Category: Sports

DUBAI, November 13, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lankan batting coach Marvan Atapattu on Sunday praised the Pakistan team as one of the best in the recent past and likened their captain Misbah-ul Haq to his country’s former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga. Atapattu’s praise came after Sri Lanka were thrashed by eight wickets in the first one-day […]

SYDNEY, November 12, 2011 (AFP) – Australia was celebrating Saturday as the Commonwealth Games Federation picked Queensland’s Gold Coast to host the 2018 Games over Sri Lanka’s Hambantota. “See you in Gold Coast in 2018!!!” the federation said on Twitter, following a vote of its general assembly in the Caribbean nation of St Kitts and […]

DUBAI, November 10, 2011 (AFP) – Rival captains Misbah-ul Haq and Tillakaratne Dilshan agreed sling-action paceman Lasith Malinga could make the difference when Pakistan and Sri Lanka play their first one-day international here on Friday. The 28-year-old fast bowler, who bowls with a round-arm action is fresh from his exploits in last month’s Champions League […]

SHARJAH, November 6, 2011 (AFP) – Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took two wickets in an over to check Sri Lanka’s victory bids on the fourth day of the third and final cricket Test against Pakistan at Sharjah stadium here on Sunday. The wily-spinner dismissed Angelo Mathews (13) and Kaushala Silva (nought) in the final hour to […]

COLOMBO, November 1, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka Cricket on Tuesday included opener Upul Tharanga, and fast bowlers Dilhara Fernando and Lasith Malinga in the 15-man squad for the one-day series against Pakistan. Selectors led by former skipper Duleep Mendis made seven changes from the Test squad that is currently playing against Pakistan in the […]

ABU DHABI, October 21, 2011 (AFP) – Kumar Sangakkara put his wealth of experience on show with a pugnacious unbeaten hundred to keep Pakistan’s victory bids on hold in the first Test here on Friday. Walking into bat after Sri Lanka lost opener Tharanga Paranavitana off the very first ball of their second innings on […]

ABU DHABI, October 22, 2011 (AFP) – The first cricket Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka ended in a draw at Abu Dhabi stadium on Saturday after Kumar Sangakkara hit a match-saving 211 in his team’s total of 483. Prasanna Jayawardene scored 120. The second of three Tests starts in Dubai on October 26. Scores: […]

ABU DHABI, October 20, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka batting coach Marvan Atapattu insisted on Thursday that his team can save the first Test, despite being punished by a rampant Pakistan batting line-up. Atapattu said the pitch was not conducive for batting initially after Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq put them in. “The outfield is not […]

ABU DHABI, October 19, 2011 (AFP) – Pakistani opener Taufiq Umar on Wednesday notched up a brilliant hundred in the first Test against Sri Lanka, further cementing his place after being in the wilderness for four years. Regarded as Pakistan’s best opener when he hit a hundred in his first Test, against Bangladesh in 2001, […]

ABU DHABI, October 20, 2011 (AFP) – Pakistan continued to bat Sri Lanka out of the first Test despite losing Azhar Ali in the morning session as they extended their first-innings score to 336-2 in the first Test here on Thursday. Pakistan, resuming their first innings at 259-1 in reply to Sri Lanka’s modest 197, […]

KARACHI, October 18, 2011 (AFP) – All-rounder Shahid Afridi on Tuesday reversed his decision to retire from international cricket, saying he wanted to play for Pakistan since the chairman of the cricket board has been replaced. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari last week appointed banker Zaka Ashraf chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to […]

CHENNAI, October 9, 2011 (AFP) – Skipper Harbhajan Singh bagged three wickets to help Mumbai Indians lift the Twenty20 Champions League title with a 31-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final on Sunday. The off-spinner removed hard-hitting Chris Gayle (five), Virat Kohli (11) and Daniel Vettori (one) as Mumbai dismissed Bangalore for 108 […]