News

Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka to fight it out for 5th place

Published

3 years ago

May 27, 2023

Editor

CAVA Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup

Kyrgyzstan powered past Maldives in straight sets and Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in lopsided affairs in the classification round for 5th-8th places in the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup at NSC Covered Hall in Kathmandu, Nepal on Thursday.

Sri Lanka, who won their first game in the tournament by beating Maldives 3-0 in straight sets in the group stage, breezed past Bangladesh 25-16, 25-15, 25-7 on Thursday.

Thilini, who led Sri Lanka with 14 points in their previous match against Maldives, remained the top scorer of the team contributing 13 points. None of the Bangladeshi players scored double digits, with Sabina the highest with 5 points.

In the other match, Kyrgyzstan had already claimed their first victory in the one-week tournament following their comfortable straight-set win against Bangladesh on Wednesday and completed their campaign in the pool round-robin preliminaries as the third place in Pool A.

Contesting their 5th-8th playoff encounter against Pool B fourth-place Maldives on Thursday, Kyrgyzstan relied on powerful attacks from Kumarbekova, who top-scored with 11 points for the team in their previous match against Bangladesh.

Despite a strong challenge from the Maldivians, Kumarbekova joined forces with Kadyrova, Alizhan Kyzy, Rasulbek Kyzy and Mamatzhan Kyzy to help Kyrgyzstan pull off an impressive straight-sets 25-20, 25-20, 25-15 victory.

Kumarbekova remained a major force on the team and scored 11 points. Kadyrova added 9 points, as Alizhan Kyzy, Rasulbek Kyzy and Mamatzhan Kyzy kept good company to score 8 points apiece for the winning side. Hawwa led the Maldives with 10 points.

Following their comfortable victories on Thursday, Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka will next battle it out for 5th place, while Maldives and Bangladesh (both winless) will contest the 7th-8th playoff clash.

Cricket

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

Published

4 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Editor

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.

Cricket

Sri Lanka–Afghanistan Series Postponed Amid Regional Tensions

Published

4 days ago

March 7, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to postpone the upcoming limited-overs series against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates due to the current situation in the Middle East, sources confirmed.

The series, which was scheduled to run from March 13 to 25, included three T20 internationals in Sharjah and three ODIs in Dubai. However, growing security concerns following reports of Iranian strikes across parts of the region have forced officials to reconsider travel and hosting arrangements.

Both cricket boards are understood to be in discussions to reschedule the fixtures once conditions improve. The decision comes at a time when Sri Lanka is also focusing on strengthening its domestic fitness programme, with selectors emphasizing that physical readiness will be a key factor in future squad selections.

Cricket

Jayasuriya Hands Over Resignation as Sri Lanka Head Coach

Published

5 days ago

March 6, 2026

Editor

Cricket legend Sanath Jayasuriya has formally handed over his resignation as Head Coach of the Sri Lanka national team, following the side’s disappointing World Cup campaign.

It is learnt, the resignation was submitted on Thursday after discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva. Jayasuriya, who took charge with hopes of reviving the team’s fortunes, decided to step aside after the tournament’s poor showing.

Despite stepping down, Jayasuriya will remain involved in Sri Lankan cricket. In a significant transition, he has been assigned to lead the High Performance Centre, where he will oversee player development and the broader cricketing structure.

Sri Lanka Cricket has yet to announce a replacement for the head coach role, but officials confirmed that talks are underway to identify a candidate capable of steering the national side forward.