• Country’s elite domestic cricket tournament kicks-off Monday

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

After many years of trying to structure and restructure Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket to be a meaningful and competitive tournament, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), with the assistance of their Director of Coaching

Tom Moody, has put in place an almost foolproof cricket structure that should serve the game well in the future.

The new domestic season has been structured in such a manner that any cricketer wanting to play for his country has a clear idea of how he could attain that position. Called the National Super League (NSL), this will be the country’s elite domestic cricket competition of the future. The five-team NSL will be run in two formats – four-day league (for Test selection) and 50-over (for ODI selection). The T20 tournament of the NSL will be the Lanka Premier League (LPL). For selection to the national T20 side, the performances of the players in the LPL will be used as the yardstick.

“For national representation, selectors will be picking players only from the NSL so we are encouraging players to take part in the Major domestic club tournaments also. Once you play in the Major domestic club tournament you will be picked to represent in the NSL. It is a pathway to all the players,” explained Sri Lanka Cricket Tournament Committee Chairman Samantha Dodanwela.

“It is what we have been discussing for years and years. Tom Moody said that he was very happy that it is going to take place finally because for years it had not materialised. He gave full credit for managing to implement it. The other factor is the players will also be aware and know what the pathway is to get into the national side. There is a clear path for all the players to reach the top,” he said.

Dondanwela said the new concept has been approved by Sri Lanka Cricket’s Executive Committee and the tournament was ready for launching on Monday, 24 January where Galle will take on Colombo at SSC grounds, and Jaffna meet Dambulla at P. Sara Oval.

To ensure the new structure remains in place for a period of time without it being tampered with or discarded in the future by successive committees, Dodanwela said: “The idea is I want to put this to the Sports Minister. I have already spoken to the Chairman of the National Sports Council Mahela Jayawardene and want him to get it sealed at least for the next five-ten years. Similarly, the Major club system as well that has been implemented where over a period of three years the number of participating clubs in Major tournament will be reduced from 26 to 15.”

The NSL will commence with the 50-over competition where the country’s top 100 cricketers will be seen in action distributed amongst the five teams, namely Colombo, Jaffna, Galle, Kandy and Dambulla. The squads of 15 players, plus standbys for each of the teams has been picked by the national selection committee. The 50-over tournament will be followed by the NSL four-day league tournament.

There are player fees involved with all the matches. A player stands to get a minimum of Rs. 100,000 for a four-day match and around Rs. 35,000 for a 50-over game.

Squads for NSL Limited-Over Tournament                       

• Kandy: Kamindu Mendis (captain), Kamil Mishara (wk), Lasith Croospulle, Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Sahan Arachchige, Chaturanga de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne, Lahiru Kumara, Chamika Gunasekara, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Ashian Daniel, Pulina Tharanga. Standbyes: Lahiru Udara (wk), Angelo Perera, Vishwa Chaturanga, Thikshila de Silva, Lasanda Rukmal, Nipun Ransika, Sachindu Colombage.

• Colombo: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Sammu Ashan, Ashen Bandara, Lahiru Madushanka, Kalana Perera, Himesh Ramanayake, Mohomed Dilshad, Prabath Jayasuriya, Tharindu Ratnayake, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Standbyes: Krishan Sanjula (wk), Nipun Dananjaya, Nuwanidu Fernando, Roshen Silva, Sachintha Jayathilaka.

• Jaffna: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Nishan Madushka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Navod Pathiravithana, Janith Liyanage, Santhush Gunathilaka, Ishan Jayaratne, Ravindu Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Shiran Fernando, Binura Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dilum Sudheera, Standbyes: Saminda Fernando, Pramod Liyanagamage, Nipun Malinga, Kasun Madushanka, Vijayakanth Vijaskanth.

• Galle: Angelo Mathews (captain), Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Himasha Liyanage, Muditha Lakshan, Asela Gunaratne, Vishad Randika (wk), Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ramesh Mendis, Mohamed Shiraz, Kavishka Anjula, Jehan Daniel, Mahesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Nimesh Vimukthi, Standbyes: Mohammad Shamaz, Priyamal Perera, Suminda Lakshan, Akila Dananjaya.

• Dambulla: Ashan Priyanjan (captain), Minod Bhanuka (wk), Gayan Manishan, Ron Chandraguptha, Pawan Ratnayake, Sonal Dinusha, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Lasith Abeyratne, Lahiru Samarakoon, Wanindu Hasaranga, Vishwa Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Anuk Fernando, Lakshan Sandakan, Duvindu Tillakaratne, Standbyes: Sameera Sandamal, Dushan Hemantha, Amshi de Silva.

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