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Mahela flies in as replacement for sidelined Aravinda

Singhalese Sports Club cricketer, Mahela Jayawardene yesterday left for Australia following an SOS from the Sri Lankan team management in Australia calling for a replacement for the injury sidelined Aravinda de Silva.

De Silva has been sidelined following a recurring hamstring to his left leg while trying to crease when Sri Lanka batted in a warm up match against an Australia 'A' XI on Friday.

Sri Lanka faces England in their first engagement tomorrow Monday the 11 in the second of the day-night championship at Brisbane.

De Silva, who was hospitalised pending an X-ray to his leg, has been ruled out of Sri Lanka's first two matches.This has been a big setback to Sri Lanka's tour hopes in the three cornered Day-Night One-Day Carlton and United Championships. England is the other participating country.

Mahela Jayawardene is a right hand batsman whose career best is 161 against New Zealand in a Test match at home last year. However, since then, Jayawardene has not really come to grips with his batting at international level. Especially in the one-day game he is yet to impress. What saw him as a replacement to de Silva is a comeback to form in the current domestic club scene having struck a handsome century last week.

REFLECTIONS
Sri Lanka to miss Aravinda's services?

by Srian Obeyesekera
The recurrence of a pulled hamstring to Aravinda de Silva's leg in the ongoing Carlton and United Triangular One-Day cricket Series in Australia which he first sustained in Sharjah has cast a doubt as to his availability.It is understood that he might have to miss the entire series if his left leg which got affected again during Sri Lanka's third warm-up match against an Australian 'A' XI takes long to heal.

Following the torn. hamstring in Aravinda's foot which he first experienced in Sharjah,de Silva's availabilty for the Australian tour was in doubt.He was required to pass a fitness test.Subsequently,he got the selectors nod.However, the question is if de Silva had not fully recovered why is it that the selectors included him for the Aussie tour?As it is the Sri Lankan star batsman has aggravated his hamstring and his availability in the near future could be very much in doubt.In the event,even if he does recover-he has definitely been ruled out for the first two one-dayers-it would not be a fully fit Aravinda de Silva and this could be a big setback to Sri Lanka.For de Silva is Sri Lanka's star batsman which he underlined by top scoring for Sri Lanka with two half centuries in two of the three warm up matches. His unavailability is a big setback to the side more so in view of the fact that the Lankan batsmen have been struggling so far on the tour with the only other worthwhile contributions being from Sanath Jayasuriya(46) and Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga (38).

However, these contributions are as it is mediocre considering their enormous talents which they would be required to flaunt to good measure if Sri Lanka is to live up to its World Cup status and make an impact in the current triangular series.Besides Australia,England forms the triangular which has generated much interest.More so because two of the top contenders to win the next World Cup to be staged in England this year, namely Sri Lanka and Australia, are in contention for honours.

Dharmasena victimised?
The omission of Kumar Dharmasena,from the World Cup pool is shocking considering that he was a very regular player for Sri Lanka until he was left out of the tour to Australia. Is it that the local cricket authorities have been told by the ICC that Dharmasena is chucking?Then why was it that the selectors kept faith in him so long?His omission is quite unfair by him.

B.B.C. assigns a Lankan for World Cup

By Mahinda Wijesinghe
Lucian Wijesinghe, the noted Sri Lankan cricket commentator, domiciled in England since 1971, has been assigned by the B.B.C. to cover the forthcoming World Cup scheduled to commence in England this year. Wijesinghe first worked for the B.B.C. during the World Cup in 1983.

In addition to having worked for the B.B.C., Lucian was also employed by the broadcasting authorities in the Caribbean when the Sri Lankans toured the islands in 1997. Cricket fans also would remember Lucian in full flow during the 1996 World Cup and when the Indians toured Sri Lanka in July/August 1997. Lucian has magnanimously requested that all fees due to him be donated to the National Defence Fund. A gesture appreciated by all patriotic Sri Lankans by a son of the soil who despite his emigration, almost three decades ago, did not forget his love for the land of his birth nor for the sport he adored.

Having begun his career in l971 as a commentator with the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation - as it was then known - the old Royalist who is currently visiting Australia and taking in the Triangular One-day series, will be in Sri Lanka in March to join the panel of commentators for the annual Royal-Thomian encounter.

Lanka should be well-prepared at ICC meeting

by Mahinda Wijesinghe
"The very fabric of the charm and camaraderie of the great game is being damaged due to charges of match-fixing and/or betting brought by players" declared ICC Chairman, Jagmohan Dalmiya recently. The International Cricket Council will discuss how this menace is to be eradicated at its meeting to be held in Christchurch, New Zealand, later this month. Continuing, the straight-shooting Indian cricket official said that it has caused "the utmost distress" and may even set up a commission to examine this 'murky landscape'. All cricket lovers will, no doubt, endorse this view. Even the very semblance of match-fixing, or its possibility must be eliminated. The noble game of cricket, at least what it used to be, cannot be allowed to descend to the level of fake wrestling bouts.

HOW DID THEY STRIKE THE DEALS IN SRI LANKA?
In this context, all Sri Lankans must laud the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, along with their counterparts in India and Pakistan, in calling upon all Full Members of the I.C.C to ban Australians, Mark Waugh and Shane Warne, from playing international cricket as punishment for having accepted moneys from an Indian bookmaker whilst in Sri Lanka, in 1994. That such sleazy deals have been struck on Sri Lankan soil is a matter of great concern. In fact, one wonders, as a recent Sunday newspaper commented:

"... it is even more disgusting when you pause to consider that all these dirty business deals between bookmakers and cricketers had in the main taken place on Sri Lanka soil The Australian cricketers have said so - in 1992 & 1994. In the light of this one cannot be blamed for wondering whether the Test match played between Sri Lanka and Australia in 1994, where we lost unaccountably when being well poised for victory.

The other important factor that quickly comes to one's mind is how could an overseas bookmaker, said to be from India have come to Sri Lanka during the period these matches were played and carried out brazenly his nefarious activities? Here again one cannot be blamed if he thinks that such activities in another country could not be carried out without the help of an individual or an organisation in that country."

These are valid fears. After all, if a foreign (in this case, an Indian bookmaker) is to have a 'confidential' deal with a Test player, can he (the foreign bookmaker) simply walk up to the cricketer and strike up the deal? That seams a bit far-fetched. International cricketers are not that accessible today, though, it cannot be ruled out totally, of course. Yet, as the newspaper article, quoted earlier opined, "one cannot be blamed" if one considered such activities could have been carried out without help from this end.

EVEN IN THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT
The craze for quick money is not only in cricket. It has crept into the Olympic movement as well. Meaningful steps are being currently taken to expose, and, hopefully, eradicate this menace from the pinnacle of the world's athletic movement. As stated earliar, the ICC too are hoping to come up with some sort of count measures to stem this trend. How, is the question? One possible way, is for the cricketers to declare their assets annually. After all, one cannot monitor all the movements of a cricketer and/or the bookmaker. Since the bottom line is a transfer of moneys to the cricketer, maybe, the declaration of assets of the cricketer could well be the solution.

MAJID KHAN COMMENTS ON THE DELAY
Pakistan, the country in the eye of the current whirlwind of the betting scandal, postponed naming the captain for their Indian tour starting on January 23rd. The Pakistan Cricket Board delayed warning the captain until their inquiry into allegations against players who have been involved in match-fixing and bribe-taking was over. Majid Khan, the Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board commented: "It is hoped that the inquiry is over quickly so that the Board is not put in an embarrassing situation of having to change captains." It was after all this that Wasim Akram was appointed.

DEAN JONES THROWS A CHARGE AS WELL
More allegations of alleged offers from bookies - 'We'll make you a millionaire" said one bookie, alleges the England One day skipper Hollioake, at Sharjah - are trickling in. Why now? Probably because, once the bubble bursts there is no telling where the buck stops, so, coming clean at least now may save their bacon. Whatever it is, the air stinks. Even the controversial Australian batsman Dean Jones made a statement that he was offered money by a bookie during the Sri Lankan tour in 1992.

CROWE DIDN'T BUT WAUGH AND WARNE DID
Martin Crowe also got into the bandwagon of cricketers who may have been duped by the bookies. The former New Zealand skipper states that he may have unwittingly passed on information about the weather and the pitch to bookies. "I've done hundreds of phone calls in India and Pakistan where I don't know who was on the end of the line apart from the fact he said he was a journalist from any number of papers there.... you do the standard interview - pitch, 12th man discussion and weather. I guess, if there was a bookie masquerading on the line, he'd get what he's after for free from a captain! Things like that would never cross your mind, but now it makes you think.'' The only difference here is that Warne and Waugh received money for the information they gave, whilst Crowe did not.

LIKE CEASAR'S WIFE..........
The die is now cast. Sri Lanka has taken a firm stand on this issue and clearly indicated that we are quite unequivocal on this issue. We must indicate to the world that Sri Lanka is not going to hunt with the hounds and be with the hares, and like Caesar's wife must be above all suspicion. With all these charges of bribery and match-fixing charges allegedly having taken place on Sri Lankan soil, we must attend that all-important meeting in Christchurch with clean hands and a clear conscience. It would be even relevant if the Ministry of Sports advises the Cricket Board on how best they should conduct themselves at this all-important meeting. We could be in a vulnerable position unless we are well prepared.

St. Joseph's coast to easy 10-wkt. win

by Althaf Nawaz
Poor shot selection and reckless batting by St. Benedict's batsmen saw St. Joseph's chalk up a ten-wicket victory in their inter-school cricket encounter at Darley Road yesterday.

After being skittled out for a paltry 101 in the first innings, Bens were once again bundled out for just 129 runs in their second essay. Needing just 15 runs for victory, the Josephians reached it in just 5 overs of batting.

The Bens top and middle order failed to come good as their scoreboard read like telephone numbers.

The Joes tenth wicket pair of Dinraj Fernando (22 n.o.) and Amith de S. Wijeratne (14 n.o.) frustrated the Bens bowlers with a 36-run alliance. None of the visiting bowlers were able to break the partnership and the Joes declaration came at 216 for 9 wickets, with a lead of 115 runs.

Bens in reply once again collapsed with the openers departing cheaply. Only four batsmen reached double figures with Chintaka Perera being the top scorer with 27 runs. For Joes Ishan Hettiarachchi claimed three wickets for 16. The rest of the bowlers accounted two wickets each.

This is the third successive win for the Josephians. Their earlier wins were against Kingswood and De Mazenod.

* Scores:

SJC 180 for 9 wkts. overnight (216 for 6 wkts. decl.)

(D. Fernando 22 n.o., A. de S. Wijeratne 14 n.o.)

SBC 101 and 129 all out (C. Perera 27, J. Saverimuthupulle 17, V. Fernando 22, A. Gunatilake 23, R. de Silva 2/25, I. Hettiarachchi 3/16, D. Fernando 2/14, Asanga Fernando 2/22).

CFL Super League final today

The eagerly awaited Colombo Football League's (CFL) Super League soccer championships final between Ratnam and Saunders will be played today under lights at Sugathadasa Stadium.

Saunders come to the final with a fine unblemished record having beaten Wanathamulla YSC 4-1 and Youngsters SC 7-1.

Ratnam beat Old Bens 2/1 and drew with Cooray SC 2-2. They qualified to the final on a goal difference.

The President of the Football Federation and Vice President Asian Football Confederation V. Manilal Fernando will be the chief guest.(SOS)

S. Thomas'-Ananda another draw

The Thomians, trailing by eight runs on the first innings, put up shutters in their second essay making 141 for 7 wickets as their inter-school cricket encounter against Ananda College ended in a tame draw at Mt. Lavinia yesterday.

For the hosts, it turned out to be a pale-ale display of batmanship by the top order, sans batting sensation Upeka Fernando. Wicket-keeper batsman Zakir Kanaka top scored with a hard hit 30 inclusive of 6 fours. First innings top scorer Shanaka Caldera, who missed a well deserved ton in the first innings, made 20 while Ananda off spinner Muthumudalige Puspakumara capped off a fine game by returning figures of 3 for 44 for a match bag of 6 for 75.

He also proved his prowess with the bat with a knock of 44 to help his side muster a first innings total of 197 for 9 wickets at which point Skipper Jithendra Perera effected the declaration. Former Anada Skipper and opener Lahiru Chathuranga top scored for the Maradana school with a sedate 51 which comprised five fours while Pushpakumara's 44 which came off as many balls was laced with two fours and a towering six which cleared the adjoining rail track of the Mount Lavinia grounds. For the hosts left arm leg spin duo of Suranga Peries and fresher Ravi Gunawardena had figures of 3 for 50 and 3 for 30 respectively.

* Scores:

S. Thomas' College 189 and 141/7 at close (M. Hassen 13, S, Caldera 20, Z. Kanaka 30, G. Fernando 14, D. Gunawardena 16, Naren Ratwatte 18 n.o., M. Pushpakumara 3/44, T. Kandambi 2/28)

Ananda College 89/3 contd., 197/9 wkts dec. (M. Pushpakumara 44, L. Chathuranga 51, A. Ganegama 18, E. Abeysinghe 19, S. Peiris 3/50, R. Gunawardena 3/30) - (JK)

From Russia with love

by Dhammika Ratnaweera
Courtesy 'from Russia with love',the chess sport is to be given a boost in Sri Lanka.This is a sequel to the Russian Centre in Sri Lanka setting up the Anatoly Karpov Chess Centre named after the famous grandmaster and one time world champion Anatoly Karpov.

Unlike other sports of brawn and stamina, chess is a game of the brain which grandmasters endure for days as they sometimes sit for days or even running into months, like a computer game.

Today, chess is dominated by the Russians with Gary Kasporov the current world champion. The other dominant countries in chess are Yugoslavia, Belgium, America with India also making an impact from the Asian circuit.

Currently, the Russians hold sway with Gary Kasporov the world champion. What is noteworthy is that several leading grandmasters have defected such as Boris Sparsky.

Russia and America have produced champion grandmasters. In the 1960s, America had Bobby Fischer who to date is regarded as one of the all time greats. However, the best of Fisher was not to be seen due to his controversial character with the grandmaster forfeiting his world championship crown by refusing to defend his title.

As it is Fischer is regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, grandmasters to have emerged. He is thus regarded for the dexterity with which he won in the least of time.

Meanwhile, here at home, Sri Lanka is another country in the Asian circuit where chess has a keen following although it is far behind the world of class. The sport, which has been in existence for the past 30 years, got a fillip with the Russian centre coming forward to promote the sport by the setting up of the Anatoly Karpov Chess Centre recently. The sport, which has no age limit where even children take to it at an early age, whoever, has a tremendous following. As a local livewire, Suneetha Wijesuriya the President of the Anatoly Karpov Chess Centre, sees it, building up mental fitness is very important for enthusiasts taking to the sport. A former Secretary of the Sri Lanka Chess Federation, Ms. Wijesuriya who is Sri Lanka's only gold medalist at the 30th World Chess Olympiad held in Philippines in 1987, has already introduced to locals an Independence Cup Chess Tournament.

Ms. Wijesuriya said that this championship had been mooted in the short period of only two months of the Anatoly Karpov Chess centre being formed. "We hope to promote the game at school level first. Therefore, we conducted this tournament for under - 20 age group players and it was successful with more than 300 participating", said Wijesuriya, the chief chess instructor who is also the Secretary of the Mercantile Chess Federation.

At Mercantile level, the Anatoly Karpov Chess Centre looks forward to promoting the sport among mercantile firms. Sponsorship is from Union Assurance Ltd. "There is no age limit," she said, stressing that it was very easy to learn if enthusiasts began at an early stage as school level.

In further developing chess the Anatoly Karpov Chess Centre will shortly begin coaching programmes for beginners while a library is also now available at the Russian Centre for the benefit of beginners. The Centre also intends introducing scholarships to Russia which Ms. Wijesuriya said would go a long way in furthering the sport in Sri Lanka.

FIDDLING MINUTES OF MEETINGS THE OZ WAY

by Mahinda Wijesinghe
Shane Warne and Mark Waugh - now named by some mediamen as 'Shame' Warne and 'Marked' Waugh - had been found guilty of accepting money from an illegal Indian bookie four years ago and were fined by the Australian Cricket Board. But, why in heaven's name did they cover it up? Not only that, how did they persuade Sir Clyde Walcott and the ICC to keep mum even to the Pakistani judge holding an inquiry into the issue and exclude it from the minutes of the Australian Cricket Board? There was a cute explanation given by the administrative head of the ICC, who also happens to be an Australian, and generally a respected official, David Richards. Richards intimated that the ICC had to respect the code of 'confidentiality' requested by the Australian Cricket Board in this regard. Obviously, in hindsight, it was an injudicious move and the cover-up has now become unstuck. The credibility and judgement of both the ACB and the ICC is now subject to question what with another inquiry to be held shortly.

Obviously, this incident is merely the tip of the iceberg. There will be more revelations. A question of when thieves fall out? Dean Jones the former Australian batting 'star' is the latest player who is threatening to tell all.

A DISCREET MIDNIGHT KNOCK ON THE DOOR
Of course, Warne and Waugh whilst admitting it was 'stupid and naive' to have accepted money from the bookie, insists that they only gave information about the weather and pitch conditions. Bookies are not charitable institutions, that they 'do not give money for old rope' is a saying old as the hills. They do not have to ask a cricketer about the weather - the metman's report is not a confidential document - and the pitch report given by the car-key toting Tony Greig, Ravi Shastri or Geoffrey Boycott will give that side of the story at no extra cost. Then why did a bookie offer money? Could it be the first innocent step away from a discreet midnight knock on the door of the sucker and a proposal for bigger stakes provided a prescribed match result is obtained? Or, there is another sinister possibility. That of blackmail. Unless the sucker now does not do what the bookie wants, he will tbreaten to expose the fact that he accepted money earlier.

JACK FINGLETON COMMENTS ON OFFICIALS
In other words, the act of Warne and Waugh is tainted and cannot pass muster, certainly not in the game of cricket. What is even more disconcerting is the fact of the vows of silence by both the ACB and the ICC. Obviously, they were too fearful of world opinion. No wonder, Jack Fingleton, one of Australia's noted opening batsmen who played in the Bradman era, and a gifted journalist, wrote when another fellow-opening batsman, Sid Barnes - more about this later - was badly treated: "Players put themselves, willy nilly under the lash of the barrackers and get plenty of free advice. Legislators, tucked away in their sumptuous places of privileged seclusion, should sometimes welcome what others think of them and the way they do their jobs." Though written almost ha1f a century ago, still has a ring of truth.

BOARD DISCUSSIONS ARE HELD IN SECRET
The Australian Cricket Board has had its fair share of troubles since it was formed in 1905. Possibly because most of the officials, according to noted Australian cricket historian, Jack Pollard did not possess a proper cricketing background: "Representatives of the Board's member associations are a hard-working lot, usually former district cricketers of moderate skill. It is rare to find outstanding players such as Sir Donald Bradman and Phil Ridings (who, incidentally died in September this year, aged 80. MW) ready to give the immense amount of time involved in Board membership, though Test players are often the most vocal critics of the Board... the historical irony is that despite the Board's best endeavours, the ACB does not share the universal respect of cricketers enjoyed by the MCC at Lord's. A major reason for this is that most of the Board's discussions are closed and cricket followers are rarely told

how the Board reaches its decisions." Now, that strikes a chord closer to home! And, if the Sri Lanka Cricket Board got into a soup as their Australian compatriots did on the betting scandal, the ICC would, most likely, not have "respected a request for a code of confidentiality'' from Sri Lanka. But, that is another story.

HOW SELECTORS FOUGHT UNTIL THEY BLED
Problems within the Australian Cricket Board began just a few years after its formation. In 1911, two Australian selectors, famed left-hand batsman Clem Hill (the first batsman to be dismissed for 99 in a Test, and his next two innings in the following Test were 98 & 97!) and Peter McAllister actually fought in the New South Wales Cricket Association Board Room. The occasion was when they met with the third member of the selection committee, Frank Iredale to select the Australian team to play England in the fourth Test at Melbourne. A contemporary report describing the 20-minute brawl, stated that: "McAllister rushed around the table and grappled with Hill. Locked together they swayed around the room, fighting and wrestling, spattering the room with blood, which stained the clothing of witnesses Iredale and Board secretary Sydney Smith. After 15 minutes, McAllister was on his back with Hill standing over him." Hardly events that can be recorded in the minutes of a national Cricket Board!

HOW THE ACB TREATED SID BARNES
47 years ago, the stormy petrel of Australian cricket and one of her most outstanding batsman Sid Barnes, took the Cricket Board to court when he was left out of the Austra1ian team to meet the West Indies "for reasons other than cricket". The court found in Barnes' favour and agreed that the comment was "an unjustified slur on his reputation as a cricketer and on his standing in the community." Barnes was picked by the Selection Committee but, in an unprecedented move, the Australian Board vetoed his name. As Richie Benaud recently commented: "Three members (of the Australian Cricket Board), Sir Donald Bradman, Aub Oxlade and Frank Cush voted for Barnes but the Board fiddled the minutes so that it appeared not one word of discussions had taken place at the meeting." Of course, it was done very 'constitutionally'. A motion was moved and carried that: "The approval of selections of Australian teams shall be dealt with upon a confidential basis: no minutes shall be recorded in respect thereof and no publication shall be made of the names of any names who maybe disapproved or the reasons therefor."

So, the saga of the Warne-Waugh scandal not being recorded in the minutes is not the first occasion when a material event has not been recorded in the official records of Australian cricket. And, doesn't it now stink to high heaven? A lesson Sri Lanka and other nations should learn from. After all, one day the truth will out.

Youngsters take SLTA to victory in Inter- Club Tourney

Dilshad Abeygunawardena (14) and Raveen Wijetilleke (13) gave SLTA 'I' a good start when they defeated M. W. Thabrew and Tissa Gunawardena of Orient Club in a keenly contested inter-club tennis match. Dilshad and Raveen won 7/6, 4/6, 7/6 in a match which lasted almost two hours.

A. de Abrew and Piyal Weeraman of Orient Club then teamed up to beat Sama Gunawardena and Sonali de Silva 2/6, 6/2, 6/0 to equalise at 1 each. Aung Thu Win and 10 year old Sameera Cooray played consistent tennis to beat the experienced pair Ranjith Eriygama and Dilip de silva 6/4, 7/6 to clinch the tie in favour of the SLTA (Playing Section) 2-1.

SLTA 'H' beat Panadura Sports club 'B' 2-1 in the Division 7, When Nishan Rajakaruna (13) and Dushinka Subramaniam (13) combined well to beat Hasitha de Mel and Hemantha Gurusinghe 6/4, 7/5 in the deciding match.

SLTA (Playing Section) Tennis captain Arjan Perera was confident that the SLTA would do well overall, as some of the best Junior as well as Senior players were playing for them.

Results of last weeks 1st round matches -

Division 1. SLTA A (Playing Section) beat SSC B 2-0
Division 2. SLTA B (Playing Section) beat Queens 2-1
Division 6. SLTA F (Playing Section) beat Panadura R/C 2-1
Division 7. SLTA H (Playing Section) beat Panadura Sports Club 2-1
Division 7. SLTA 1 (Playing Section) beat Orient Club 2-1
Womens Division. SLTA (Playing Section) beat Queens 2-1
Division over 65. SLTA (Playing Section) beat Otters 2-1

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