Sri Lanka enters the Pakistani Cricketing Den

ONE = Shenai Anushka, in Sunday Times, 8 December 2019, where the title reads thus – “Sri Lanka’s gruelling test in ‘unknown’ Pakistan’

Sri Lanka’s full-strength Test team will embark on a significant tour of Pakistan today to play two matches as part of the ICC World Test Championship. Pakistan has not hosted Test cricket since the 2009 Lahore attack on the Sri Lanka team that wounded several players, staff members and killed a few security officers. The series was initially scheduled to be played in October with the most likely venue to be the UAE. However after successfully hosting the second-string Sri Lanka team in the limited-overs leg in August and September, they forced Sri Lanka Cricket to play the Test series in Pakistan.

Farewell. In Memory of Aubrey Kuruppu

ONE: Hafiz Marikar –“Former cricketer Aubrey Kuruppu dies at 74″ …. Daily News, October 2019

Former Thomian, Saracens and University cricketer Aubrey Kuruppu died suddenly in Kandy at the age of 74 yesterday. Kuruppu collapsed at the Royal Maul Restaurant where he goes for his daily cup of tea. He was rushed to the Kandy General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. A postmortem will be held today and his final rites will be decided soon after. Born in Dehiwela on March 11, 1945 Aubrey was a complete cricketer, coach, cricket writer, administrator, an umpire, match referee and an internationally reputed cricket commentator.

In the Manner Michael: Appreciative Thoughts about Michael De Zoysa

ONE = Callistus Davy  in Sunday Observer, 6 October 2019: “Michael de Zoysa: If only he could write his own lines!”

In today’s set-up where corruption, dishonestly, cheating and rouge ways hold sway in sections of Sri Lankan society and some people who boast of culture can only put on a face for the cameras, Michael de Zoysa was a cut above the rest and went to his grave on Wednesday evening like the true professional he was. Perhaps Michael de Zoyza will be able to give a better account of himself to his Creator than many others who hobnobbed with him and were no match to his integrity.

An ODE for Harry

Harry the “Hassett” as “Harry The Bat”

There once was a wee lad

Named HARRY … incarcerated

In boarding school Aloysius

A Well-Rounded New Zealand Squad head for Sri Lanka

From ESPNcricinfo staff, July 29 July 2019

New Zealand have named four spinners in their squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka which marks the beginning of the World Test Championship for both teams. Offspinner Will Somerville and left-armer Ajaz Patel are reunited after their role in helping New Zealand to their 2-1 victory over Pakistan in the UAE last year. They are joined by Mitchell Santner, who played his last Test in December 2017 before being sidelined by injury, and legspinner Todd Astle who made his debut in Colombo seven years ago.

William Somerville took New Zealand towards an unlikely win on debut Getty Images

The Spirit of Cricket

Touche! Skanda is on the Ball: Cricket is A LEVELLER

Somachandra Skandakumar

The two semi finals of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will go down in cricket history as ones that reminded us all again that this great game we call cricket which has stood the test of time is also the greatest leveller.

While more than a billion Indians reflect on opportunities missed in a dream shattered, Australia had their batting tested and bowling seriously embarrassed. It has often been debated that both losing teams have from time to time displayed  arrogance and conduct  not consistent with the spirit of the game. They were both humbled way beyond expectations.