Category: Sports

NEW DELHI, March 5, 2011 (AFP) – Torrential rain washed away defending champions Australia’s World Cup clash with Sri Lanka on Saturday, just as the eagerly awaited encounter between the fierce rivals was coming to the boil. Sri Lanka had made 146-3, with skipper Kumar Sangakkara hitting an unbeaten 73, when Colombo’s R. Premadasa stadium, […]

DHAKA, March 4, 2011 (AFP) – Angry Bangladesh fans stoned the West Indies bus on Friday after the home team crashed to a humiliating nine-wicket defeat in the cricket World Cup. Two windows of the bus were smashed as it was leaving the Sher-e-Bangla stadium after the match in what police claimed was a case […]

SYDNEY, March 5, 2011 (AFP) – Former Australian Test umpire Darrell Hair still has doubts about Sri Lankan star Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling action, more than a decade after he called him for chucking, a report said Saturday. Hair, who called Muralitharan for throwing in 1995, said he felt that some of the Sri Lankan legend’s […]

March 4, 2011 (AFP) – Defending champions Australia insist they have a plan to tackle Sri Lanka’s record-breaking Lasith Malinga in Saturday’s mouth-watering World Cup clash. The co-hosts are considering playing all their three spinners — Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath — but Australia captain Ricky Ponting said his team is braced for […]

NEW DELHI, March 3, 2011 (AFP) – Captain Shahid Afridi saved Pakistan from following England into the World Cup dunces corner with a nerveless display of leg-spin to shatter Canada’s hopes of a famous triumph on Thursday. Just a day after Ireland had clinched a record-breaking win over England, Canada were dreaming of a similar […]

March 3, 2011 (AFP) – Australian captain Ricky Ponting is confident his side can deal with Sri Lanka’s spin attack and their devastating pace spearhead Lasith Malinga when the sides meet on Saturday. The Group A match in Colombo will be a repeat of the controversial 2007 World Cup final when Australia won by 53 […]

March 2, 2011 (AFP) – History-making Lasith Malinga played down his landmark second World Cup hat-trick, insisting that his famous four wickets in four balls against South Africa in 2007 was a greater achievement. The 27-year-old seamer’s trademark collection of yorkers and toe-crushers helped him to a career-best 6-38 as Sri Lanka beat Kenya by […]

March 2, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s cricket authorities on Tuesday angrily denied allegations of match-fixing made against two of their players in their World Cup defeat to Pakistan. State television channel ITN speculated over whether Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera may have “changed the game” by getting out cheaply. The station added a local […]

March 1, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s former skipper Mahela Jayawardene is reportedly considering suing a state-run television network for hinting he may have helped fix a World Cup match against Pakistan. Many Sri Lankan players have been investigated by the International Cricket Council over match-fixing in the past. Jayawardene, who lost his middle stump […]

February 26, 2011 (AFP) – Pakistan beat a powerful Sri Lankan side on Saturday for their second World Cup win, sending out an ominous statement of intent to their rivals as Bangalore geared up for the India-England showdown. A sell-out crowd of 35,000 packed the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo to witness the much-anticipated Group […]

February 27, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara said the loss of Mahela Jayawardene and opener Tillakaratne Dilshan at a crucial stage of the match against Pakistan was a key factor in his team’s defeat. Pakistan held their nerve to record a narrow 11-run win over the fancied home team in Colombo, leaving […]

February 27, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara has urged his team not to panic after slipping to defeat against Pakistan, as he looks to get their World Cup campaign back on track with victory over Kenya on Tuesday. “We have Kenya next, followed by Australia, so we will look back on the […]