World record 53 red cards shown in Brazilian youth game
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Legendary former Ceylon captain Mahadevan Sathasivam must be spinning in his grave at the news that Sri Lanka Cricket plans to introduce random alcohol tests following concerns about a drinking culture within the team. Satha’s batting feats are the stuff of legend. So, too, are the stories of his exploits at the bar. Appropriately, Tamil Union named its bar after one of the game’s most colourful characters.
Cricket has always enjoyed a drink. Sometimes several. The tales have been passed down through generations.
David Boon, recently elected chairman of Cricket Australia, famously put away 52 cans of beer on a flight from Sydney to London for an Ashes tour. When the press sought Ian Chappell’s opinion, the former Australian captain was hardly bowled over.
“In my day, 52 beers between London and Sydney would have virtually classified you as a teetotaller.”
Chappell’s team mates Rod Marsh, Doug Walters and Dennis Lillee were no strangers to the bar either. Once stumps were drawn, another session often began.
Shane Warne later carried that tradition forward with much the same enthusiasm he brought to tormenting batsmen. His own summary was typically uncomplicated: “I liked loud music, I smoked, I drank, and I bowled a bit of leg spin. I don’t have any regrets.”
Ian Botham’s drinking stories could fill a volume almost as thick as the one devoted to his exploits with bat and ball. England’s famous 12th man, Gladstone Small recently recalled that Botham’s instructions for a drinks break were clear enough: plenty of beer in the bottle, topped up with lemonade.
England’s celebrations after their remarkable 2005 Ashes triumph also became cricketing folklore, with Andrew Flintoff very much in the thick of things. By the time the victory parade reached the reception at 10 Downing Street, some of England’s heroes were considerably less steady on their feet than they had been at the crease.
Sri Lanka had its own traditions. Bandula Warnapura, the country’s first Test captain, generously hosted gatherings in his hotel room. These were often exercises in team bonding and attendance extended to the teetotallers. When D.S. de Silva turned up, the captain made sure there were soft drinks of his choice.
Warnapura understood that a dressing room needed to pull in one direction. Players still recall how far they would go to back him. The gatherings helped forge those bonds, although he also knew where to draw the line. Once schoolboys began breaking into the national side, these occasions were placed firmly out of bounds for the youngsters.
Employed at Ceylon Tobacco alongside several leading cricketers, including Anura Tennekoon and Ranjan Madugalle, Warnapura apparently ensured that cigarettes were never in short supply either.
Those were different times. Tobacco and alcohol brands were woven into cricket’s fabric. The Benson & Hedges competitions, the VB Series and the Rothmans tournaments were familiar fixtures. The World Cup Sri Lanka won in 1996 carried the Wills name.
Over time, restrictions on advertising and sponsorship tightened as concerns grew over the influence of such marketing on younger generations. Cricket, too, had to move with the times.
So why is Sri Lanka Cricket now drawing a line in the sand?
There appears to be good reason. What once passed for a convivial evening has, according to accounts reaching the authorities, become a cause for concern.
There have been reports that seven bottles of single malt were consumed in a single day during the recent Galle Test against India. Concerns have also been raised about smoking among members of the fast bowling group. These are allegations that require proper scrutiny, but they help explain why the administration is tightening the screws.
Add concerns about diet and fitness and SLC has decided that a quiet word will no longer suffice. Players face closer monitoring of what they eat, how they train and how they conduct themselves. Once random alcohol testing begins, those who ignore the requirements could face the music.
The distinction is straightforward. Enjoying a drink and allowing drinking to compromise preparation are two different matters. When the country is paying you to perform, turning up in the best possible condition is part of the job.
Sports science has changed the equation. Preparation now extends well beyond a few laps of the ground and a net session. Diet, recovery, sleep and conditioning all demand attention. The margins are fine and opponents will happily exploit every inch conceded.
Virat Kohli has become an obvious reference point for the discipline required to sustain a long career at the highest level. Talent opens the door; good habits help keep it open.
Sri Lanka’s new measures should be viewed in that light. They are intended to help players remain fit, available and capable of performing consistently, while restoring discipline to a system that has too often allowed standards to drift.
The recurring absence of leading players through injury has already cost the team dearly, including at World Cups. Injuries have several causes, but conditioning and preparation are areas in which players and those responsible for them must be held accountable.
For too long, professional standards appear to have been treated as negotiable. The present administration is at least attempting to put that right.
There is no need to disown the characters of the 1980s and 1990s. They gave cricket wonderful memories, on the field and off it. Their stories will continue to raise a smile whenever cricketers gather.
But the game has moved on. A crowded calendar, three international formats and increasingly demanding fitness standards leave little room for burning the candle at both ends.
In Sidath Wettimuny, Gary Kirsten and Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lanka’s players have three men who will listen to their grievances and understand the pressures of international cricket. They will also expect them to behave like professionals.
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A world record of 53 red cards were shown during a chaotic under-20s game in Brazil.
The semi-final first leg of the Minas Gerais Under-20 Championship tie between Uberlandia and Mamore was marred by scenes that led to 43 players and eight members of coaching staff being sent off.
There was also two Uberlandia board members dismissed, taking the tally up to 53.
The previous record was 36, in a 2011 fifth-division game between Club Atletico Claypole and Victoriano Arenas in Argentina.
Brazilian news outlet O Tempo reported the military police were called because of extensive damage to the Parque do Sabia Stadium.
According to the referee’s report, a brawl broke out in the second half after Mamores’ Davi taunted the opposition bench during celebrations when his side went 3-1 up.
Uberlandia goalkeeping coach Paulo Sergio Dias Dos Santos ran on to the pitch to confront him, sparking clashes and the subsequent dismissals, with three players having already been sent off earlier.
The police report referenced 14 broken doors, damaged shower facilities, broken windows and that benches, tables and chairs had been destroyed.
The game was paused for approximately 40 minutes and then abandoned by referee Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto.
“In the 54th minute of the second half, a generalized brawl broke out, making it impossible to show the red cards and to carry out the match-closing protocol,” Modesto wrote in his report.
“Therefore, owing to all the turmoil and the lack of security, I declared the match ended.”
Uberlandia have since confirmed that they have conceded the second leg of the semi-final because Mamore only have seven players available as a result of all the red cards.
They described their move as a “gesture of fair play” as Mamore would progress through to the final, and Uberlandia will instead focus on the third-place match.
“The club has also not remained silent: the appropriate disciplinary measures regarding those involved have already been taken internally, because athletic development is, above all, a matter of personal development,” Uberlandia added.
Vadodara and Mumbai will host the upcoming season of the WPL that will be held from January 14 to February 7, 2027. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengalurru (RCB) will be taking on inaugural winnersMumbai Indians (MI) in the opening game of the season in Vadodara.
Both cities will host 11 games each. Vadodara’s Kotambi Stadium will host the first 11 league games from January 14 to 24 before the action moves to the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai after a day’s gap. Brabourne will see nine league games from January 26 to February 3, before the Eliminator on February 5 and the final on February 7.
All matches will be played from 7.30pm local time.
The closing stages of WPL 2027 clashes with England’s tour of Sri Lanka for three T20Is. But senior England players, including captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, will be allowed to miss the bilateral series from February 1 to 5 if their franchises qualify for the final stages of the WPL. Sciver-Brunt (MI), Lauren Bell (RCB) and Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz) were retained by their respective teams.
The inaugural six-team Women’s Champions Trophy will be held at the same two grounds, starting just a week after the WPL ends, from February 14 to 28.
Last week, Australia captain Sophie Molineux became the most expensive buy at the WPL 2027 auction, going to UPW for INR 1.1 crore (US$120,000 approx.). Middle-order batter Kiran Navgire was the most expensive Indian, sold to Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 75 lakh.
The last season of the WPL, in early 2026, was also held in two cities – Navi Mumbai and Vadodara. However, the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is currently undergoing renovation. Vadodara will be the host city for Gujarat Giants whereas Mumbai will be the home ground for MI.
Sri Lanka swapped coloured clothing for whites as their marathon tour of Pakistan entered its red ball phase yesterday, with Kusal Mendis and Lahiru Udara striking half-centuries in the warm-up game against PCB Patron’s XI in Islamabad.
Having spent the white ball leg shuttling between Rawalpindi and Lahore for three T20Is and an ODI triangular tournament, the tourists moved to the Pakistani capital to prepare for the two match Test series. The tour stretches beyond seven weeks and already several players are feeling homesick.
Islamabad houses Pakistan Cricket Board’s state-of-the-art cricket academy, comparable to Sri Lanka’s High Performance Centre at R. Premadasa Stadium.
Sri Lanka’s first red-ball outing began on a shaky note, with Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva back in the pavilion with just 40 runs on the board.
Udara and captain Mendis steadied the ship, adding 90 for the fourth wicket and giving the innings some much needed backbone.
Udara, who was not in the original squad but was retained as a replacement for the injured Pathum Nissanka, made 65 to press his case for a Test berth. Whether that earns him a place in the first Test remains to be seen. Despite a big hundred in the Caribbean, quality bowling has asked searching questions of his technique at Test level.
Mendis, now entrusted with Sri Lanka’s captaincy across all three formats, kept the scoreboard ticking with a fluent 66 at almost a run a ball. His innings contained 11 boundaries.
Much was expected of Sonal Dinusha after his resolute batting against India at home, but he managed only ten. Uncapped Anjala Bandara, meanwhile, finished unbeaten on 33 as he pushed his claims for the wicketkeeper’s berth.
Bandara has piled up runs, but questions remain over his glovework. The selectors will be watching closely on how well he keeps wickets.
Sri Lanka finished on 232 for seven in 58 overs, with PCB Patron’s XI reaching 43 for two in 15 overs in reply.
Lahiru Kumara was among four seamers fielded by Sri Lanka, alongside Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga and Milan Rathnayake.
With Asitha Fernando firmly established as the first choice Test seamer, the contest is on to decide who shares the new ball with him.
Sri Lanka 232 for seven in 58 overs
(Kusal Mendis 66, Lahiru Udara 65, Anjala Bandara 33 not out).
PCB Patron’s XI 43 for two in 15 overs
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