News

The winners of the prestigious ICC Awards of the Decade

Published

5 years ago

January 1, 2021

Editor

The winners of the prestigious ICC Awards of the Decade including the Rachel Heyhoe-Flint for Best Female Player and Sir Garfield Sobers for Best Male Player, were announced simultaneously across all ICC Digital channels, as well as the Star Sports Network, on Monday, December 28.

හොඳම කාන්තා ක්‍රීඩිකාව සඳහා රේචල් හෙයිහෝ-ෆ්ලින්ට් සහ හොඳම පිරිමි ක්‍රීඩිකාව සඳහා ශ්‍රීමත් ගාෆීල්ඩ් සොබර්ස් ඇතුළු දශකයේ කීර්තිමත් අයිසීසී සම්මාන උළෙලේ ජයග්‍රාහකයින් සියලු අයිසීසී ඩිජිටල් නාලිකා මෙන්ම ස්ටාර් ස්පෝර්ට්ස් ජාලය හරහා එකවර ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කරන ලදී.

சிறந்த பெண் வீரருக்கான ரேச்சல் ஹேஹோ-பிளின்ட் மற்றும் சிறந்த ஆண் வீரருக்கான சர் கார்பீல்ட் சோபர்ஸ் உள்ளிட்ட தசாப்தத்தின் மதிப்புமிக்க ஐ.சி.சி விருதுகளின் வெற்றியாளர்கள் அனைத்து ஐ.சி.சி டிஜிட்டல் சேனல்களிலும், ஸ்டார் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் நெட்வொர்க்கிலும் ஒரே நேரத்தில் டிசம்பர் 28 அன்று அறிவிக்கப்பட்டனர்.

Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade – Virat Kholi

Virat Kohli, who had scored 20,396 runs in all international cricket during the time period, which is more than anyone else, was also part of team India that won the ICC CWC 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013. He was also named ICC Cricketer of the Year in both 2017 and 2018, so it was no surprise that he emerged as the clear jury favorite with winning the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade.

Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade – Ellyse Perry

Australia cricketer Ellyse Perry on Monday swept the ICC awards to be crowned the best women’s player of the past decade. Perry was unveiled as the winner of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade, while also claiming both the ODI and T20I Cricketer of the Decade awards.

ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Decade – Steve Smith

Australia’s Steve Smith has been named the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Decade, having established himself as one of the best Test batsmen since Don Bradman. Australia’s Steve Smith has been named the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Decade, having established himself as one of the best Test batsmen since Don Bradman.

ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade – Virat Kholi

Kohli took home both the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade and the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade. Kohli’s potential was evident as far back as in 2008, when he led India to a win in the ICC under-19 World Cup in 2008. He is nominated for the ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Decade award

ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade – Ellyse Perry

Australia’s Ellyse Perry has been named the ICC’s women’s cricketer of the decade, with Steve Smith winning the men’s Test player of the decade award. Perry took the overall honour and was also acclaimed as the ICC’s ODI and Twenty20 female player of the decade

ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade – Rashid Khan

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has been named as the ICC Men’s T20I Player of the Decade. Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has been named as the ICC Men’s T20I Player of the Decade. He has an incredible record to date in the format, having amassed 89 wickets in 48 games, at an average of just 12.62.

ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade – Ellyse Perry

ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade – Kyle Coetzer

Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer and Kathryn Bryce honoured with the ICC Associate Player of the Decade awards. Scotland internationals Kyle Coetzer and Kathryn Bryce have been announced as the ICC’s Associate Player of the Decade.

ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade – Kathryn Bryce

Kathryn Bryce (born 17 November 1997) is a Scottish cricketer who plays for the Scotland women’s cricket team. In December 2020, Bryce was named the ICC Associate Cricketer of the Decade

ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade – MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni has won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade following a fan vote, for his decision to recall Ian Bell after a controversial run out in the 2011 Nottingham Test between England and India. The incident won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award in 2011

Cricket

Wanindu Hasaranga Faces Inquiry After Missing Mandatory Fitness Test

Published

18 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka’s premier leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga is under scrutiny after failing to attend a scheduled fitness test, raising fresh concerns over compliance with national selection standards.

Sources within Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed that selectors have formally escalated the matter to the High Performance Center, overseen by Jerome Jayaratne, along with senior board officials. The incident has drawn attention due to SLC’s increasingly strict enforcement of fitness protocols.

Hasaranga, who missed Sri Lanka’s campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year with a hamstring injury, is believed to have fully recovered. Despite this, he has yet to complete the mandatory fitness assessment required for national selection and overseas participation.

Under SLC’s revised policy, centrally contracted players must meet defined fitness benchmarks before receiving clearance to compete in franchise tournaments such as the Indian Premier League.

The situation is particularly significant given Hasaranga’s recent signing by the Lucknow Super Giants during the mini-auction for his base price of INR 2 crore.

Thushara Ruled Out, Pathirana Awaiting Clearance

In a related development, Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Thushara has been ruled out of the upcoming IPL season after failing to meet fitness requirements.

Thushara reportedly did not pass his initial fitness test and was granted a second opportunity, which he also missed. As a result, SLC declined to issue him the required NOC, effectively ending his participation hopes.

Despite being injury-free and available to bowl, Thushara is understood to have fallen short of the board’s prescribed fitness standards. He had been signed by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru for approximately INR 1.6 crore and was expected to bolster their pace attack.

Meanwhile, young pacer Matheesha Pathirana remains in contention but is yet to complete his fitness test. Officials indicate he is likely to join his IPL franchise once he clears the required assessments. Pathirana had previously been sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
IPL 2026 Underway

The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League officially commenced on March 28 and is scheduled to run through the end of May, with franchises finalizing their squads amid strict fitness and regulatory oversight from national boards.

Football

Late heartbreak ends Sri Lanka’s semi-final hopes

Published

2 days ago

March 28, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka’s journey at the SAFF U-20 Championship 2026 came to a dramatic and painful end after a last-gasp goal handed Bhutan a 1-0 victory in their decisive group-stage clash in Malé, Maldives.

With a place in the semi-finals on the line, the match carried high stakes for both sides. Sri Lanka entered the contest knowing only a positive result would keep their campaign alive, and they responded with a disciplined and energetic performance. The young Sri Lankan side showed composure in defense while attempting to build attacking momentum against a well-organized Bhutan team.

Chances, however, were at a premium. Sri Lanka managed to create a few half-opportunities but were unable to convert, as the Bhutanese defense held firm. As the match wore on, tension grew, with both teams aware that a draw would not be enough to secure progression.
Just as it seemed the game would end in stalemate, Bhutan struck a decisive blow in stoppage time. Forward Dhendup Gyeltshen capitalized on a momentary lapse in the Sri Lankan defense to score in the 90+2 minute, silencing hopes of a late turnaround and sealing all three points for his side.

Cricket

Sri Lanka U19 Women’s Team Set for Australia Tour 2026 Tri-Nation Series

Published

3 days ago

March 27, 2026

Editor

The Sri Lanka Under-19 Women’s Cricket Team is set to tour Australia in April 2026 for an exciting tri-nation series that will also feature England. This tour represents an important opportunity for the young Sri Lankan players to gain international exposure and compete against strong opposition in both limited-overs formats. The team is scheduled to depart on 3rd April 2026 and will play a total of six matches during the tour, including two 50-over games and four T20 matches.

The series will begin on 7th April 2026 with a 50-over match against England at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane, starting at 9:30 AM. Sri Lanka will then face Australia in another 50-over encounter on 8th April 2026 at the same venue and time. The action will shift to the Gold Coast for the T20 leg of the tour, where Sri Lanka will meet England on 12th April 2026 at Bill Pippen Oval at 9:00 AM, followed by a match against Australia on 13th April 2026 at the same ground and time. The final phase of the tour returns to Brisbane, with Sri Lanka playing England on 17th April 2026 and Australia on 18th April 2026 in two early morning T20 matches at Ian Healy Oval, both starting at 5:30 AM.

Match Schedule
•⁠ ⁠7th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs England (50-over)
Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 09:30 AM
•⁠ ⁠8th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs Australia (50-over)
Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 09:30 AM
•⁠ ⁠12th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs England (T20)
Bill Pippen Oval, Gold Coast – 09:00 AM
•⁠ ⁠13th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs Australia (T20)
Bill Pippen Oval, Gold Coast – 09:00 AM
•⁠ ⁠17th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs England (T20)
Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 05:30 AM
•⁠ ⁠18th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs Australia (T20)
Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 05:30 AM