Sri Lanka slotted in Group ‘B’ alongside Ireland, Scotland, Oman, the UAE

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World Cup qualifiers

1996 champions Sri Lanka have been slotted in group ‘B’ for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier that will take place in Zimbabwe between 18 June and 9 July.

The ICC revealed the fixtures for the crucial three-week tournament on Tuesday, with Sri Lanka to face daunting opponents in Group B, with the island nation scheduled to play against Ireland, Scotland, Oman and the UAE.

Sri Lanka finished in 10th place on the Super League standings – one spot behind the West Indies – and will be looking for a top-two finish in Zimbabwe to ensure they maintain their excellent record of having participated in each edition of the World Cup.

Dasun Shanaka’s charges will need to be at their best if they are to book a spot at this year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, with only the top-two sides from the 10-team tournament earning a ticket to the 50-over showcase in India at the end of the year.

On the other hand, the West Indies are drawn in Group A alongside tournament hosts Zimbabwe, European side the Netherlands, emerging Asian nation Nepal and the ever-improving USA.

The West Indies too have been to all 12 editions of the World Cup, while Zimbabwe are the next most successful side at the qualifier having participated in nine tournaments to date.

Nepal, USA and Oman have never made it through to the World Cup and will be looking to book their first appearance via a top-two finish at the qualifier.

Each team will play four matches during the group stage of the qualifier, with the top three sides from each group then progressing through to the Super Six stage.

All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Six stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.

Teams will then play a further three matches against sides from the opposing group during the Super Six stage, with the top two teams at the completion of the Super Six stage earning a place in the World Cup and the qualifier final in Harare on 9 July.

Qualifier Fixtures

Sunday, 18 June
Zimbabwe v Nepal, Harare Sports Club
West Indies v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club

Monday, 19 June
Sri Lanka v UAE, Queen’s Sports Club
Ireland v Oman, Bulawayo Athletic Club

Tuesday, 20 June
Zimbabwe v Netherlands, Harare Sports Club
Nepal v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club

Wednesday, 21 June
Ireland v Scotland, Queen’s Sports Club
Oman v UAE, Bulawayo Athletic Club

Thursday, 22 June
West Indies v Nepal, Harare Sports Club
Netherlands v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club

Friday, 23 June
Sri Lanka v Oman, Queen’s Sports Club
Scotland v UAE, Bulawayo Athletic Club

Saturday, 24 June
Zimbabwe v West Indies, Harare Sports Club
Netherlands v Nepal, Takashinga Cricket Club

Sunday, 25 June
Sri Lanka v Ireland, Queen’s Sports Club
Scotland v Oman, Bulawayo Athletic Club

Monday, 26 June
Zimbabwe v USA, Harare Sports Club
West Indies v Netherlands, Takashinga Cricket Club

Tuesday, 27 June
Sri Lanka v Scotland, Queen’s Sports Club
Ireland v UAE, Bulawayo Athletic Club

Thursday, 29 June
Super 6: A2 v B2, Queen’s Sports Club

Friday, 30 June
Super 6: A3 v B1, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: A5 v B4, Takashinga Cricket Club

Saturday, 1 July
Super 6: A1 v B3, Harare Sports Club

Sunday, 2 July
Super 6: A2 v B1, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: A4 v B5, Takashinga Cricket Club

Monday, 3 July
Super 6: A3 v B2, Harare Sports Club

Tuesday, 4 July
Super 6: A2 v B3, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: 7th v 8th Takashinga Cricket Club

Wednesday, 5 July
Super Six: A1 v B2, Harare Sports Club

Thursday, 6 July
Super Six: A3 v B3, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: 9th v 10th Takashinga Cricket Club

Friday, 07 July
Super Six: A1 v B1, Harare Sports Club

Sunday, 09 July
Final, Harare Sports Club

අයර්ලන්තය, ස්කොට්ලන්තය, ඕමානය, එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්‍යය සමඟින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ‘බී’ කාණ්ඩයට ඇතුළත් විය.

ලෝක කුසලාන සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරඟ

1996 ජූනි 18 සිට ජූලි 9 දක්වා සිම්බාබ්වේහිදී පැවැත්වෙන ICC පිරිමි ලෝක කුසලාන ක්‍රිකට් සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගය සඳහා 1996 ශූර ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ‘බී’ කාණ්ඩයට ඇතුළත් කර ඇත.

ICC විසින් අඟහරුවාදා තීරණාත්මක සති තුනක තරඟාවලියේ සවි කිරීම් හෙළිදරව් කරන ලද අතර, ශ්‍රී ලංකාව B කාණ්ඩයේ භයානක ප්‍රතිවාදීන්ට මුහුණ දීමට සිදු වන අතර, දිවයින ජාතිය අයර්ලන්තය, ස්කොට්ලන්තය, ඕමානය සහ එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්‍යයට එරෙහිව තරඟ කිරීමට නියමිතය.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සුපර් ලීග් ශ්‍රේණිගත කිරීම්වල 10 වැනි ස්ථානයට පත්ව ඇත – බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව්වන්ට වඩා එක් ස්ථානයක් පිටුපසින් – ලෝක කුසලානයේ සෑම සංස්කරණයකටම සහභාගී වීමේ විශිෂ්ට වාර්තාවක් ඔවුන් පවත්වා ගැනීම සහතික කිරීම සඳහා සිම්බාබ්වේ හි පළමු-දෙකක් අපේක්ෂා කරනු ඇත.

මෙවර අයිසීසී පිරිමි ක්‍රිකට් ලෝක කුසලානයේ ස්ථානයක් වෙන්කර ගැනීමට නම් දසුන් ශානකගේ චෝදනා උපරිමයෙන් තිබිය යුතු අතර, කණ්ඩායම් 10කින් සමන්විත තරගාවලියේ ඉහළම කණ්ඩායම් දෙකට පමණක් ඉන්දියාවේ පැවැත්වෙන ඕවර 50 ප්‍රදර්ශන සඳහා ප්‍රවේශ පත්‍රයක් ලැබේ. වසර අවසානයේ.

අනෙක් අතට, බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව්වන් තරඟාවලියේ සත්කාරක සිම්බාබ්වේ, යුරෝපීය පැත්ත නෙදර්ලන්තය, නැගී එන ආසියාතික රාජ්‍යයක් වන නේපාලය සහ දිනෙන් දින දියුණු වෙමින් පවතින එක්සත් ජනපදය සමඟ A කාණ්ඩයට ඇද ඇත.

බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව් කණ්ඩායමද ලෝක කුසලානයේ වාර 12ටම සහභාගී වී ඇති අතර සිම්බාබ්වේ මේ දක්වා තරඟාවලි 9කට සහභාගී වී ඇති සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරඟාවලියේ මීළඟ සාර්ථකම කණ්ඩායමයි.

නේපාලය, ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය සහ ඕමානය කිසි විටෙක ලෝක කුසලානයට පිවිසී නැති අතර සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගයේ පළමු ස්ථාන දෙක හරහා ඔවුන්ගේ පළමු පැමිණීම වෙන්කරවා ගැනීමට බලාපොරොත්තු වේ.

සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ වටයේ කාණ්ඩ අදියරේදී සෑම කණ්ඩායමක්ම තරග හතරක් ක්‍රීඩා කරනු ඇති අතර, සෑම කාණ්ඩයකින්ම ඉහළම කණ්ඩායම් තුන පසුව සුපර් සික්ස් අදියර දක්වා ඉදිරියට යයි.

එක් එක් කාණ්ඩයෙන් පහළම ස්ථාන දෙකට එරෙහිව ලබා ගන්නා ලකුණු හැර කාණ්ඩවල ජයග්‍රහණය කරන සියලුම ලකුණු සුපර් සික්ස් අදියර වෙත ගෙන යනු ලැබේ.

පසුව කණ්ඩායම් සුපර් සික්ස් අදියරේදී ප්‍රතිවාදී කණ්ඩායමේ පාර්ශ්වයන්ට එරෙහිව තවත් තරග තුනකට ක්‍රීඩා කරනු ඇති අතර, සුපර් සික්ස් අදියර අවසන් වන විට පළමු කණ්ඩායම් දෙක ලෝක කුසලානයට සහ සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ අවසන් තරගයට ජූලි 9 වැනිදා හරාරේ හි ස්ථානයක් ලබා ගනී.

සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ සවි කිරීම්

ජුනි 18 ඉරිදා
සිම්බාබ්වේ සහ නේපාලය, හරාරේ ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය
බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව් සහ ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය, තකාෂිංග ක්‍රිකට් සමාජය

ජුනි 19 සඳුදා
ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්‍යය අතර, ක්වීන්ස් ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය
අයර්ලන්තය සහ ඕමානය, බුලවායෝ මලල ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය

ජුනි 20 අඟහරුවාදා
සිම්බාබ්වේ සහ නෙදර්ලන්තය, හරාරේ ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය
නේපාලය සහ ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය, තකාෂිංග ක්‍රිකට් සමාජය

ජූනි 21 බදාදා
අයර්ලන්තය සහ ස්කොට්ලන්තය, ක්වීන්ස් ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය
Oman v UAE, බුලවායෝ මලල ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය

ජුනි 22 බ්‍රහස්පතින්දා
බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව් සහ නේපාලය, හරාරේ ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය
Netherlands v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club

ජූනි 23 සිකුරාදා
ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ ඕමානය, ක්වීන්ස් ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය
Scotland v UAE, බුලවායෝ මලල ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය

ජුනි 24 සෙනසුරාදා
සිම්බාබ්වේ සහ බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව්, හරාරේ ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය
Netherlands v Nepal, Takashinga Cricket Club

ජුනි 25 ඉරිදා
ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ අයර්ලන්තය, ක්වීන්ස් ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය
ස්කොට්ලන්තය සහ ඕමානය, බුලවායෝ මලල ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය

ජුනි 26 සඳුදා
සිම්බාබ්වේ එදිරිව ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය, හරාරේ ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය
බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව් සහ නෙදර්ලන්තය, තකාෂිංග ක්‍රිකට් සමාජය

ජුනි 27 අඟහරුවාදා
ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ ස්කොට්ලන්තය අතර, ක්වීන්ස් ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය
අයර්ලන්තය සහ එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්‍යය, බුලවායෝ මලල ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය

ජුනි 29 බ්‍රහස්පතින්දා
සුපිරි 6: A2 v B2, Queen’s Sports Club

ජූනි 30 සිකුරාදා
සුපිරි 6: A3 v B1, Queen’s Sports Club
තරගය: A5 v B4, Takashinga Cricket Club

ජූලි 1 සෙනසුරාදා
සුපිරි 6: A1 v B3, හරාරේ ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය

ජූලි 2 ඉරිදා
සුපිරි 6: A2 v B1, Queen’s Sports Club
තරගය: A4 v B5, Takashinga Cricket Club

ජූලි 3 සඳුදා
සුපිරි 6: A3 v B2, හරාරේ ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය

අඟහරුවාදා, ජූලි 4
සුපිරි 6: A2 v B3, Queen’s Sports Club
තරඟාවලිය: 7th v 8th Takashinga Cricket Club

බදාදා, ජූලි 5
සුපර් සික්ස්: A1 v B2, හරාරේ ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය

බ්රහස්පතින්දා, 6 ජූලි
Super Six: A3 v B3, Queen’s Sports Club
තරගය: 9 වැනි සහ 10 වැනි තකාෂිංග ක්‍රිකට් සමාජය

ජූලි 07 සිකුරාදා
සුපර් සික්ස්: A1 v B1, හරාරේ ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය

ජූලි 09 ඉරිදා
අවසාන, හරාරේ ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය

அயர்லாந்து, ஸ்காட்லாந்து, ஓமன், ஐக்கிய அரபு எமிரேட்ஸ் ஆகிய நாடுகளுடன் இலங்கை அணி ‘பி’ பிரிவில் இடம்பிடித்துள்ளது.

உலகக் கோப்பை தகுதிப் போட்டிகள்

ஜூன் 18 முதல் ஜூலை 9 வரை ஜிம்பாப்வேயில் நடைபெறவுள்ள ஐசிசி ஆடவர் உலகக் கோப்பை தகுதிச் சுற்றில் 1996 சாம்பியன்களான இலங்கை அணி ‘பி’ பிரிவில் இடம்பிடித்துள்ளது.

ஐசிசி செவ்வாயன்று முக்கியமான மூன்று வார போட்டிகளுக்கான போட்டிகளை வெளிப்படுத்தியது, குழு B இல் இலங்கை கடினமான எதிரிகளை எதிர்கொள்ளும், தீவு நாடு அயர்லாந்து, ஸ்காட்லாந்து, ஓமன் மற்றும் ஐக்கிய அரபு எமிரேட்களுக்கு எதிராக விளையாட திட்டமிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சுப்பர் லீக் தரவரிசையில் இலங்கை 10வது இடத்தைப் பிடித்தது – மேற்கிந்தியத் தீவுகளுக்குப் பின் ஒரு இடம் – மேலும் உலகக் கோப்பையின் ஒவ்வொரு பதிப்பிலும் பங்கேற்று சிறந்த சாதனையைத் தக்கவைத்துக்கொள்வதை உறுதிசெய்ய ஜிம்பாப்வேயில் முதல் இரண்டு இடங்களைப் பிடிக்கும்.

இந்த ஆண்டு ஐசிசி ஆடவர் உலகக் கோப்பையில் இடம் பிடிக்க வேண்டுமானால், தசுன் ஷனக்கவின் குற்றச்சாட்டுகள் சிறந்ததாக இருக்க வேண்டும், 10 அணிகள் கொண்ட போட்டியில் முதல் இரண்டு அணிகள் மட்டுமே இந்தியாவில் 50 ஓவர் ஷோகேஸுக்கான டிக்கெட்டைப் பெறுகின்றன. ஆண்டின் இறுதியில்.

மறுபுறம், மேற்கிந்தியத் தீவுகள் குழு A இல் போட்டியை நடத்தும் ஜிம்பாப்வே, ஐரோப்பிய அணி நெதர்லாந்து, வளர்ந்து வரும் ஆசிய நாடான நேபாளம் மற்றும் எப்போதும் முன்னேறி வரும் அமெரிக்காவுடன் சமநிலையில் உள்ளன.

மேற்கிந்தியத் தீவுகளும் உலகக் கோப்பையின் அனைத்து 12 பதிப்புகளிலும் பங்கேற்றுள்ளன, அதே நேரத்தில் ஜிம்பாப்வே தகுதிச் சுற்றில் இன்று வரை ஒன்பது போட்டிகளில் பங்கேற்று வெற்றிகரமான அணியாக உள்ளது.

நேபாளம், அமெரிக்கா மற்றும் ஓமன் ஆகிய நாடுகள் உலகக் கோப்பைக்கு ஒருபோதும் முன்னேறவில்லை, மேலும் தகுதிச் சுற்றில் முதல் இரண்டு இடங்களைப் பெறுவதன் மூலம் தங்கள் முதல் தோற்றத்தை பதிவு செய்ய விரும்புகின்றன.

தகுதிச் சுற்றின் குழுநிலையின் போது ஒவ்வொரு அணியும் நான்கு போட்டிகளில் விளையாடும், ஒவ்வொரு குழுவிலிருந்தும் முதல் மூன்று அணிகள் சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ் நிலைக்கு முன்னேறும்.

ஒவ்வொரு குழுவிலிருந்தும் கீழே உள்ள இரண்டு புள்ளிகளுக்கு எதிராகப் பெறப்பட்ட புள்ளிகளைத் தவிர, குழுக்களில் வெல்லும் அனைத்து புள்ளிகளும் சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ் நிலைக்கு கொண்டு செல்லப்படும்.

சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ் கட்டத்தின் போது அணிகள் எதிரணி குழுவில் உள்ள அணிகளுக்கு எதிராக மேலும் மூன்று போட்டிகளில் விளையாடும், சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ் கட்டத்தின் முடிவில் முதல் இரண்டு அணிகள் உலகக் கோப்பையிலும், ஜூலை 9ஆம் தேதி ஹராரேயில் நடக்கும் தகுதிச்சுற்று இறுதிப் போட்டியிலும் இடம் பெறும்.

தகுதி நிலைகள்

ஞாயிறு, 18 ஜூன்
ஜிம்பாப்வே v நேபாளம், ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
வெஸ்ட் இண்டீஸ் எதிராக அமெரிக்கா, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்

திங்கள், 19 ஜூன்
இலங்கை மற்றும் ஐக்கிய அரபு எமிரேட்ஸ், குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
அயர்லாந்து v ஓமன், புலவாயோ தடகள கிளப்

செவ்வாய், 20 ஜூன்
ஜிம்பாப்வே v நெதர்லாந்து, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
நேபாளம் v அமெரிக்கா, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்

புதன், 21 ஜூன்
அயர்லாந்து v ஸ்காட்லாந்து, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
ஓமன் VUAE, புலவாயோ தடகள கிளப்

வியாழன், 22 ஜூன்
வெஸ்ட் இண்டீஸ் v நேபாளம், ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
நெதர்லாந்து எதிராக அமெரிக்கா, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்

வெள்ளிக்கிழமை, 23 ஜூன்
இலங்கை V Oman, Queens Sports Club
ஸ்காட்லாந்து v UAE, புலவாயோ தடகள கிளப்

சனிக்கிழமை, 24 ஜூன்
ஜிம்பாப்வே வெஸ்ட் இண்டீஸ், ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
நெதர்லாந்து v நேபாளம், தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்

ஞாயிறு, 25 ஜூன்
இலங்கை மற்றும் அயர்லாந்து, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
ஸ்காட்லாந்து எதிராக ஓமன், புலவாயோ தடகள கிளப்

திங்கட்கிழமை, 26 ஜூன்
ஜிம்பாப்வே எதிராக அமெரிக்கா, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
வெஸ்ட் இண்டீஸ் v நெதர்லாந்து, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்

செவ்வாய், 27 ஜூன்
இலங்கை மற்றும் ஸ்காட்லாந்து, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
அயர்லாந்து V UAE, புலவாயோ தடகள கிளப்

வியாழன், 29 ஜூன்
சூப்பர் 6: A2 v B2, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்

வெள்ளிக்கிழமை, 30 ஜூன்
சூப்பர் 6: A3 v B1, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
பிளேஆஃப்: A5 v B4, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்

சனிக்கிழமை, 1 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் 6: A1 v B3, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்

ஞாயிறு, 2 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் 6: A2 v B1, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
பிளேஆஃப்: A4 v B5, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்

திங்கள், 3 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் 6: A3 v B2, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்

செவ்வாய், 4 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் 6: A2 v B3, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
பிளேஆஃப்: 7வது எதிர் 8வது தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்

புதன், 5 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ்: A1 v B2, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்

வியாழன், 6 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ்: A3 v B3, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
பிளேஆஃப்: 9வது v 10வது தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்

வெள்ளிக்கிழமை, 07 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ்: A1 v B1, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்

ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை, 09 ஜூலை
இறுதி, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்

Cricket

Gary Kirsten Sets Ambitious Plans for Sri Lanka Cricket

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Sri Lanka’s newly appointed head coach, Gary Kirsten, has outlined his vision for the national team, emphasizing consistency, depth, and adaptability as key pillars for success. Speaking to Wisden Cricket, Kirsten shared his thoughts on the challenges ahead and the roadmap he hopes to build with the players.

“Our goal is to move significantly up the rankings. Everyone wants to be part of a winning team, and that means we must focus on achieving victories more consistently,” Kirsten said.

He highlighted the unique challenge faced by subcontinental teams: performing well outside their home conditions. With the ICC World Cup approaching, Kirsten stressed the importance of preparing for South African conditions.

“It’s vital that we adapt to those environments, especially with a major tournament around the corner,” he noted.

Kirsten’s primary ambition is to establish stability within the system while also identifying the squad’s depth.

“How many players are competing for the same position? As an international coach, creating competition within the team is crucial. Relying on just two or three individuals for wins is a risky strategy,” he explained.

Looking ahead, Sri Lanka will play several bilateral series, which Kirsten sees as an opportunity to strengthen the foundation of the team.

“My focus in the coming months is to build a strong background that supports long-term success,” he added.

Earlier Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed the appointment of Gary Kirsten as the new head coach, succeeding Sanath Jayasuriya, who stepped down following the recently concluded T20 World Cup

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Cricket

Afghanistan’s White-ball Series against Sri Lanka officially postponed

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The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announces that the Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka bilateral series, originally scheduled to commence on 13 March in the United Arab Emirates, has been rescheduled to the last quarter of 2026 due to logistical challenges, including flight constraints arising from the ongoing regional situation.

The series, which was to mark the first occasion of Afghanistan hosting Sri Lanka, was scheduled to feature six white-ball matches. The three T20 International matches were planned to be staged at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 13, 15, and 17 March, followed by three One Day Internationals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on 20, 22, and 25 March.

Following the receipt of the required sanction from the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), preparations had been finalized for hosting the matches across the two venues. However, in early March, unforeseen developments created logistical constraints that affected travel arrangements and operational planning for the series.

To address the situation, the Afghanistan Cricket Board held a series of consultations with key stakeholders, including the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), Sharjah Cricket Stadium (SCS), and Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS). A joint meeting convened by the ACB on 4 March resulted in a recommendation to monitor the situation and reassess by 6 March, in the hope that conditions would improve. A subsequent follow-up meeting on 7 March recommended waiting until 9 March before making a final determination.

Despite the collective efforts of all parties to proceed with the event as planned, the logistical challenges remained beyond operational control, leading to the decision to postpone the series and explore rescheduling options.

Throughout this process, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) was kept fully informed, and the decision to postpone the series was made in consultation and with the consent of Sri Lanka Cricket.

The preferred venue for the rescheduled series remains the United Arab Emirates, and the new dates will be announced in due course following further coordination between the respective boards and stakeholders.

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Cricket

Gary Kirsten Appointed as Head Coach of Sri Lanka National Men’s Team

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Sri Lanka Cricket has officially announced the appointment of Gary Kirsten as the new head coach of the national men’s team, effective from 15 April 2026. His tenure will run for two years, concluding on 14 April 2028.

Kirsten, a former South African international cricketer, brings with him a wealth of coaching experience and a distinguished playing career. Between 2008 and 2011, he served as head coach of the India men’s national team, guiding them to victory in the 2011 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. He later took charge of the South Africa men’s national team from 2011 to 2013, during which South Africa rose to become the number one ranked team across all formats.

Most recently, Kirsten worked as a consultant with Cricket Namibia during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, further expanding his global coaching footprint.

As a player, Kirsten represented South Africa from 1993 to 2004, amassing 14,087 international runs across Tests and ODIs. His record includes 21 Test centuries and 13 ODI centuries, cementing his reputation as one of South Africa’s most reliable batsmen.

Sri Lanka Cricket has emphasized that Kirsten’s appointment is part of a broader initiative to revamp the National High Performance Center. His primary responsibility will be to prepare and lead the Sri Lanka National Men’s Team in their campaign for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

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