Sri Lanka Tour To South Africa 2011

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Sri Lanka Squad For Tests
Tillakaratne Dilshan(C), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Nuwan Pradeep, Dilhara Fernando, Rangana Herath, Mahela Jayawardene, Dimuth Karunaratne, Suranga Lakmal, Ajantha Mendis, Tharanga Paranavitana, Thisara Perera, Thilan Samaraweera, Kumar Sangakkara, Kaushal Silva, Lahiru Thirimanne, Chanaka Welegedara

South Africa Squad For Tests
Graeme Smith (C), AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, Marchant de Lange,Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Vernon Philander, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph,Dale Steyn

 

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Matches will be live on ten hd.

 

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Injured Suranga Lakmal out of Test series

Suranga Lakmal, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, has been ruled out of the Test series in South Africa because of an ankle injury. He joins Shaminda Eranga, Nuwan Kulasekara and Dhammika Prasad, who were not considered for the tour, on the list of injured fast bowlers.

Sri Lanka's chairman of selectors, Duleep Mendis, said a replacement was not named for Lakmal. "We are hopeful that by the time the first Test ends at Centurion on December 19, one of the inured fast bowlers would be fit to fly to South Africa and replace Lakmal," Mendis said.

Sri Lanka play three Tests in South Africa, where they have never won a Test, followed by a five-ODI series. The first Test starts at SuperSport Park on December 15.
Source:Cricinfo

 

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Ajantha Mendis included in Test squad for SA

Ajantha Mendis has been included in Sri Lanka's 16-man Test squad for the tour of South Africa in December ahead of the offspinner Suraj Randiv. There was no place for the experienced batsman Thilan Samaraweera, who continues to be ignored after having been axed for the Pakistan series as well.

The squad also includes fast bowler Dilhara Fernando - who last played a Test on the England tour - in place of the injured Dhammika Prasad. Fernando, Chanaka Welegedara, Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal complete the Sri Lanka pace attack with Rangana Herath the second spinner.
Source:cricinfo

 

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Thread made sticky.

 

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Marsh comes under fire

Sri Lanka's Australian cricket coach Geoff Marsh has drawn criticism after the team's loss to Pakistan in the recent Test and ODI series in the UAE with media reports here stating that he was more focused on his son Shaun's progress in the Aussie team.

In a piece titled ‘Geoff in Marshland' in the Daily News and its sister Sinhalese language Dinamina, Marsh has been slammed after Sri Lanka's dismal showing against Pakistan in the recent Test series.

“Team sources said Marsh was not concerned about boosting the morale of the team when Sri Lankan batsmen were returning to the dressing room in quick succession as wickets tumbled at regular intervals. Instead he was fully focused on the first Test in Cape Town where Australia was shot out for 47,” the report said.

Marsh took over the Sri Lankan job after his compatriot Trevor Bayliss left at the end of the World Cup in April.
Newspaper:The Hindu, 1st Dec

 

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Sports Minister asks SL players to shape up

Sri Lanka's Sports Minister has told the nation's cricketers to start talking to each other to help end the losing streak.

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage met the players, selectors and administrators on Tuesday to find a solution ahead of next month's Test and one-day tour of South Africa.

“It was revealed that the main reason why the national cricket team had failed to perform was due to miscommunication between the team, the selectors and the coaches,” the ministry said in a statement.“It was discussed in detail the importance and the necessity for captain Tillakaratne Dilshan to maintain sound communications with the selection committee and coach (Geoff Marsh).”

The players were allowed to “openly and freely” discuss matters with the minister, the statement added.

Sri Lanka has failed to win Test and one-day series in its last three encounters in England, at home against Australia and in the United Arab Emirates against Pakistan.
Newspaper:The Hindu, 1st Dec

 

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South Africa cricketers condemn Sri Lanka salary delay

South Africa's cricketers have lent their support to the Sri Lanka players, who have not been paid their salaries for eight months, saying it was a credit to the Sri Lanka team that they had kept going but the issue needed to be resolved soon. South Africa are set to host Sri Lanka for three Tests and five ODIs, but Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers, the Test and ODI captain respectively, chose to speak out against the Sri Lankan board, who have withheld their players' salaries due to a severe financial crunch.

"We want to show our support for Tillakaratne Dilshan and our fellow professional cricketers from Sri Lanka on this issue," Smith said in a South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) release. "It is far from ideal that the Sri Lankan team is about to start a tough Test series and ODI series here in South Africa without having been paid any of their remuneration for the last eight months."

Sri Lanka Cricket is waiting on payments of around US$ 4.3 million from the ICC for co-hosting the World Cup, but that will only arrive after the ICC complete their audit and the ICC have said it is SLC's responsibility to pay their players. "In this age of professionalism in cricket this kind of thing should not be happening," de Villiers said. "It's a credit to the players that they've kept playing for their country since March despite all of this. We hope it gets sorted out soon."
Source:Cricinfo

 

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Will enjoy underdog tag in SA, says Jayawardene

Veteran batsman Mahela Jayawardene felt that Sri Lanka will enjoy the underdog tour on their forthcoming tour of South Africa. Sri Lanka will play South Africa A at Benoni on December 9 before the first of three Tests at Centurion starting December 15.

"When you are playing away from home and with the unit we have, we will be tagged as underdogs," he said. "I think it's a good way to go to South Africa. Expectations of us are going to be lower after the way we performed in the last three Tests (against Pakistan in the UAE).

"Even when we went into the last two World Cups [2007 and 2011] we were not the clear favourites. We came from behind and did what needed to be done." Sri Lanka are yet to win a Test this year and have lost three series -- away to England, at home to Australia and against Pakistan in the UAE -- by the same scoreline: 0-1.

The only way we can react is by performing and showing him what a good side we are. Everyone has the right to their own opinion," he said. Sri Lanka have lost six of the seven Tests they have played in South Africa, and Jayawardene expected this tour to be difficult too.
Newspaper:Mid Day, 5th Dec

 

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Former SA selector says it's time to experiment

South Africa should use the upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka to deepen their pool of international players, according to the former national selector Hugh Page. Sri Lanka travel as the underdogs - not only do they have the historical disadvantage of never recording a Test win in South Africa, but their current form is dismal - they have not managed one Test victory this year. Page sees it as a chance to blood fringe players ahead of a year which includes tours to New Zealand, England and Australia.

"If you are going to give guys an opportunity, this is the series to do it," Page told ESPNcricinfo. "South Africa currently have a very healthy situation, the nursery is full. But, they don't want a situation where when some of the old guys go; you have five or six totally new players."
Source:Cricinfo