Friday Sep 20, 2024
Friday Sep 20, 2024
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By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
After all the excitement of the two Tests against Pakistan – if it can be termed that way – because Pakistan more or less dominated Sri Lanka to win both matches, the focus now turns for the next four months commencing with the Lanka Premier League 4th edition tomorrow, on a surfeit of white ball cricket culminating with the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India. Sandwiched between these two tournaments is the Asia Cup which will be hosted jointly by Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Focus of course will be on two Pakistani cricketers who recently played a big role in their Test series win over Sri Lanka – Pakistan captain Babar Azam and fast bowler Naseem Shah will appear for last year’s finalists Colombo Strikers as their overseas stars. Sri Lanka off-spinner Ramesh Mendis is the other Test player in their squad.
Other Sri Lanka Test cricketers who took part in the recently concluded series against Pakistan who will be in action with the white ball are: Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva and Sadeera Samarawickrama for Dambulla Aura, Nishan Madushka, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka for reigning champions Jaffna Kings, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis for B-Love Kandy, and Vishwa Fernando for Galle Titans.
In addition to the Test players there will be a host of other white ball cricketers both Sri Lanka and international who will be appearing for the five teams.
Sri Lanka white ball skipper Dasun Shanaka will appear for Galle Titans along with international stars Shakib Al Hasan (no. 1 ranked T20I all-rounder) and Tabraiz Shamsi, while B-Love Kandy will have Sri Lankan stars Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera and international cricketers Fakhar Zaman and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Jaffna Kings – Sri Lanka players Maheesh Theekshana, Charith Asalanka, Dunith Wellalage and Thisara Perera, international stars David Miller, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Shoaib Malik, Dambulla Aura – Sri Lanka players in the likes of Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera, Binura Fernando, Janith Liyanage, Dushan Hemantha, Praveen Jayawickrama along with international cricketers Hasan Ali, Ben McDermott and Noor Ahmed, and Colombo Strikers – Sri Lanka players Matheesha Pathirana, Chamika Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, 
Niroshan Dickwella, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwanidu Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dhananjaya Lakshan and overseas players Ifthikar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz and Wahab Riaz.
Last year’s finalists Jaffna Kings and Colombo Strikers will set the ball rolling when they front-up with each other for the curtain-raiser at the R Premadasa Stadium under lights on Sunday, commencing 7.30 p.m.
The first leg of matches at the R Premadasa Stadium will be:
31 July – Galle v Dambulla (3 p.m.) and Kandy v Colombo (7.30 p.m.)
1 August – Dambulla v Jaffna (3 p.m.) and Galle v Kandy (7.30 p.m.)
The matches will then move to the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium for the second phase.
Match Officials
