News
Mickey Arthur is preparing to become the head coach of the Pakistan team again
Three years after rejecting a contract extension, the PCB is keen to bring back Mickey Arthur as the head coach of the Pakistan men’s team. Current head coach Saqlain Mushtaq is set to not seek an extension when his contract expires next month, sources said.
Saqlain Mushtaq does not require an extension when his contract expires next month and the PCB also wants to move on from him.
The PCB’s new management committee, which took over last week, has decided to return to Arthur, and committee chief Najam Sethi confirms that he is in touch with Arthur. Arthur coached Pakistan between 2016 and 2019. They won the 2017 Champions Trophy and also managed to rise to No. 1 in the ICC T20I Team Rankings during his tenure.
Mickey Arthur නැවතත් පකිස්ථානු කණ්ඩායමේ ප්රධාන පුහුණුකරු වීමේ සූදානමක්
කොන්ත්රාත් දිගුවක් ප්රතික්ෂේප කිරීමෙන් වසර තුනකට පසුව, මිකී ආතර් පාකිස්තාන පිරිමි කණ්ඩායමේ ප්රධාන පුහුණුකරු ලෙස නැවත ගෙන ඒමට PCB උනන්දු වෙයි. වත්මන් ප්රධාන පුහුණුකරු Saqlain Mushtaq ඔහුගේ කොන්ත්රාත්තුව ලබන මාසයේ අවසන් වන විට දීර්ඝ කිරීමක් අවශ්ය නොවන බවට සූදානමක් පවතින බවට ආරංචි මාර්ග පවසනු ලැබීය.
Saqlain Mushtaq ඔහුගේ කොන්ත්රාත්තුව ලබන මාසයේ අවසන් වන විට දීර්ඝ කිරීමක් අවශ්ය නොවන අතර PCB හටද ඔහුගෙන් ඉදිරියට යාමට අවශ්ය වේ.
පසුගිය සතියේ භාරගත් PCB හි නව කළමනාකරණ කමිටුව ආතර් වෙත ආපසු යාමට තීරණය කර ඇති අතර, ඔහු ආතර් සමඟ සම්බන්ධ වී ඇති බව කමිටු ප්රධානී Najam Sethi තහවුරු කරයි. ආතර් 2016 සහ 2019 අතර පාකිස්තානයේ පුහුණුකරු විය. ඔවුන් 2017 චැම්පියන්ස් කුසලානය ජයග්රහණය කළ අතර ඔහුගේ පාලන කාලය තුළ ICC T20I කණ්ඩායම් ශ්රේණිගත කිරීම්වල අංක 1 දක්වා ඉහළ පැමිණීමටද හැකියාව ලැබිනි.
மீண்டும் பாகிஸ்தான் அணியின் தலைமை பயிற்சியாளராக Mickey Arthur தயாராகி வருகிறார்
ஒப்பந்த நீட்டிப்பை நிராகரித்த மூன்று ஆண்டுகளுக்குப் பிறகு, பாகிஸ்தான் ஆண்கள் அணியின் தலைமைப் பயிற்சியாளராக மிக்கி ஆர்தரை மீண்டும் கொண்டு வர PCB ஆர்வமாக உள்ளது. தற்போதைய தலைமைப் பயிற்சியாளர் சக்லைன் முஷ்டாக், அடுத்த மாதம் ஒப்பந்தம் முடிவடையும் போது, அவரது பதவி நீட்டிப்பைக் கோரப் போவதில்லை என்று வட்டாரங்கள் தெரிவித்தன.
சக்லைன் முஷ்டாக் அவரது ஒப்பந்தம் அடுத்த மாதம் முடிவடையும் போது அவருக்கு நீட்டிப்பு தேவையில்லை, மேலும் PCBயும் அவரிடமிருந்து மாற விரும்புகிறது.
கடந்த வாரம் பொறுப்பேற்ற பிசிபியின் புதிய நிர்வாகக் குழு, ஆர்தருக்குத் திரும்ப முடிவு செய்துள்ளது, மேலும் அவர் ஆர்தருடன் தொடர்பில் இருப்பதை கமிட்டித் தலைவர் நஜாம் சேத்தி உறுதிப்படுத்தினார். ஆர்தர் 2016 முதல் 2019 வரை பாகிஸ்தானுக்கு பயிற்சியாளராக இருந்தார். அவர்கள் 2017 சாம்பியன்ஸ் டிராபியை வென்றனர் மற்றும் அவரது பதவிக்காலத்தில் ICC T20I அணி தரவரிசையில் நம்பர் 1 க்கு உயர முடிந்தது.
News
Lifebouy Ball Blaster 2025 – Group B Wide Open as Royal, Aligar & Kalutara Battle for Top Spot
The race for qualification in Group B of the Lifebuoy Ball Blaster 2025 Schools Football Tournament is heating up, with three top schools still in contention for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Royal College Leads the Pack
Royal College, Colombo currently sits on top of Group B after an impressive 5-0 victory, showcasing both dominance and attacking flair. With two crucial matches left, Royal remains the favorite to finish as group leaders — but the battle is far from over.
Aligar Central’s Mixed Fortunes
Aligar Central College, last year’s runners-up and inaugural Ball Blaster champions, have had a mixed campaign so far. After one win and one narrow loss — the latter coming from an unfortunate own goal — the team still remains firmly in the race for qualification.
Kalutara Muslim Still in the Hunt
Kalutara Muslim Central College, one of the most competitive sides in this year’s tournament, has only played one game so far — securing a 1-0 win. With two matches still to play, they remain a real threat to the current table leaders.
Maris Stella Struggling for Form
Maris Stella College, on the other hand, has had a tough run, losing both their opening fixtures and conceding nine goals in the process. They will now look to finish strong and disrupt the group standings in the remaining matches.
With the Group B stage still wide open, the coming matchdays promise thrilling encounters as Royal, Aligar, and Kalutara fight for the top two quarterfinal spots in the Lifebuoy Ball Blaster 2025.
Football
Sri Lanka Climbs FIFA Rankings — But Can “Origin-Only” Strategy Deliver Long-Term Success?
Sri Lanka’s national football team has achieved a notable improvement in the latest FIFA World Rankings, marking a rare moment of positivity for the sport in the country. The team, now sitting at 193rd, has shown visible progress — yet, this rise raises important questions about the long-term future of Sri Lankan football.

Origin Players Driving Success
Out of the starting 11 players, 10 are foreign-born origin players, with only the goalkeeper captain being Sri Lankan-born. While this approach has strengthened the squad and delivered quick international results, it highlights a deeper issue — the lack of local football development and competitive tournaments at home.
In the absence of consistent domestic competitions, Sri Lanka’s international performances are being carried by overseas talent. This has sparked debate within the football community: is the FFSL relying too heavily on short-term solutions rather than investing in sustainable growth?
Absence of Local Structure
For the past few years, no major national tournaments have been held at the senior level. The lack of a structured league and proper youth pathway continues to limit opportunities for local players. Without regular match experience and grassroots exposure, emerging talent struggles to reach the international stage.
Glimpses of Hope – Lifebuoy Ball Blaster 2025 & Grassroots Push
However, there are signs of renewal. Across the country, small-scale academies tournaments are taking shape — often organized with assistance from the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL).
Among the most significant initiatives is the Lifebuoy Ball Blaster 2025 Schools Football Tournament, organised in collaboration with Sri Lankan Sports TV and the School Football Association. Although it faced early administrative hurdles with FFSL, the event was successfully negotiated and is now underway as planned, providing a crucial platform for school-level footballers to showcase their potential.
This partnership-driven approach reflects a growing understanding that grassroots and school tournaments are the foundation for long-term success. If nurtured properly, they could help produce the next generation of Sri Lankan-born football stars — reducing the dependency on foreign-origin players in the future.
The Way Forward
While the ranking rise brings optimism, experts caution that sustainable progress will only come through systematic development, transparent governance, and strong youth structures. The FFSL must focus on building a local ecosystem that nurtures homegrown talent, ensuring that the future of Sri Lankan football is not built solely on temporary fixes but on lasting foundations.
Football
Zahira College Colombo Dominate Group A — Gampola Zahira and Darussalam Battle for Second Spot
The Group A stage of the Lifebuoy Ball Blaster 2025 Schools Football Championship is heating up, with Zahira College Colombo emerging as the clear frontrunner after an unbeaten run in their first two matches. With six points and an impressive 8–2 goal difference, Zahira are well on course to top the group and secure a direct berth to the quarterfinals.
Zahira’s attacking flair and tactical balance have made them one of the most complete teams in this year’s tournament. Their consistent performances have set the tone in Group A, making them strong contenders for the overall title.
Behind them, the battle for the second qualifying spot is intensifying between Darussalam College and Gampola Zahira College. Both teams currently sit on three points each, but Darussalam have played one match more, leaving Gampola Zahira with a crucial game in hand.
Kingswood College, despite showing moments of promise, have struggled to convert opportunities into results and remain winless after three outings.
With two group matches remaining, the race for quarterfinal qualification is expected to go down to the wire. Zahira Colombo, the current Group A leader, will likely face Vaddakkachchi Central College (D2) from Group D in the knockout stage, while the second-placed team will meet Hameed Al Husseinie College (D1) — setting up thrilling contests ahead.
School | M | W | L | D | GS | GA | GD | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zahira College, Colombo | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 6 |
Gampola Zahira College | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 |
Darussalam College | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
Kingswood College | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 13 | -8 | 0 |



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