Pakistan could play Lanka in Zimbabwe

Reliable sources say Pakistan are considering Zimbabwe as one of several options to host the home series against Sri Lanka later this year.

Pakistan has been facing the ignonimy of international boycott since March 2009, when militants launched an attacked on the Sri Lankan team, killing eight people and wounding seven visiting players.

Ever since, Pakistan have played home series in England, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Once bitten, twice shy! Sri Lanka have categorically informed that they will not visit Pakistan for the series of three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match in October-November. However, they say that Pakistan are welcome to play in their own stadiums.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Nadeem Sarwar, Zimbabwe might be chosen as the neutral venue.

“Yes, we are considering the option of playing Sri Lanka in Zimbabwe, where we can make a profit because of low costs there,” Sarwar told AFP.

Last month, PCB said that it was still looking into the possibility of conducting the series in Sri Lanka and the UAE.

Sri Lanka have also offered to host Pakistan’s series against England next year.

England, who last toured Pakistan in 2005, are not keen on travelling to Pakistan considering poor security in the troubled country, where Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants are blamed for near daily bomb attacks.

Foreign teams started to refuse to tour Pakistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks, which triggered the US-led invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan, the war on Al-Qaeda and a sharp deterioration in security.

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Lanka cricket cash-strapped post WC

Reports say Sri Lanka Cricket has sought help from the Government and banks to meet the huge expenses incurred during the World Cup.

SLC treasurer Sujeewa Rajapakse was of the view that unlike India and Bangladesh, Sri Lanka had to work on its venues from scratch.

Rajapakse confirmed that the richest sports body in the country has sought grant from the Government and the country's leading banks.

Sri Lanka, along with India and Bangladesh, were the co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup.

The initial cost for the building of the new venue in President Mahinda Rajapaksa's hometown, Hambantota, and renovating other two venues in Colombo and Kandy was estimated at 3.5 billion Sri Lanka rupees (approximately 14 crore Indian rupees).

By the end of the construction, though, the cost had exceeded the said amount.

The Daily Mirror recently said that the government had agreed to help SLC with a grant of 325 million Lankan rupees.

The newspaper also reported that the Board is also struggling to pay salaries to workers as a result of the debt.

While SLC has already held a few rounds of discussions with the Government and the sports minister on how to settle the crisis, the ICC, according to BBC Sinhala, said venue construction is a matter of the host Board.

"There is a hosting fee based on the number of matches that a particular member stages. We do not discuss the details of that agreement," an ICC spokesman said.

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Lanka cricket cash-strapped post WC

Reports say Sri Lanka Cricket has sought help from the Government and banks to meet the huge expenses incurred during the World Cup.

SLC treasurer Sujeewa Rajapakse was of the view that unlike India and Bangladesh, Sri Lanka had to work on its venues from scratch.

Rajapakse confirmed that the richest sports body in the country has sought grant from the Government and the country's leading banks.

Sri Lanka, along with India and Bangladesh, were the co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup.

The initial cost for the building of the new venue in President Mahinda Rajapaksa's hometown, Hambantota, and renovating other two venues in Colombo and Kandy was estimated at 3.5 billion Sri Lanka rupees (approximately 14 crore Indian rupees).

By the end of the construction, though, the cost had exceeded the said amount.

The Daily Mirror recently said that the government had agreed to help SLC with a grant of 325 million Lankan rupees.

The newspaper also reported that the Board is also struggling to pay salaries to workers as a result of the debt.

While SLC has already held a few rounds of discussions with the Government and the sports minister on how to settle the crisis, the ICC, according to BBC Sinhala, said venue construction is a matter of the host Board.

"There is a hosting fee based on the number of matches that a particular member stages. We do not discuss the details of that agreement," an ICC spokesman said.

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Dilshan applauds Sri Lanka display

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan was happy his players consigned their Cardiff nightmare to the past as they closed in on England's first-innings score at Lord's.
Sri Lanka were 372 for three at the end of play on Day Three.

Heading into the second npower Test 1-0 down in the series after collapsing to 82 at the SWALEC Stadium, Sri Lanka showed no hangover as Dilshan led the way with 193.
He told Sky Sports 1: "We had to forget what happened at Cardiff, we had to come strong here and we had to do our job.
"As a captain I'm really happy that we batted really well after Cardiff where we got out in 25 overs. I'm really happy with the way the boys have batted."
Dilshan admitted he had been itching to join other Sri Lankan greats on the Lord's honours board.
"I said this Test match it might be my name would go on the board and it's happened," he said. "I'm really happy."
With the rain wiping out half the day's play, Sri Lanka's charge towards a first-innings lead was halted.
"If it didn't rain we might be past England's score, then we could get some runs on Monday," he said. "But we can still get a 100/150-run lead.
"It's a good challenge for us in these conditions against the taller boys. We're really enjoying batting in the middle."
Dilshan appeared to injure his thumb shortly before going off but he revealed it was nothing too serious.
"The thumb is okay," he said. "There's no fracture. Last year I got a fracture on the same spot. Now it's bruises.