|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 11 April 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Sports |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Sri Lanka's best team will go to Zimbabwe - Aravinda by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE Sri Lanka's tour of Zimbabwe will go ahead as scheduled, despite the threat of a player-revolt to the very fabric of the African nation's cricket which has cast a cloud over the impending tour, Vice President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Aravinda de Silva, who is also a national selector, told the Sunday Observer yesterday. "There is no doubt about it, the tour is confirmed and on," said De Silva when asked whether the latest controversy, in the wake of some 14 key Zimbabwe players threatening to resign in support of their deposed captain Streak, would affect the tour. De Silva, was responding to Sri Lanka's position on the month long tour beginning on April 15 when a 16-member squad is scheduled to take wing to Zimbabwe, where though the game has been racked by internal conflict involving its captain, Heath Streak and the administration which led to his removal, triggering fears of resignation in masse of 14 players throwing solidarity behind him. "No they'll (Zimbabwe) will get some players in such an event to honour the tour. Its an ICC tour and we have to go or else they'll (ICC) will penalise us," said Aravinda who also squashed rumours that Sri Lanka would in such an eventuality not send a full strength team. "There's no two words about it we'll be sending a full strength team," he added. De Silva, the former Lankan master batsman, who quit international cricket earlier last year after the 2003 World Cup, explained that ICC penalties on a country failing to honour a tour obligation depended on the arithmetics of the nature of the tour, such as its duration and the loss of revenue.Back home, the Sri Lankan cricket officials and the cricketing public are attaching much importance to the upcoming tour as a 'building curve' in the wake of its disastrous home series against Australia. While Marvan Atapattu has been handed the overall captaincy reins of both the one-day and Test team, accentuation on young blood has interestingly seen the call up of Observer-Bata schoolboy cricketer of 2003 allrounder Farveez Maharoof and batsman Tilina Kandamby while also retaining faith in left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who played in the third Test against Australia, and paceman Nuwan Kulasekera and batsman Saman Jayantha, and of course, the expected recall from a long injury lay off of pacie Dilhara Fernando and batsman Russel Arnold who got the selectors nod having to fight his way back from the 'A' team. Sri Lanka is down to play 5 one-day international and 2 Test Matches. But the same cannot be said of Zimbabwean cricket which is in the worst throes of crisis after the row triggered by Streak wanting two selectors removed led to his sacking. The Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) has been firm, replacing Streak as captain with young exciting wicket-keeper batsman Tatenda Taibu. But the threat of 14 players quitting could be a major setback to Zimbabwe's cricket in the wake of the country losing not so long ago the services of star batsman Andy Flower and Henry Olanga who left the country to play cricket in England in disagreement with Zimbabwe's apartheid policies. The country by all accounts does not have the depth to compensate for what could be the loss of what it has which as it is has not yielded rich dividends with Zimbabwe failing to record a home series win at any level of late. The Sri Lanka squad: Marvan Atapattu (Capt.), Mahela Jayawardena (V. Capt.), Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, T. M. Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Upul Chandana, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Saman Jayantha, Nuwan Kulasekera, Rangana Herath, Tilina Kandamby, Farveez Maharoof. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
