Saif Hasan eyes opening spot as Bangladesh begin training for Sri Lanka Tests

Bangladesh team started their preparation for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka on Thursday after completing their three-day room quarantine in Negombo quarantine center. Visitors were allowed to take part in the practice session after twice testing negative for COVID-19 following their arrival in Sri Lanka on April 12. Tourists are expected to play an intra-squad practice game scheduled on April 17-18 at CMC, Katunayake before the team management finalizes the final squad for the Test. Bangladesh have brought along additional bowlers with the squad as the home board will not be providing any net bowlers for their practice sessions. Test opener Saif Hasan, who missed to make a cut in the playing XI against West Indies at home recently despite an injury to Sadman Islam, is looking to make his way back through a good performance in the practice game. The right handed batsman added that though he did not play against the West Indies he was brimming with confidence following his stint with Bangladesh A against Ireland Wolves and in the National Cricket League, country's traditional first-class competition. Saif scored a century against Ireland Wolves in the five-match one-day series (120) while he carried on the form in the NCL as well, making 235 runs in four innings for Dhaka Division that includes a century (127) and a fifty. ''Naturally when you are scoring runs there is a confidence and I think my batting preparation was top notch along with my fitness and though I did not play matches (against West Indies) but had good practice session in the national nets,'' said Saif. ''Later, I had played a very good series against the Ireland Wolves and before coming here, I had a good preparation in the NCL. So I am carrying the confidence and if I get a chance, I will try to capitalize it,'' he said. ''The practice match ahead of us is very important for us, as it is the sole opportunity for us to get used with the condition,'' he said. ''We are expected to get a full idea about how the wicket is going to act through playing the practice match and we need to cash-in the knowledge that we earned from the practice game regarding the condition and the wicket in the Test matches,'' he said. Bangladesh chief selector Minhajul Abedin told Cricbuzz on Thursday that their biggest challenge at the moment is to adapt with the hot and humid weather but added that they had a good practice in the opening day. ''The hot and humid weather is our biggest challenge but we are happy with the preparation,'' said Minhajul. ''I think bringing the extra bowlers are helping us as we practiced all our own as there were no net bowlers and all those stuff but players looked really boost up to take the challenge against Sri Lanka,'' he said. The first Test will be played from April 21-25 while the second game will be held from April 29-May 3, with both games to be played in Pallekele.

Dushmantha Chameera withdraws from SL Test squad due to personal reasons!

Dushmatha Chameera played a key role in the last Test series in West Indies Sri Lanka fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has withdrawn from the current Sri Lanka Test squad due to a personal family reason, it is understood. Team sources revealed that Chameera had been in the squad which was to announced by Wednesday (14). Sri Lanka’s probable Test squad for the Bangladesh series: Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Dasun Shanaka, Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Roshen Silva, Dhananjaya De Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Vishwa Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Asitha Fernando, (Dushmantha Chameera), and Praveen Jayawickrama

Nissanka’s emergence forces Mendis on the sidelines

Batsman Kusal Mendis has been forced to wait longer to earn a recall to the national Test side after the new national selectors decided to give him an extended break from international cricket. The 26-year-old right-hander who missed the West Indies series has been dropped for the two-match home series against Bangladesh starting on Wednesday in Pallekele. Highly rated Mendis has been through a lean patch since Sri Lanka returned to action following the COVID-19 enforced long break, scoring just 27 runs off six innings including four ducks in a row. The selectors want the former Prince of Wales skipper to prove himself in white-ball cricket before being considered for the longer format. “He is an important player we have but we do not want to bring him straight into the Test side after his recent horrid run with the bat,” explained chief selector Pramodya Wickremasinghe. “What we thought was to phase out his return to the side.” Mendis’s return to the side has also been affected by the performance of Pathum Nissanka who has had a series to remember in the West Indies. The diminutive batsman enjoyed his maiden outing in the middle joining an elite group of players who scored a ton on debut and then a half century in the next game helping Sri Lanka achieve a rare Test series draw in the Caribbean. “Even then, it won’t be easy for him to find a place in the side. Pathum (Nissanka) has had a terrific series and even Oshada Fernando played well. So it’s good to see these guys are putting pressure on the seniors now,” he added. Mendis, who made his Test debut in 2015 has played some of the greatest knocks the world has seen. His match winning 176 against Australia at Pallekele was a career defining moment that earned much admiration from the cricketing fraternity for his iron resolve shown at a very young age. But lack of consistency has been his biggest issue in recent years. In 2019, he played 16 Test innings but managed only two half centuries. He had a good start to the 2020 season hitting a century and half century against Zimbabwe but with the pandemic stalling all sporting activities, his performance too had taken a toll…

Sri Lanka Cricket launches an Online Series of ‘Coaching Masterclass’

Sri Lanka Cricket’s Coach Education Unit is delighted to announce the launch of its brand-new online Coaching Masterclass Series, which is now available through the Coach Education App of the SLC. The Coaching Masterclass Series forms a key part of the SLC’s Coach Education programs, launched digitally to develop the knowledge of Cricket Coaches, spread across the country. The new series offers a diverse range of text and audio video-based materials, which can be accessed by coaches of all levels by clicking https://www.teamapp.com/clubs/530855?_webpage=v1 The App is tailor-made to work either on the Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile Devices. The ‘Coach Education App’ of Sri Lanka Cricket, launched during the year 2020 to educate the cricket coaches via virtual, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, has become a central portal to learn the art of coaching and gain vital knowledge and skills. The new Coaching Masterclass Series covers ‘Core skill Areas’, presented by the Coaches and Coach Educators of Sri Lanka Cricket’s High-Performance Center. The subject areas consist of mental skills development, game sense coaching, and player-centered coaching, and skill development. The Coach Education App releases content on a monthly basis, thus expanding the resources available within ‘Skill Videos’ and ‘Coaching Resources,’ to ensure that coaches are kept abreast with new information. “We’re excited to launch the new Coaching Masterclass Series, which I am sure, will benefit the coaches, immensely, as this program can be followed at their own time and space,’’ said Heshan De Mel, Head of Coach Education at Sri Lanka Cricket.

SLC launches an inquiry into media reports over alleged brawl involving national player

Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the initiation of an inquiry to ascertain the validity of certain media reports which cited that a national player was involved in a brawl during a recent function held at a hotel in the Southern part of the Island. The Management Committee of the SLC wishes to stress that the discipline of the National players will be strictly monitored, and stern action will be taken against any individual in the event of proven misconduct on disciplinary grounds. For this purpose, a new Code of behaviour applicable to the players has been promulgated by Sri Lanka Cricket, which will be enforced from the time, the new contract becomes effective. – Ends –

Muralitharan stable after being hospitalised for cardiac treatment

Muttiah Muralitharan was admitted to a hospital in Chennai on Sunday (April 17) morning for cardiac treatment. Last heard, the Sri Lanka's cricket legend is doing fine and is totally out of danger. According to Sunrisers Hyderabad officials, Muralitharan went for a check-up and on the advice of the doctors he got himself treated immediately. The 49-year-old Lankan, the record holder of highest Test wickets with 800 scalps, is a mentor of the Sunrisers Hyderabad team. "He had consulted doctors in Sri Lanka over blockage in his heart before coming for the IPL. He was initially told there was no need for any stents but at the Apollo Hospital here in Chennai, he was advised angioplasty. He immediately got it done," Shanmuganathan, the CEO of the Sunrisers, told Cricbuzz on Sunday night . "He is very much fine and he should back in the ground in a few days." Muralitharan was at the Chepauk when Sunrisers played Mumbai Indians on Saturday, incidentally his 49 birthday.