Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka

Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka in Pakistan 2008-09 Sri Lanka focussed on Jayawardene farewell Thilan Samaraweera: ready to give Mahela Jayawardene a good farewell as Sri Lankan captain © AFP   Ahead of a two-day match before the Test series begins, Thilan Samaraweera reckons Sri Lanka have had no problems adjusting to conditions in Pakistan. This tour marks the end of Mahela Jayawardene's tenure as captain and Samaraweera said Sri Lanka would give "100%" for him. "The weather was brilliant in Sri Lanka, though a bit humid, but in Karachi at the moment the weather is lovely," he said. "This heat is OK, last time we were in Karachi it was 38 or 40, but this heat is perfect for us. A lot of our players are playing in our domestic season and I think we are well prepared for the Test matches." Samaraweera said Sri Lanka would use this tour as an opportunity to seal a win for Jayawardene in his final series in charge. "Everyone knows his record as a captain is brilliant and I think we will give a good farewell to him as a captain," said Samaraweera. "This is a very important series we are playing after two years. In 2006 we last played against them [Pakistan] in Sri Lanka and we are looking forward to the series." Inconsistent performances cost Samaraweera his place after the tour to England in 2006. He played one of two Tests in Australia in November 2007 but cemented his place again with a half-century and a hundred during the West Indies trip in early 2008. Samaraweera followed up his 125 in Port of Spain with another ton, his seventh hundred, against India later last year before three half-centuries against Bangladesh. "I played very good Test cricket for my country over the last 12 months," he said. Samaraweera said Pakistan were a tough side to beat, especially at home, and singled out Danish Kaneria as a threat. The first Test in Pakistan starts on February 22 and the second on March 2. Sri Lanka won the three-ODI series in Pakistan 2-1 last month.

Cricket-Sri Lanka v India third one-day international scoreboard

COLOMBO, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Scoreboard after India beat Sri

Lanka in the third one-day international on Tuesday.

 India innings  V. Sehwag run out                     116  S. Tendulkar lbw b Fernando             7  G. Gambhir run out                     10  Y. Singh c Kapugedera b Muralitharan  117  M. Dhoni not out                       35  S. Raina st Sangakkara b Mendis         9  Y. Pathan not out                      59  Extras (nb-3 w-7)                      10  Total (five wickets, 50 overs)        363

 Fall of wickets: 1-9 2-24 3-245 4-265 5-278.

 Did not bat: Z Khan, P Kumar, P Ojha, I Sharma.

 Bowling: Kulasekara 10-0-68-0 (1-w), Fernando 8-0-63-1 (3-nb), Maharoof 7-0-68-0 (3-w), Mendis 9-0-64-1 (1-w), Muralitharan 10-0-60-1 (2-w), Jayasuriya 6-1-40-0.

 Sri Lanka innings   T. Dilshan b Z Khan                    31  S. Jayasuriya b Kumar                   0  K. Sangakkara c Y Singh b Ojha         83  M. Jayawardene c Sehwag b Kumar        30  T. Kandamby c Y Singh b Sehwag         10  C. Kapugedera b Ojha                    2  F. Maharoof c Gambhir b Ojha           22  N. Kulasekara c Tendulkar b Y Singh     3  M. Muralitharan c Dhoni b Ojha          0  A. Mendis not out                       8  D. Fernando run out                    19  Extras (lb-3 w-5)                       8  Total (all out, 41.4 overs)           216

 Fall of wickets: 1-7 2-51 3-118 4-132 5-139 6-184 7-189 8-189 9-189

 Bowling: Z Khan 8-1-44-1 (2-w), Kumar 7-0-41-2 (2-w), Sharma 5-0-35-0, Ojha 10-0-38-4, Sehwag 7-0-30-1 (1-w), Y Singh 3.4-0-14-1, Tendulkar 1-0-11-0.

 Result: India won by 147 runs

 Series: India have an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five match series.

Match
Date
Competing Teams
Time
Venue
1st ODI
28 January
Wednesday
Sri Lanka vsIndia
10:00 local, 04:30 GMT
Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
2ndODI
31 January
Saturday
Sri Lanka vsIndia
14:30 local, 09:00 GMT
R Premadasa Stadium,Colombo
3rdODI
3 February
Tuesday
Sri Lanka vsIndia
14:30 local, 09:00 GMT
R Premadasa Stadium,Colombo
4th ODI
5 February Thursday
Sri Lanka vsIndia
14:30 local, 09:00 GMT
R Premadasa Stadium,Colombo
5th ODI
8 February Sunday
Sri Lanka vsIndia
10:00 local, 04:30 GMT
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground,Colombo
T20
10 February Tuesday
Sri Lanka vsIndia
18:00 local, 12:30 GMT
R Premadasa Stadium,Colombo

News 2009

Dilshan to captain Sri Lanka in twenty20 match

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka selected Tillakaratne Dilshan as captain on Tuesday for a twenty20 match against India next week.

Several regular players will be rested for the match. Test and one-day captain Mahela Jayawardene, wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara and spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis were omitted by Sri Lanka Cricket for next Tuesday's match.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga was recalled to the 15-man squad after being out for almost a year due to injury.

Sri Lankan selectors have also dropped out-of-form opener Michael Vandort for a two-Test tour of Pakistan, calling up uncapped 26-year-old batsman Tharanga Paranavitana, who has scored 4,833 runs in 78 first-class matches at an average of more than 43.

Suranga Lakmal, an uncapped 21-year-old pace bowler, has also been named to tour Pakistan. The first Test will be played from Feb. 22-26 and the second from March 2-6.

FACTBOX-Cricket-Muttiah Muralitharan factbox

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Factbox on Sri Lanka off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who equalled the world record for most wickets in one-day internationals on Tuesday.

* Aged 36, born Apr. 17 1972, in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Made his test debut in 1992 v Australia in Colombo. Has been the linchpin of Sri Lankan bowling, including the upset one-day World Cup triumph in 1996.

* Holds the world record for most test wickets, 769 from 125 tests.

* Was called for throwing by Australian umpire Darrell Hair in 1995, triggering a continuing debate about the legality of his unusual action. Was called again on a 1998-99 tour of Australia but was cleared of any wrongdoing after scientific tests proved his action was legal.

* Broke West Indian Courtney Walsh's world record of 519 test wickets in 2004 before injuries forced him to take an extended break from the game. Lost his world record to Shane Warne later that year but reclaimed it in 2007 after the Australian leg-spinner retired with 708 test wickets.

* Muralitharan also holds the world record for most 10-wicket hauls in a test match (22) and five-wicket hauls in an innings (66).

* Had Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh caught to go past retired Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram's one-day world record of 502 wickets in the third game of the home series on Tuesday.