World Test Championship set to stay nine-team contest till 2031
‘Cricket reforms wouldn’t have happened if not for AKD’ – Wettimuny
Lihini wins Girls Under 18 Hard Court singles title
Aaron’s six wickets help S. Thomas’ take first innings lead
Matt Henry six-for and Will Young hundred crush India
Kavindu Amameth scored back-to-back centuries and put on a partnership over 200 runs for the second time in the match as Mahanama College earned major honours against De Mazenod in the Under 19 Traditional cricket encounter which ended in a draw at Kandana on Tuesday.
Amameth followed up his first innings score with an identical knock. In the first essay, he conceded 173 balls for his knock. But in his second he consumed only 101 balls as he cracked 11 fours and seven sixes to boost the score. He also put on a first-wicket stand of 209 runs with Anjala Bandara as Mahanama posted 323 for three wickets at close on a pitch where the home team could muster only 150.
It is also the first time this season that a batsman scored back-to-back centuries in a match.
At Ananda Mawatha, Mahinda College restricted the home team to 159 runs as Dhanuja Induwara picked up five wickets for the visitors to dominate day one of the traditional encounter.
363 all out in 92.1 overs (Kavindu Amameth 126, Inuka Karannagoda 75, Rashmika Perera 52, Chamika Heenatigala 24, Eshan Withanage 24; Kavindu Kaushalya 4/97, Thushan Udayanga 3/64, Sithum Fernando 3/71) and 323 for 3 in 54 overs (Kavindu Amameth 126, Anjala Bandara 84, Koojana Perera 55, Inuka Karannagoda 52n.o.; Thushan Udayanga 2/56)
2 for 1 overnight 150 all out in 49.0 overs (Neshan Dias 65, Shevan Menusha 25, Uvindu Perera 20, Thareen Perera 20; Chamika Heenatigala 4/12, Inuka Karannagoda 2/26, Rashmika Perera 2/29)
Mahinda dominate day one at Ananda Mawatha
159 all out in 53.1 overs (Viduna Wijebandara 27, Iruth Gimshan 25, Ayesh Shahimal 42; Dhanuja Induwara 5/33, Tharusha Dilshan 2/37, Arosha Udayandga 2/18)
142 for 5 in 44 overs (Hareen Achintha 36, Hiruna Gallage 38n.o., Tharusha Dilshan 21n.o.; Ashinsa Deshan Nainayaka 4/40)
2002 world medals that Sugath and Rohan never received
Sri Lanka commence Billie Jean King Cup campaign with an easy win
Mahinda home for lunch as Dharmapala face relegation scares
Lahiru takes nine wickets to restrict Maliyadeva
Yahampath rocks Mahinda after Moratu Vidyalaya post 300
Rukshan bags 17 wickets as Mahinda win
Ruckshan takes seven wickets for Mahinda
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The World Test Championship (WTC) is set to remain at nine teams for the next two cycles through to 2031, despite some vocal support for an expanded competition.
Fierce debate is expected at the ICC board’s all-day meeting on Sunday in Bali, where this long-running issue will finally be decided. The board is expected to ultimately back the ICC’s recommendations to keep the competition as is for the 2027-29 and 2029-31 cycles.
The WTC is currently, in the back-end of its fourth cycle, with the format having undergone much discussion in recent years, including a push for a two-tier league at one stage.
A proposal to expand the WTC to all 12 Full Members in one division, a recommendation from an ICC working group led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, had gained steam in the past year. It received strong support from Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan, the Full Members not part of the WTC.
But with doubts lingering among members over whether more teams would bring more commercial value (the WTC remains a league organised and scheduled by members bilaterally, with only the final run by the ICC) the ICC has preferred retaining the format for the time being.
Foreshadowing what’s ahead at the board meeting, there was robust debate over the issue on Saturday at a Chief Executives’ Committee meeting that lasted more than four hours. There were impassioned pleas from the three Full Members on the outer, who believe their Test development is being stifled without WTC status. They also rue not having a chance to get into the top nine without a promotion-relegation system in place.
Cricket South Africa was also understood to be strongly supportive of expansion with chief executive Pholetsi Moseki providing a rallying cry during the CEC meeting. The positions of the BCCI and Cricket Australia remain unclear. England have played Zimbabwe and Ireland in one-off Tests in recent years, but the ECB is believed to be reticent over expansion due to travel and financial burdens.
The ECB and Zimbabwe Cricket are in the midst of finalising England’s historic tour to Zimbabwe after a three-decade drought. Initially earmarked for 2028, the tour is set to take place in 2030 and include a Test match at Victoria Falls.
Sunday’s board meeting looms as a last-ditch effort for expansion proponents, who are bracing for the worst. There is the very slim chance of a compromise through a 10-team competition, given Zimbabwe’s strong appetite for Test cricket: they played 10 Tests in 2025 though only two this year.
Meanwhile, a strategic review into international cricket’s future – involving scrutiny of cricket’s three official formats – will be tabled to the board. A presentation from global management consulting firm McKinsey, who undertook the review, was held in Bali on Saturday night ahead of the board meeting.
Sidath Wettimuny knows a thing or two about playing the long innings. But even by the standards of a man whose batting was built on patience, the campaign to reform Sri Lanka Cricket has demanded considerable staying power.
After another long innings in pursuit of a new constitution, the former Sri Lanka opener believes the sport has finally been given a chance to put its house in order.
Following the Supreme Court’s determination on the proposed legislation, Wettimuny’s overriding emotion is relief. Parliamentary approval and implementation still lie ahead, but a cause he championed more than a decade ago has reached a significant milestone.
“Very difficult to describe the sense of satisfaction. Yes, I am overjoyed with what has happened,” Wettimuny told the Sunday Island. “More than even that, I am relieved because I think for Sri Lanka cricket to prosper, this had to happen.”
For Wettimuny, the argument goes well beyond changing the occupants of the boardroom. It concerns how an organisation responsible for substantial funds, several national teams and the ambitions of generations of cricketers should be governed.
“Without this, we won’t have the accountability, transparency and the professionalism needed to run a modern organization, which controls so much funds, controls so much cricket.”
The journey stretches back to 2015, when an earlier attempt to introduce a new constitution gathered momentum before running aground. Wettimuny remembers reaching a point where the International Cricket Council had approved the proposal, only for the initiative to be scuttled.
“We had a constitution presented, which PrasannaJayawardena PC did, if you can remember. But for some reason or other, it got scuttled.”
Time has softened his disappointment. He now believes the delay, costly though it was, has produced a stronger framework.
“The interesting thing is when I now look back, I am happy it didn’t happen because the new constitution is far more advanced. It’s modern. It’s in keeping with new constitutions, which are functioning around the world.”
He points to South Africa and New Zealand as comparisons, particularly in the inclusion of independent directors.
“In that earlier one, we didn’t have independent directors, but all the boards seem to have that. So now I’m happy we missed the bus then and it’s happened now.”
That is a generous assessment from somebody who watched an opportunity slip away. But Wettimuny has little appetite for spending this moment settling old scores.
“The political will wasn’t there to get it done although then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe supported it. Because, to tell you the truth, I don’t know why it didn’t happen. But I would rather not go there. Why look back? Let’s look forward.”
He credits the committee headed by Justice Chitrasiri, and comprising of Harsha Amarasekera, Aritha Wickramanayake and Duminda Hulangamuwa, which was appointed during Roshan Ranasinghe’s tenure as Sports Minister, with providing the foundation for the present framework.
“We have to be eternally grateful for the job they did because the constitution which is now presented is really based on that.” And we are very grateful to Sanjiva Jayawardene PC, who supported us right through the numerous petitions on a pro bono basis.
The subsequent process drew on local legal expertise, the Attorney General’s Department and advice from David Becker, the former head of legal affairs at the ICC, who was introduced to us by Mahendra Mapagunaratne. Becker was engaged as a consultant and spent three days working with the legal team. Mahendra Mapagunaratne, himself, contributed significantly.”
“The Attorney General’s Department was incredibly supportive,” Wettimuny said. “The way I see it, it’s that passion for the game that drove everybody to get this done.” Within our own committee, the legal experts Dinal Philips and Upul Kumaraperuma, along with the SLC lawyer Chalaka and Prakash Schaffter worked tirelessly to ensure that this process happened.
His strongest praise, however, is reserved forPresident Anura Kumara Dissanayake, whose support he regards as being decisive. Wettimuny says the President had encouraged constitutional reform even while in the Opposition, treating the issue as something that should rise above party interests.
“The President said, ‘No, forget politics. This must be brought in for the sake of the game of cricket.’ In fact, he called me a few weeks before the Presidential Election and said this Reform must happen and that he will support it regardless of the outcome of the election.
That commitment, Wettimuny maintains, mattered most when opposition to the proposals intensified.
“Trust me, the opposition was incredible. It was all around,” he said. “But I think because the President stood steadfast, insisting he will do this, and by giving the freedom and the support to deliver, it happened.” The Minister of Sport, Sunil Gamage, ably supported him, says Wettimuny.
Without that backing, he believes, the initiative could have buckled under pressure.
“The trophy has to go to His Excellency because without him, I can assure you this would have never seen the light of day.”
The proposed structure, as Wettimuny explains it, combines elected representation with independent expertise. District representation feeds into the provincial structure, while seven directors would be elected from the clubs or provinces. Another seven independent directors would be appointed through a nominations process involving institutions such as the Bar Association, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Chamber of Commerce.
The intention is to bring relevant professional skills into the boardroom, with requirements covering areas such as accountancy and marketing and legal representation.
“We have also given yardsticks that you have to have a chartered accountant in the board. You have to have a marketing expert. So there are lots of things that have gone into it,” he said.
“The key is you’ll find there is transparency, accountability and there’ll be many, many financial checks and balances.”
Could respected former players who have struggled to find a route through traditional cricket elections now have an opportunity to serve?
“Of course, of course. It just depends who’s interested.”
Wettimuny believes Roshan Mahanama could make a substantial contribution in an executive capacity, too.
The broader principle is that people willing and qualified to serve should have a credible avenue to do so.
The provision for women in administration is another change he welcomes. Asked whether Sri Lanka might one day have a woman heading its cricket board, Wettimuny sees no reason to hesitate.
“You never know. Why not? There are plenty of capable ladies around. And if there is a lady that can take charge, why not?”
He connects that opportunity with the progress of the women’s game.
“Don’t forget our ladies’ cricket is pretty good, very good. Every day we are learning about how good our talent is. We need to nurture all that.”
The constitutional debate can sound remote from the cricket field. Wettimuny’s argument is that the organisation has simply outgrown the way it has been managed.
One day, during the transitional committee’s tenur,brought the scale of the operation home to him: six Sri Lankan teams were playing in different places, including at home.
“There were under-19 boys and girls, there was an emerging, there was an A team, and there was a Test team. So it’s like a business which has grown beyond belief.”
Running that enterprise demands more than enthusiasm. It requires systems capable of keeping pace with the workload.
“Basically, it has to run like a company,” he said. “It has to run like a company with professionals running it.”
Financial discipline is central to that vision. Wettimuny says the committee encountered an organisation without financial reserves and has begun taking steps to build a savings culture.
“We had zero reserves, whereas I think Bangladesh has some $125 million in reserves. So we need to build that discipline. We need to get all those things right.”
The Bangladesh figure is his estimate, but the concern is clear: income must be managed with an eye on the future. He cites an initiative to save $250,000 from incoming funds as one step already under way.
Yet money and constitutions alone will not solve what he considers one of Sri Lankan cricket’s most persistent failings: the habit of dismantling a predecessor’s work.
“Every time an interim committee came, it tried to do reforms. But the day the interim committee exits, the next committee comes and changes everything, everything,” he said.
“It even happened in 2015. Whatever I started was completely halted. Don’t ask me why, but that’s what has happened. When that happens, you can’t go forward.”
It is perhaps his strongest warning to whoever takes over. An administration cannot build lasting progress if each change at the top sends the organisation back to the drawing board.
“The biggest downfall we have had in the last 20 years, 25 years, which I have seen the most of, is the lack of consistency in doing what the last man did.”
Wettimuny believes the present committee has laid foundations that its successors can develop.
“We have set the ball rolling in nearly everywhere we need to, and the new committee has to just take over and settle into that system.”
He credits Eran Wickramaratne with creating an environment in which different people have been able to contribute without unnecessary interference.
“I look at him like a conductor of an orchestra. He knows how to get the people in and get the best from them. He does not interfere in areas which are not his.”
Mahanama and Kumar Sangakkara have also played important roles, with Sangakkara joining discussions despite being overseas.
“Roshan has done an amazing job. Kumar, unfortunately, is abroad, but he too participates in most of our meetings and we take decisions based on consensus.”
The pace has occasionally left Wettimuny joking about his own advancing years.
“I keep telling them I’m getting too old for this and they keep pushing me and make me keep pace”.
Among the priorities is what he calls the “brain centre”, an operation intended to strengthen the use of analytics in cricket planning and performance.
“The game has changed so much. There is a lot more analytics. In my time, if somebody talked about analytics, I would have wondered what was all that,” he said.
“Today they analyse every single delivery bowled There is so much that goes into the game today. We are way behind. In fact, in that area, maybe we are 10 years behind.”
He believes work during the past six months has begun closing the gap.
“We are back on track, and I believe you will see those results on the field.”
His optimism about the playing resources has grown as well. Six months ago, he admits, he would have questioned whether Sri Lanka had enough talent. Working with head coach Gary Kirsten has helped change that view.
“The first thing Gary said when he came here is ‘This country has a lot of talent.’”
Now Wettimuny sees evidence of it in the competition for batting places, although he acknowledges the need for more contributions from the lower order.
“We need to find guys who can contribute with the bat as well, at seven, eight, nine.”
Milan Rathnayake has caught his eye.
“He looks damn good. He bowls a beautiful line and length and he can bat.”
Pawan Ratnayake is another player he identifies among those pressing for opportunities. And SonalDinusha who is a budding star. Behind individual selection decisions, Wettimuny says, a more systematic approach is taking shape, with alternatives identified for each position and players monitored through the High Performance Centre.
“They track all those players at the HPC to make sure that they are doing the same thing vis-à-vis training, skinfold tests, diets and everything.”
The ambition is to connect preparation at home with performance overseas, ensuring that players and support staff work towards common standards.
“The whole game has changed. We are monitoring them here whilst they are playing there and they monitor what’s happening here. So everybody is on their toes.”
He cautions against expecting instant returns.
“These things don’t happen overnight. But at least you now see those green shoots.”
The longer term aim is to build towards winning a World Cup, working backwards from that ambition through monthly targets.
First, however, comes the task of turning the proposed governance framework into a functioning institution. Wettimuny hopes parliamentary backing will cross party lines and that a new board can be in place around the turn of the year.
“This should go beyond politics,” he said. “It should be something that we do for the country, for our cricketers, for the reputation of our players and sport.”
After years of frustration, he allows himself the thought that the effort may finally bear fruit.
“I feel very happy that maybe I can at last think we did it. We did it.”
Lihini Jayakody of Gateway College, Colombo, produced a fighting performance to win the Girls’ Under-18 singles title at the Hard Courts Tennis National Championships, defeating Diyansa de Silva of Bishop’s College, Colombo, 1-6, 7-6, 7-5. De Silva retired during the deciding set.
In the Girls’ Under-12 final, Thanudi Damunage of Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya defeated Shenuli Wickramarathne of Sumeda College, Gampaha, 6-3, 7-5, to secure the championship.
Lihini Jayakody (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)
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