Sri Lankan Cricket News

Compiled by Dinesh Weerawansa

2 August 1996


* Arjuna Ranatunga, the only surviving member of Sri Lanka's inaugural Test team in 1982, is tipped to retain his captaincy for the four-nation Singer World Series which will comm- ence in Colombo later this month.

Ranatunga first captained the national team in 1988 in Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh when regular skipper Ranjan Madugalle was injured. Since then Ranatunga has held the reins throughout but had several broken sequences.

* A member of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board's executive committee is claiming Rs. one million damages from the Nondescripts Cricket Club.

The said Ex-co member has filed action in the District Court of Colombo on July 26 citing 'unlawful expulsion' from the club. The NCC expelled him as a member of the club when he was alleged to have gone against the mandate taken by the club with reg- ard to electing the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka at the annual general meeting held in March this year.

(Abroad):

* Zimbabwe cricket team is undergoing a stren- uous training camp in Harare in preparations for their forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka for the four-nation Singer World Series and two -Test series against Sri Lanka.

World Cup champions Sri Lanka will play their opening match of the second four-nation Singer World Series limited-over cricket tournament when they meet India under lights at the R.Pre- madasa Stadium on August 28. The curtain-raiser of the tournament will also be a night game between World Cup runner-up Australia and Zimbabwe at the same venue on August 26.

The four participating teams - defending champions India, host Sri Lanka, Australia and Zimbabwe play each other once on a league basis with the top two sides qualifying to play in the fin- al on September 7. Then, Zimbabwe will stay back to play two Tests against Sri Lanka, their first ever Test series on Sri Lankan soil.

* The visiting Pakistan team will play a three -day game against Durham at Cheter-le-street starting on Saturday before the second Test against England.

Pakistan, who won the first Test at Lord's last week,are expected to retain the same team for the second Test which starts in Headingley on Thursday. But the visitors will gave opportuniti- es to their freshers in the three-day game.

Pakistan takes a 1-nil lead in the three-Test series and the third and final Test will be played at the Oval from August 22.


Source: The Daily News

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Date-stamped : 25 Feb1998 - 18:57