Michael Clarke led Australia well poised for a win

Australia set Sri Lanka a target of 379 to win the first test of the three-test series here on an overcast day. With the wicket aiding bowlers, it will require all of the Sri Lankan top order to perform to eke out an unlikely draw.

Australia finished its second innings a 210, with some significant contributions from the lower order batsmen

Herath picks five

The Australian lower order put up a stiff resistance in a pitch that aided spinners. The last four wickets added over 80 runs as the Aussies went past the 200 mark with ease. Herath kept working hard from one end, unafraid to pitch it up and was rewarded aptly. This was his fifth five wickets haul in tests and he more than justified the faith that the selectors placed in him.

Left hand batsman Usman Khawaja was a changed man in the second innings of the test. He was too tentative in the first, but in the second, partnered Ryan Harris and kept the score board ticking. He looked comfortable till such time he was trapped in front by Welegedara.

The Sri Lankan plan

When Sri Lanka took the field on Day 3 of the first test against Australia here, they had a plan: restrict the Australian second innings to 140; make sure that the experienced, frontline batsmen stay long enough and don’t gift wickets to Nathan Lyon, and encourage Paranavitana to score a shade better.

“If he [Paranavitana] can manage about 40 runs for every 100 balls or so he faces, we would be better off. There would also be no pressure on batsmen at the other end,” said Rumesh Ratnayake, Sri Lanka’s coach. The other problem was Anjelo Mathews. “He has hit a [rough] patch,” conceded the coach. But the team had some ideas for him too. One was to promote him up the order and see what he could manage. The idea was to relieve him of additional pressure because of wickets falling at one end.

Ratnayake said that there was a lot of post-match review that went on following the manner in which the Sri Lankan batsmen got out in the first innings. Not one batsmen managed a 50, and the last seven wickets did not manage to add even 20 runs. “We have been talking and I hope we make amends in the second innings,” he said.

Asked if the team management erred in not picking another spinner, Ratnayake was frank: We were unable to manage with seven batsmen in the first innings. So, no, there was no such talk.

Play resumes

On Day 3, play began at 12-10 pm owing to overnight and morning rains. The sky is still overcast, but there are two more days left in the match for Australia to push for a win. For now, Sri Lanka has the unenviable task of keeping out the relentlessly probing Australian bowlers for two and a half days.

Scoreboard:

Australia (1st innings): 273 all out

Sri Lanka Batting (1st innings): T.M.Dilshan c Ponting b Copeland 4, T.Paranavitana lbw Watson 29, K.Sangakkara c Clarke b Lyon 10, M.Jayawardene (run out) 11, T.Samaraweera lbw Watson 26, P.Jayawardene lbw Watson 0, A. Mathews b Lyon 5, S.Randiv c Ponting b Lyon 9, R.Herath c Johnson b Lyon 0, S.Lakmal (not out) 2, C.Welegedara c and b Lyon 1. Extras (lb-4, nb-3, w-1) 8. Total: 105 all out in 50 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-24, 3-44, 4-87, 5-87, 6-88, 7-100, 8-100, 9-103

Australia Bowling (1st innings): Ryan Harris 8-5-6-0, Copeland 12-3-24-1, Johnson 9-1-26-0, Lyon 15-3-34-5, Watson 6-1-11-3

Australia (2nd innings): S.Watson c Samaraweera b Welegedara 0, P.Hughes lbw Dilshan 28, R.Ponting c Herath b Lakmal 4, M.Clarke c P.Jayawardene b Herath 60, M.Hussey T. Paranavitana b R.Herath 15, U.Khawaja lbw C.Welegedara 26, B.Haddin c P.Jayawardene b Herath 0, M.Johnson c P.Jayawardene b Herath 8, R. Harris c & b Herath 23, T.Copeland (not out) 23, N.Lyon c Samaraweera b Dilshan 13 Extras (b-4, lb-4, nb-2) 10. Total: 210 all out in 59.2 overs

Fall of Wickets: 1-0, 2-5, 3-61, 4-110, 5-110, 6-112, 7-130, 8-170, 9-178

Sri Lanka Bowling (2nd innings): C.Welegedara 6-3-13-2, Lakmal 8-3-23-1, R.Herath 23-3-79-5, S.Randiv 14-3-61-0, T.M.Dilshan 8.2-1-26-2.

Pak announced the itinerary for their series against Sri Lanka in UAE.

Pakistan announced the itinerary on Tuesday for their autumn series against Sri Lanka, to be played in the neutral territory of the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan have been forced to play on foreign soil since a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore two years ago shattered the global cricketing community's faith in the nation being able guarantee the safety of touring sides. Eight people died while seven Sri Lankan players and a coach were wounded in the attack, which ended already-fragile hopes of the insurgency-wracked nation hosting international cricket.

Pakistan, who have been playing their home matches in the UAE since 2008, offered to host Sri Lanka at home, but the invitation was rejected after a military base in Karachi was attacked in May this year.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play three Tests - one each in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah - while three ODIs will go ahead in Dubai and one each in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi will stage the only Twenty20 match.

Programme:

October 15 - Teams arrive in the UAE

October 18-22 - First Test - Abu Dhabi

October 26-30 - Second Test - Dubai

November 3-7 - Third Test - Sharjah

November 11 - First one-day international - Dubai

November 14 - Second one-day international - Dubai

November 18 - Third one-day international - Dubai

November 20 - Fourth one-day international - Sharjah

November 23 - Fifth one-day international - Abu Dhabi

November 25 - Twenty20 match - Abu Dhabi

Sri Lankan Lions struggled against Lyon,all out for 105

Looks like the search for a successor to Shane Warne is over. Debutant Nathan Lyon picked up five wickets on a track that was beginning to look like a bowler’s paradise, on the way to bowling out Sri Lanka for a paltry 105 on the second day of the first Test of the series here. The last four wickets added 5 runs.

After picking up a wicket off his first ball in Test cricket, Lyon ran through the Sri Lankan lower order. He had snared 5 batsmen for 34 runs: before this run, he had managed 14 wickets in first-class cricket, in a short career.

Debutant Copeland too had an eventful debut. Taking off from where he left off with the bat yesterday, Copeland joined a rare league of bowlers who got a wicket in the first over on debut. T.M.Dilshan cracked his first ball in international cricket through the covers for a boundary, as if to say ‘Hello and welcome to the Big Boys Club.’ Copeland next ball was wide outside the off-stump, inviting a repeat. Dilshan could not resist the offer, went with the stroke, only to see Ponting at short covers pull off a stunner of a catch to his right. At the box reserved for invitees, next to the Press Box, Copeland’s mother could not hold back her tears, as she savoured the moment.

For someone really tall, Copeland, who bowls medium pace does not appear fearsome. That possibly is the reason why Dilshan went after Copeland. But Copeland while slow, bowls a menacing line and length and waits – as long as it takes – for the batsman to make a mistake. One Australian journalist recalled an instance in a local match where Copeland bowled from one end through the morning session, and then, came back again in the afternoon to continue bowling. “He can bowl 20-25 overs on the trot. He keeps the ball up, extracts movement and bounce and waits for the batsman to make a mistake,” he said. Sounds quite like Praveen Kumar, but Copeland is clearly at an advantage because of his height.

Nathan Lyon, introduced in the 16th over, had a date with history: he became the 14th bowler in test history to take a wicket off his first ball in a test. Lyon, nearly as tall as England’s Swann, drew Sangakkara out with a looping, dipping delivery that took Sangakkara’s bat’s edge as it moved away after pitching. Clarke held on to a sharp chance at slip.

Lyon and Copeland conspired yet again for another big wicket. Paranavitana gently pushed Lyon towards backward point and set off for a single. Copeland, the fielder, was on the ball in a flash and threw it to wicket keeper Haddin. Mahela was still to get to the batting end when Haddin broke the stumps.

Lyon came back later in the afternoon to bowl a tentative Anjelo Mathews around his legs. Ranganna Herath, not known for his batting exploits, picked deep mid-wicket on the slog sweep. The dream debut was not over: Randiv’s full-blooded drive off Lyon was caught at short mid-on by Ponting. Lyon then invited Welegedara to drive uppishly and dived football goal-keeper style to his left to hold on to a catch high over his head. Lyon had arrived.

Clearly, the bowling was being led by a pack of green horns, even as the only bowler with over 100 tests to his credit, M.Johnson, preferred to come in first change. That looked a little more than strange.

Shane Watson contributed too. He was introduced into the attack for the first time in the afternoon. In his second over, he managed prodigious reverse swing and sent back both Samaraweera and P.Jayawardene with almost identical deliveries, coming in. Both batsmen were trapped in front. Then Watson managed to trap leg before the hermit-like Paranavitana, who was steady and solid in defence, and had scored just 29 off 115 balls. At that point, the challenge had effectively ended.

SCOREBOARD:

Australia (1st innings): 273 all out

Sri Lanka Batting (1st innings): T.M.Dilshan c Ponting b Copeland 4, T.Paranavitana lbw Watson 29, K.Sangakkara c Clarke b Lyon 10, M.Jayawardene (run out) 11, T.Samaraweera lbw Watson 26, P.Jayawardene lbw Watson 0, A. Mathews b Lyon 5, S.Randiv c Ponting b Lyon 9, R.Herath c Johnson b Lyon 0, S.Lakmal (not out) 2, C.Welegedara c and b Lyon 1. Extras 8. Total: 105 in 50 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-24, 3-44, 4-87, 5-87, 6-88, 7-100, 8-100, 9-103

Australia Bowling (1st innings): Ryan Harris 8-5-6-0, Copeland 12-3-24-1, Johnson 9-1-26-0, Lyon 15-3-34-5, Watson 6-1-11-3

Aravinda de Silva,Sanath Jayasuriya were involved in match fixing :Hashan Tillakaratne

Ex-Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillakaratne has reportedly alleged that two former senior Lankan cricketers- Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya- and former Sri Lanka Cricket Board President Thilanga Sumathipala were involved in fixing international matches.


Hashan met with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and disclosed to him many details about the cricketing scene in the country that have not yet been revealed, Lanka News Web reports.

Rajapaksa continuously questioned about the fraud and corruption committed by Sumathipala when Hashan gave him details of corruption in cricket.

Hashan explained the role played by De Silva, Jayasuriya and Sumathipala in match fixing, the role played by a Pakistani business in the whole matter and the involvement of many well known international cricketers. 

Hashan explained all these details to Rajapaksa by bringing out personal issues he has had to face as a Sri Lankan cricketer.

The report claimed former parliamentarian Ven Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, a popular Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, facilitated the meeting between Rajapaksa and Hashan.

The President called the IGP after the revelation and said: "IGP, Hashan malli is with me. Close the file on him."
(ANI)

“After 1996, cricket went into the hands of businessmen"says Arjuna Ranatunga in his speech in the Sri Lankan Parliament.

Sri Lanka’s longest-serving cricket captain and member of the Opposition DNA party in Parliament, Arjuna Ranatunga, claims that it was the interest shown by businessmen in the game, after Sri Lanka’s 1996 world cup win, that proved a bad influence on the game.

“After 1996, cricket went into the hands of businessmen. This happened with the ICC World Cup victory in 1996. Money flowed into cricket thereafter. These businessmen were aware how to deal with whatever government was in power,” said the newspaper Daily News, quoting his speech in the Sri Lankan Parliament on Wednesday.

Countering his claim, Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said: “I say with responsibility that our cricket is not experiencing a decline. This is a false statement…We have implemented a long-term plan for promotion of cricket and other sports.”

Ranatunga’s comments follow Hashan Tillekeratne’s charge on match-fixing in Sri Lanka. Hashan, former Sri Lankan captain and Western Provincial Council member for the Opposition UNP, has so far not given the proof for the fixing allegations that he had levelled.

Mr. Aluthgamage pointed to the fact that Hashan had not given any proof and that he had refused to appear in person too. “He was summoned officially twice, but did not appear. When he said that he was worried about his safety, we promised to provide the required security and the IGP too agreed. He does not answer even the phone. Even the ICC has inquired about him. Hashan it seems to be missing in action,” the Minister said in Parliament, according to Daily News.

Ashes-winners England won't take their injury-hit visitors lightly.

Cardiff, May 25, 2011 (AFP) - Ashes-winners England head into the first Test against Sri Lanka here on Thursday insisting they won't take their injury-hit visitors lightly.

If England sweep the series 3-0, they will move up into second place in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings.

Since England moved to staging seven Tests in a home summer in 2000 they have not lost an early season series.

Sri Lanka arrived in England without star-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who has retired completely, and fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who has quit Tests on injury grounds.

Although they won both their warm-up matches, Sri Lanka's prospects for the first Test have been dealt a double blow by injuries to seamers Nuwan Pradeep (ligament) and Dilhara Fernando (knee).

Pradeep's injury is so serious he is set to return home for six to eight weeks while Fernando is struggling to be fit for Thursday.

But England captain Andrew Strauss, in what will be his side's first Test match since they won the Ashes 3-1 in Australia in January, dismissed all suggestions of a "homecoming". "We achieved quite an important goal for us as a side to win out there in Australia but our goals now have turned towards this summer and beyond," he told reporters here on Wednesday.

Strauss made a century for Middlesex against Sri Lanka in the islanders' tour-opening victory and was impressed by what he saw. "They are a very good side. In both games they have played, they have come back from difficult positions to win those games.

"We will not be taking them lightly," added Strauss, captain of the England side that suffered a 10-wicket World Cup quarter-final thrashing by Sri Lanka in Colombo in March.

As for the absence of Muralitharan, international cricket's most successful bowler of all-time, opening batsman Strauss added: "We all know what he achieved in the game and those boots are big boots to fill. But a lot of the time they are filled, if not by one person then by a number of different people chipping in. One thing about the Sri Lankans, they are always competitive and they are good, street-smart cricketers. They'll be very hard to overcome."

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said the loss of the in-form Pradeep had been a bitter blow. "I'm really disappointed losing him, he's really bowled well in the IPL (Indian Premier League) and here in England. "But I have a few youngsters who will have a chance to prove themselves at this level."

And that could mean call-ups for left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara and fellow seamer Suranga Lakmal.

Dilshan, added conditions meant Sri Lanka had included just one spinner, left-armer Rangana Herath, in their 12-man squad for the first Test. "He has been bowling really well over the last few matches and he is a very experienced guy who has played a lot of Test cricket over the last few years," explained Dilshan.

Sri Lanka's top order, featuring former captains Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, both recently arrived from the IPL, as well as Dilshan himself, could certainly pose problems for England's attack.

"The experienced guys like Kumar and Mahela are used to these conditions," Dilshan said. "It's not easy playing here early summer but as cricketers we have to take this challenge even though we haven't played outside home (Asia) for a long time. This is a good challenge for everyone."

IPL 4 : “I think the ICC will look seriously for an IPL window’’ says Sangakkara

Deccan Chargers captain Kumar Sangakkara made a strong push for an International Cricket Council (ICC) initiative to create an IPL window that will satisfy all sections of the cricketing fraternity.

“I think the ICC will look seriously for an IPL window. It’s an important tournament and it has become part of the cricketing calendar. It can hold its own with any other tournament. I think an IPL window would be good. Once the window is created, it won’t put players into a position where they have to choose between the IPL team for which they have signed and also demonstrate commitment for their country.

“Cricketers take a huge amount of pride in playing for their country and that’s going to be their main aim. At the same time, if they don’t have to do that choosing of sides, I think it will make it easier for everyone (players, Boards) not to rub anyone on the wrong side at times. Hence, an IPL window would be good,’’ he said at the DC Team room, Hotel Trident here on Sunday.

The Chargers, who beat Mumbai Indians on Saturday, are out of the play offs phase of the IPL-IV. Sangakkara will play his last match against Pune Warriors at the D.Y. Patil Stadium on Monday before flying to England. He spoke about Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra and the IPL factor around selection of national teams.

Excerpts:

Ishant Sharma: He’s been really outstanding for us. When he came in (for the Chargers), he was a bit rusty. Now we can all see what a quality bowler he is, when he starts running in and delivers the ball. He’s top quality. Presently, he’s probably the best fast bowler in India along with Zak (Zaheer Khan). Ishant has proved himself by performing consistently in this IPL. He bowls well when he has the confidence and is keen to show intent. He attacks right from the start. We give him the confidence by telling him that here’s the new ball, go and hit the deck and do what you like to do. When he has the confidence, he’s been able to raise his game up. Yesterday, it was a case of defending a low total (against Mumbai Indians) and he really wanted to show his intent in the first six overs.

Amit Mishra: This is the first time I have really seen Amit up close. He’s got all the tricks for a leg spinner, but what’s important for a leggie is that he must have a huge heart and Amit has that. He’s also a man of strong character. That came through yesterday when he was batting against MI. He’s a guy who will grab every opportunity that’s given to him.

Others like Shikhar Dhawan and Bharat Chipli: Shikhar is a top class batsman. He’s technically correct and has shaped well in this format. He doesn’t really slog. He’s been extremely impressive. Bharat will keep improving and he will be a very important player next season. Anand Rajan played his first game yesterday. He held his nerves in a really tight situation. Credit to him, after being hit for a six first ball and sending down two wides, he managed to get Kieron (Pollard).

IPL can be enjoyable and frustrating: The key is not to get frustrated. The moment you start getting emotional, that’s when the game starts to slip away. This season has been a steep learning curve for us. We put ourselves in very strong positions to win games, but through a few mistakes in the field, we lost far too many games. The positive is that we have been in good position and beaten sides, but that also hurts because having beaten MI we know how good we are.

IPL as a factor for national selection: If the selection is being done for Twenty20, then the IPL performances can be considered. But the IPL format is not that much when it comes to selection for one-day or Test cricket. When you see guys like Ishant and Amit perform consistently well, as bowlers in this format of the game, it means they have a lot to offer. These two guys have played for India. They (the selectors) were probably waiting to see how these two step up in the IPL.

Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL): We are launching the first tournament in July. I hope that it goes off really well and becomes a very successful tournament. It’s important that our cricketers become that bit more professional in the way they play. The benefits have to go the grass roots level of Sri Lankan cricket. There are cricketers who have been playing day in and day out for their clubs and provinces without many rewards. They don’t get opportunities to get into the national side or play something like the IPL. The SLPL should benefit these players a lot, not the Sri Lankan internationals. Of course, the internationals who play have to benefit as well, but more importantly the club and provincial players have to be rewarded for their commitment and passion to Sri Lankan cricket.

England tour, not as a captain: It’s going to be a great fun for me to go to England, I would be far more relaxed. I love playing Test cricket. Hopefully, I can make an impact on the tour and keep doing what I can do and that’s scoring runs.

Hashan Tillakaratne stands by match-fixing allegations

Tillakaratne scored 4,545 runs in 83 Tests for Sir Lanka

Former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillakaratne has vowed to reveal full details of match-fixing that he alleges took place during his career.

Tillakaratne and ex-team-mate Arjuna Ranatunga claim fixing has been common in Sri Lankan cricket since 1992.

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board called on the pair to substantiate the claims and queried why they have only emerged now.

Tillakaratne says he will provide the International Cricket Council with information "at the appropriate time."

The 43-year-old added: "I made a statement to the provincial council, I said that I still maintain my stand on the allegations.

"After I came out with these allegations [at the weekend] I have been getting a lot of nuisance calls, death threats, but definitely I will expose all those who are involved in a time to come."

When asked why he has not followed the established procedure of working with the ICC's anti-corruption unit, Tillakaratne replied "I will do that in the days to come."

Several international players including South Africa's Hansie Cronje, India's Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja, and Pakistan's Salim Malik have been found guilty of match-fixing and served bans in the past decade, although Jadeja and Malik later had their bans quashed.

Most recently, Pakistani players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were banned for five years or more after being found guilty off corruption by the ICC.

Tillakaratne played 83 tests for Sri Lanka from 1989 to 2004, scoring 4,545 runs including 11 centuries.

He scored 3,789 one-day runs from 200 matches between 1986 and 2003.

Top players approached for Sri Lankan T20 league

Shoaib Akhtar is reportedly a certainty for Sri Lanka's new Twenty20 tournament

Sri Lanka Cricket is organising a Twenty20 league in July and August 2011 featuring their top players as well as internationals from India, Australia, Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa. The tournament, which will have five regional teams led by senior Sri Lankan cricketers, is the latest in a series of Twenty20 leagues, with some degree of international participation, that have been created over the past few years.

The league will be run by the Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment, which won the organisational rights and is now looking at securing a TV deal. It is understood to have approached around 35 international players including Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Yusuf Pathan and Shahid Afridi, and most of Sri Lanka's leading cricketers.

Salaries in the league will be on the lower side; one estimate suggested three salary slabs with the highest at $30,000, which is what a mid-level player would get for each game of the IPL.

The BCCI is understood to have given the league its blessing and the tournament's timing - it will coincide with India's Test series in England - will suit India's limited-overs specialists. An Indian player, who was one of the first to be approached by the organisers, said he was made to understand that the tournament was being held with the approval of the Indian board.

"I was made an offer during last season of Ranji Trophy," the player told ESPNcricinfo. "I did not agree at the time but they [the organisers] said it is not as popular a league as the IPL so money won't be that big. We left it by saying we can talk more as the time goes. Perhaps a new offer could come after the IPL."

While the league will be a lower-profile event compared to other Twenty20 tournaments, it is likely to benefit from the fact that many players will be free from international commitments at that time. It is also likely to draw in several players who are no longer active in international cricket. Shoaib Akhtar is one player who is understood to be a certainty for the tournament and Herschelle Gibbs is also believed to have been approached.

The league will also be a boon for players from Pakistan, who currently are not part of the IPL and whose international exposure has been limited because of security issues.

Malinga and Mathews miss out

Lasith Malinga, who has played two Tests since 2007, and the injured Angelo Mathews are not part of Sri Lanka's Test squad

Sri Lanka have left fast bowler Lasith Malinga and all-rounder Angelo Mathews out of their 16-man Test squad for the tour of England.

Malinga played a starring role in Sri Lanka’s progress to the World Cup final earlier this month, but his omission underlines the selectors’ reluctance to use him in the five-day game.

With Mathews still recovering from a quad injury suffered during the World Cup, there was some scope for Malinga to be drafted in to bolster a weakened seam attack.

But 27-year-old Malinga, who has played just two Tests since England’s tour of Sri Lanka in December 2007, is set to remain in his homeland until the limited-overs leg of the trip.

That is set to leave the onus of the seam attack on Dilhara Fernando, with all-rounder Thisara Perera and inexperienced trio Chanaka Welegedara, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep his support.

New skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan will lead the team for the first time in the three-Test series, which begins in Cardiff on May 26, after he was named as Kumar Sangakkara’s replacement this week.

Sri Lanka will play one Twenty20 and five one-day internationals against England before finishing the tour with matches against Scotland and Ireland in Edinburgh.

Sri Lanka squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (captain), Tharanga Paranavitana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Prasanna Jayawardene, Thisara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Dilhara Fernando, Chanaka Welegedara, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep.

Hashan should prove his allegations: Muralitharan

Retired Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan feels his former teammate Hashan Tillakaratne should either furnish proof of match—fixing by the country’s cricketers or stop making such allegations as he might just end up getting sued.

“I don’t know why he has said this. If somebody is making such claims, he should first give enough proof to support them, otherwise someone can sue him,” Muralitharan told ‘PTI Bhasha’

At a television chat show last week, Tillakaratne said match—fixing existed in Sri Lankan cricket since 1992 and that he would reveal the names soon. He also expressed reservations about the team selection for the 2011 World Cup.

Tillakaratne, however, refused to divulge the names of those cricketers, saying he would make the revelations only to the ICC.

On being asked whether he had been approached by any bookie during his 18—year career, Muralitharan said he had never been contacted by a fixer.

“In any case, I will tell this to ICC’s anti corruption unit only. There is a code and all the players follow that,” said the veteran, who plays for IPL debutant Kochi Tuskars Kerala.

He also rejected suggestions that Tillakaratne’s allegations have tarnished the image of Sri Lankan Cricket.

“Hashan has made allegations and only he is answerable for that. I don’t know what to say. These are mere allegations which have not been proved yet,” he said.

The highest wicket—taker in both Tests (800) and ODIs (519), Muralitharan retired from Tests in 2010. He played in four World Cup tournaments - 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011.

He was the part of Sri Lankan team that lost to India in 2011 final on April 2.

Tillakaratne to take fixing allegations to ICC

Former Sri Lanka test captain Hashan Tillakaratne said on Tuesday he will tell the International Cricket Council that matches were fixed during his career.

Tillakaratne, a politician in Sri Lanka’s opposition, said he will reveal the names of those involved in fixing matches “at the appropriate time.”

Tillakaratne told a television program earlier this month that match fixing has been rampant in Sri Lanka since 1992, then on Tuesday made a statement reaffirming his allegations to the Western Provincial Council, where he is elected to office.

“I made a statement to the provincial council, I said that I still maintain my stand on the (match fixing) allegations,” said Tillakaratne, who declined to reveal the names of those involved following legal advise.

“After I came out with these allegations I have been getting a lot of nuisance calls, death threats, but definitely I will expose all those who are involved in a time to come,” he said.

When asked why he has not followed the established procedure of working with the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, Tillakaratne said “I will do that in the days to come.

Sri Lanka Cricket expressed concern over the allegations and called for “concrete evidence” to substantiate them.

“We also wish to state that we find it extremely strange that these so called ‘revelations’ are being made so many years after the alleged misdeeds,” the national cricket board said in a statement on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka Cricket said it had discussed the matter with Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who has ordered a police inquiry into the allegations.

Tillakaratne said he has been reluctant voice his allegations previously for fear of his safety.

Several international players including South Africa’s Hansie Cronje, India’s Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja, and Pakistan’s Salim Malik have been found guilty of match fixing and served bans in the past decade. No Sri Lankan player has yet been seriously investigated.

Most recently, Pakistani players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir received bans of five years or more earlier this year after being found guilty by the ICC for bowling no-balls at predetermined times in a test last year against England to fix spot-betting markets.

Tillakaratne played 83 tests for Sri Lanka from 1989 to 2004, scoring 4,545 runs with 11 centuries. He scored 3,789 one-day runs from 200 matches between 1986 and 2003. He was also a member of the country’s only World Cup-winning team in 1996.

It’s dangerous to just drop names in match-fixing: Sangakkara

Reacting sharply to Hashan Tillakaratne’s allegation that Sri Lankan players have been fixing matches since 1992, former captain Kumar Sangakkara said instead of throwing names around, the ex-player should work with the ICC’s anti-corruption unit to rout out the menace if it is there.

Speaking in the post match media conference after his IPL side Deccan Chargers’ 19-run loss to Chennai Super Kings here, the Deccan Chargers captain said, “Hashan has played the game for years and he’s captained Sri Lanka as well. So it’s interesting to see what he has to say and if he has anything more than allegations.”

“It’s dangerous to throw names around, he should work very closely with the ACSU of the ICC and the home authorities to ensure that something’s done about it if there is any foundation to those claims but beyond that I don’t think it makes any big sense to the players playing now.”

About the defeat last night, Sangakkara said, “We had a few opportunities that went abegging, which was unfortunate.

“The guys tried their best to take those chances, but unfortunately we couldn’t take some of the catches that came to us. But that’s the way the game goes, maybe 10 to 15 runs too many but we were in the chase right up to the 15th, 16th over, when we fell away.”

Asked about the nature of the strip, Sangakkara said, “I think the wicket in the second half didn’t turn as much as we thought it would. It was a bit on the slower side. It played much better than we thought it would.”

About the next few matches, his answer was “We have six games; we have to win about five of them to stay alive in this competition. It’s a great challenge. We’re playing well, but we have to convert that extra 10 or five percent to try and win a game.”

Man of the match Albie Morkel said he was “very surprised” not to see compatriot Dale Steyn among his opposition. Steyn was one of the four players rested by Deccan.

“I think Dale and Ishant, in the last couple of games formed a formidable bowling pair and them not playing one of the world’s best Test and One-day bowlers. But they have a couple of back-to-back games in Hyderabad, so maybe they’re saving him for that.”

Morkel was miffed when a scribe asked him as to whether he had been able to snap his “mediocre run with the bat.”

“I think to use the word ‘mediocre’ is unfair. If you look at the position I bat in, I only get (about) four balls to face, so for me it’s not about only myself. It’s also about whether I can do one or two good things for the team and help them win.”

Dilshan to reach England by May 11

Tillakaratne Dilshan had said he wanted to reach England early to be with the team

Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka's newly-appointed captain, will leave the IPL early and join the national squad in England on May 11, three days ahead of the first tour game against Middlesex. The decision was reached after negotiations between the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in the last week.

"He will be there on May 11," Nishantha Ranatunga, the SLC secretary, said, confirming the news.

The early departure will mean Dilshan will miss his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore's last four league matches, as well as the knockouts, if they get that far. He will be available for Bangalore's two home games on May 6 and May 8. His form in the IPL so far has been poor; he has scored only 120 runs in seven innings at a strike-rate of 103.44.

The development was positive as far as Dilshan was concerned after he had expressed a strong desire to arrive in England early for his first assignment as Test captain. Dilshan wanted to spend time with the rest of the squad, as well as the new coach Stuart Law, appointed in an interim position for the England tour after Trevor Bayliss' contract came to an end with the World Cup.

Five Sri Lanka players will stay on in the IPL and miss the Middlesex game. The board called in Farveez Maharoof and wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva to provide cover for them. Nuwan Pradeep, the fast bowler who has not yet played for Bangalore in the IPL, is also expected to arrive early in England.