Category: Sports

February 24, 2011 (AFP) – Pakistan will look to blunt Lasith Malinga and wily off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in their Group A encounter against Sri Lanka on Saturday, with captain Shahid Afridi confident of a win. Co-hosts Sri Lanka, champions in 1996, and 1992 winners Pakistan are off to flying starts in the tournament with convincing […]

February 24, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka want to win the World Cup as a farewell trophy for legendary spinner and world record holder Muttiah Muralitharan who will retire from international cricket after the tournament. The spinner, who holds the records for Test (800) and one-day wickets (521), is playing his fourth and final World […]

HAMBANTOTA, February 23, 2011 (AFP) – Pakistan’s cricketing isolation could end in October if Sri Lanka, who were targeted in a deadly terror attack in Lahore two years ago, agree to tour the troubled country. Sri Lankan officials said Wednesday they were in talks with the International Cricket Council’s Pakistan Task Team (PTT) to explore […]

NEW DELHI, February 20, 2011 (AFP) – New Zealand crushed Kenya Sunday in an embarrassingly one-sided World Cup mismatch and joint hosts Sri Lanka destroyed Canada on a sobering day for the minnows of the game. Kenya were beaten by 10 wickets after being dismissed for just 69 — their lowest ever World Cup total […]

HAMBANTOTA, February 21, 2011 (AFP) – Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said his team was looking forward to their first real test in the World Cup against Pakistan after crushing Canada in their opening match. Jaywardene gave the 1996 champions a flying start with an 80-ball century to help his team to a solid […]

HAMBANTOTA, February 20, 2011 (AFP) – Hambantota, where 3,000 people died in the 2004 tsunami, welcomed the World Cup on Sunday, the latest morale-boosting step for the ambitious Sri Lankan coastal city. The stadium where Sri Lanka were due to tackle Canada is named after president Mahinda Rajapakse, who hopes the facility will go a […]

HAMBANTOTA, February 20, 2011 (AFP) – Canada coach Pubudu Dassanayake spiced up Sunday’s World Cup clash with Sri Lanka by accusing the hosts of damaging their practice sessions at the new Hambantota stadium. “I wouldn’t have complained because of the occasion. But it happened to us twice and no one bothered to help us,” claimed […]

HAMBANTOTA, February 20, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka made 332-7 off their 50 overs in the World Cup Group A clash against Canada at the new Mahinda Rajapakse Stadium on Sunday. Mahela Jayawardene scored 100 – the fourth fastest century in the history of the tournament – while captain Kumar Sangakkara (92) and Tillakaratne Dilshan […]

DHAKA, February 19, 2011 (AFP) – The opening game of the World Cup Saturday sees a huge security operation swing into action designed to prevent any repeat of the deadly 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team that still haunts the sport. Around 20,000 members of Bangladesh’s elite paramilitary force the Rapid Action Battalion and […]

NEW DELHI, February 18, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s chief selector Aravinda de Silva has spoken of his tough decision in omitting fellow 1996 World Cup winners Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas from the squad. De Silva scored 107 not out and took 3-42 as Sri Lanka beat Australia by seven wickets in the 1996 […]

Feb 18, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s police has announced they will deal firmly with anyone sporting a flag pole at any of the world cup venues As far as the police is concerned, anyone with any musical instrument is a kill joy. They will be quickly banished from the games. Even pens, pencils, and […]

NEW DELHI, February 17, 2011 (AFP) – 8. 2-6-7-3. Those are not the bowling figures of Australian leg-spin wizard Shane Warne or Pakistani fast bowling great Wasim Akram, but of a one-time tennis player in a World Cup match. Kenyan left-arm spinner Aasif Karim, who also represented his country in the Davis Cup, was 39 […]