Sandaru cracks double century as Devapathiraja commence season on a strong footing
JXG and Ceylon Chamber launch ‘BREAKTHROUGH’ to power national entrepreneurship
De Silva-Kusal stand of 249* moves Sri Lanka into the ascendancy
Sri Lanka left with a mountain to climb in Rawalpindi
Red flags have been raised over the culture within the Sri Lankan dressing room, with administrators concerned by low energy levels, poor attitudes and even drinking issues among some fast bowlers during the recent series against India.
Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva is expected to get the axe ahead of the next tour of Pakistan, but changing the man at the helm will hardly cure what appears to be a much deeper malaise. More worryingly, there is no obvious successor being groomed for the job.
These problems have not sprung up overnight. They have been simmering for years. Previous administrations either chose to ignore the warning signs or lacked the vision to determine what sort of cricketers Sri Lanka should be producing, not merely in terms of runs and wickets, but character and professionalism.
For men such as Sidath Wettimuny and Roshan Mahanama, who came through an era shaped by administrators of the calibre of Gamini Dissanayake and Killi Rajamahendran, some of what they see today must make uncomfortable viewing.
Sri Lankan cricket has had numerous opportunities to address these issues. Too often, it chose to look the other way.
Take the infamous Covid bubble breach in England. Three players broke protocols, jeopardising not only the tour but the safety of everyone around them. The retired judge who conducted the inquiry noted a lack of remorse and recommended hefty fines and lengthy suspensions.
Sri Lanka Cricket ignored the learned judge’s warning. The board imposed fines but significantly reduced the bans. Once those punishments came into effect, they were watered down further. In the end, the three players effectively walked away with slaps on the wrist.
And what happened a little over a year later? Danushka Gunathilaka was arrested in Australia. A problem that could have been nipped in the bud was instead allowed to grow into a national embarrassment.
Then there is Niroshan Dickwella, one of Gunathilaka’s companions during the Covid bubble breach. Here was a young man blessed with enormous talent, capable of playing some of the most audacious strokes on the fastest pitches in the world. His knowledge of the Laws of Cricket is so sharp that he could put some international umpires to shame. After the Calcutta Test in 2017, none other than Virat Kohli praised his street smart cricket.
Yet Dickwella never fulfilled his potential.
Recently, selectors made a hue and cry about him being the best wicketkeeper in the country. That is hardly news. We know how good a wicketkeeper he is. We don’t need a Gary Kirsten to come and tell us about that. We have seen it all before. The question is what influence he has on younger players in the dressing room.
His suspension following a positive test for cocaine was initially three years before being reduced to three months on appeal. A three year suspension becoming two years would at least be understandable. Three years becoming three months is quite another matter. That is Sri Lanka Cricket for you. Sometimes you wonder whether administrators themselves sit down with Dickwella for a line of cocaine.
There was a time when cricket in Sri Lanka was largely the preserve of society’s elite, with a handful of leading Colombo schools supplying much of the national team. That landscape has changed dramatically and for the better. Today, players emerge from every corner of the island, many from simple middle class families and modest backgrounds.
But that brings its own responsibilities for administrators.
A youngster who has never handled serious money can suddenly find himself with a contract worth US$100,000, endorsement deals and celebrity status. Without proper guidance, it is easy to lose perspective.
Former SLC chief Hemaka Amarasuriya, with his strong corporate background, understood this. He championed the idea of a Cricket Academy at the R. Premadasa Stadium that would teach players on the threshold of international cricket not only the finer points of the game but also how to conduct themselves on and off the field.
Sadly, Amarasuriya’s tenure ended before the plan could be put into practice.
Several years later, Sidath Wettimuny produced a blueprint for a high performance centre equipped with everything modern cricket demanded, a state of the art gymnasium, swimming pools, the latest coaching technology and more importantly life lessons. Once Wettimuny left the board, however, those who followed found other priorities rather than building the infrastructure to bring out a good cricketer and a person.
The often repeated story in cricket circles is that Bangladesh somehow obtained that blueprint and went on to develop similar facilities around the country. Sri Lanka had ideas but repeatedly failed to follow them through. To put it simply, the last decade has been a disaster and we have made little progress.
Much is said about the importance of the democratic process and why elected officials should administer cricket. In theory, that argument is difficult to dispute. In practice, however, the democratic process in Sri Lankan cricket has produced its fair share of the bad and the ugly since the 1996 World Cup triumph.
Government appointed Interim Committees, meanwhile, have on several occasions been called upon to clean up the mess.
Admittedly, politicians subsequently abused that mechanism too, using Interim Committees to accommodate political supporters or individuals unable to win cricket elections. But look at the first three Interim Committees appointed during Chandrika Kumaratunga’s presidency, or indeed the current set up. There is purpose and direction at the moment. Above all, cricket rather than politics or personal agendas come first.
Which brings us back to the dressing room.
Changing captains and coaches will achieve only so much. Sri Lanka must start teaching young cricketers values long before they reach the national side. Discipline, humility, respect for the game, responsibility towards the team and an understanding that wearing the national cap is a privilege cannot suddenly be drilled into someone at the age of 25.
There is far too much selfishness in the modern dressing room. Image and celebrity sometimes appear to matter as much as cricket itself. Too many players seem preoccupied with cultivating a brand rather than building a career. That culture needs to change.
Sanath Jayasuriya attempted to address some of these issues during his stint as Head Coach. What Sri Lankan cricket requires now is a strong figure with unquestioned standing, someone in the mould of Arjuna Ranatunga, who is prepared to establish standards and insist that they are maintained.
At present, there is too much soft pedalling.
Perhaps Sri Lanka should take a leaf out of Rahul Dravid’s book. Start with the Under-19 team. Spend two years shaping young cricketers before they acquire the trappings of international fame. Then move with them to the ‘A’ team for another couple of years before eventually taking charge of the senior side.
By then, many of the boys who started with you at Under-19 level will have graduated to international cricket. They will understand your methods, know your standards and appreciate what you are trying to build.
It is not a quick fix. It may take five years.
Changing the captain may be the easiest decision of all. Changing the culture is the real challenge.
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Dhananjaya de Silva answered his critics with the bat and Kusal Mendis led from the front as Sri Lanka hauled themselves off the ropes to leave Pakistan toiling on the third day of the opening Test in Rawalpindi.
The former captain and his successor struck unbeaten centuries in an unbroken fifth wicket stand of 249, transforming a precarious position into one brimming with promise. Sri Lanka closed on 404 for four, just 30 short of Pakistan’s 434 for nine declared, with six wickets in the bank.
De Silva was unbeaten on 167 and Mendis on 117. A contest Pakistan had threatened to dictate was now a far more even affair, with Sri Lanka in a position to push for a first innings lead.
For de Silva, this was a timely return to form. A prolonged lean spell had left his place under scrutiny, and handing over the captaincy before the tour had done little to ease the pressure. The middle order berth still had to be earned.
He made his case emphatically. With his side needing both runs and reassurance, de Silva supplied them in abundance, scoring freely without allowing the demands of the rescue act to tie him down.
Kamindu Mendis played his part in laying the platform, making 53 and sharing a useful stand with de Silva. His dismissal gave Pakistan a chance to prise open the middle order. Instead, they ran into a partnership that would occupy them for the rest of the day.
Kusal Mendis initially played himself in, content to let de Silva set the pace. Once established, the captain widened his range, mixing patience with the willingness to take the aerial route. Four sixes punctuated his innings as Pakistan struggled to keep either batter on a tight leash.
The pair complemented each other well. There was enough enterprise to keep the scoreboard moving and enough discipline to ensure Pakistan’s solitary breakthrough remained just that. As the stand grew, the pressure changed dressing rooms.
De Silva reached three figures from 151 balls, but there was no loosening of his grip. With his hundred secured, he pressed on towards 150, turning an important contribution into the sort of substantial innings Sri Lanka had sorely needed.
Mendis followed him to a century from 152 deliveries, marking his first Test as captain with a telling contribution. Leadership had brought an immediate examination; his response was to help bat Sri Lanka back into the contest.
By stumps, de Silva had struck 20 boundaries and Mendis ten fours to go with his four sixes. More telling than the boundary count, however, was the empty wickets column Pakistan had endured after Kamindu’s departure.
Sri Lanka still have to finish the job. Drawing level is within touching distance; building a substantial lead will require another disciplined session. But after spending the early part of this Test chasing the game, they have given themselves a chance to call the shots.
Continue Reading Sports Sandaru cracks double century as Devapathiraja commence season on a strong footing Published
Sandaru Malshan extended his fine form with the Sri Lanka Under 17 team to the First XI cricket season as he cracked an unbeaten double century for Devapathiraja College Ratgama to take vital first innings points against St. Anthony’s College, Wattala in the Under-19 Division I Tier ‘B’ two-day cricket encounter at Wattala on Wednesday.
Malshan remained unbeaten on 200 as he formed the backbone of Devapathiraja’s imposing 320 for five declared (in 59.2 over) in reply to the home team’s 157.
Malshan’s double century came in just 156 balls as he struck 27 fours and three sixes.
Yasiru Lakshan supported him with 61 off 99 balls, while Puljith Wathsuka contributed 29.
Malshan was equally effective with the ball. He took two wickets for 37 runs in 15 overs in St. Anthony’s first innings of 157, before claiming another wicket for just six runs in four overs when the hosts reached 23 for one in their second innings.
It was the first match of the season for Devapathiraja.
Koshendra shines for St. Sebastian’s
Meanwhile, Koshendra Fernando produced an outstanding all-round performance as St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa secured first-innings points over Gurukula College, Kelaniya in their Under-19 Division I Tier ‘A’ two-day cricket encounter at Moratuwa.
The match ended in a draw, with St. Sebastian’s taking the crucial first-innings points after declaring on a commanding 350 for nine in 71 overs.
Koshendra was the top scorer for the hosts as he struck a superb 101 off 137 balls, including 15 fours.
Koshendra also made his contribution with the ball claiming four wickets for 67 runs in 24 overs, including seven maidens, as Gurukula were bowled out for 191 in 66.1 overs.
Following on Gurukula were 120 for six in their second innings when the match ended.
Koshendra continued his impressive bowling performance, taking another three wickets for 40 runs in 18 overs, giving him a match haul of seven wickets.
The Janashakthi Group (JXG) has officially partnered with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to launch BREAKTHROUGH, a National Entrepreneur Development Programme designed to accelerate business growth across Sri Lanka. Unveiled at a joint press conference, the initiative seeks to dismantle structural barriers, cultivate future-ready enterprises, and build a resilient economic ecosystem across all nine provinces.
The programme draws direct inspiration from the entrepreneurial journey of JXG’s Founder and Chairman Emeritus, C.T.A. Schaffter, widely regarded as a pioneer of Sri Lanka’s insurance industry. Beginning his career as an insurance clerk in 1952 before founding Janashakthi in his sixties, Schaffter demonstrated a willingness to venture beyond familiar territory – most notably founding the iconic dairy brand Kotmale in 1978 alongside diverse interests in education, manufacturing, exports, and agriculture.
Reflecting on his father’s legacy, Ramesh Schaffter, Managing Director and Group CEO of JXG, noted that building a sustainable enterprise requires the courage to look beyond conventional boundaries and turn ideas into tangible value.
“Look at what Sri Lankan entrepreneurs have achieved. Expolanka grew from a fresh produce business into a global logistics operation. Virtusa, co-founded by Sri Lankan Kris Canekeratne, developed from a small team working between Boston and Colombo into a global technology company. Vega Innovations took on the ambitious challenge of developing an electric supercar through local engineering capabilities,” Schaffter said.
“We need to create more opportunities for Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to take those steps. Through BREAKTHROUGH, JXG is making its business experience and professional capabilities available in support of this national cause – putting our purpose of ‘Breaking Barriers, Forging Futures’ into action.”
Krishan Balendra, Chairperson of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, stated that the programme provides aspiring entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs with the visibility, mentorship, and business connections needed to scale from early-stage operations to international markets.
“The ultimate goal is to develop innovative, professionally managed, standards-compliant, and export-ready enterprises capable of participating in global value chains, nurturing the business leaders of tomorrow,” Balendra said.
Shiran Fernando, CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, underscored the Chamber’s long-standing commitment to SME resilience, particularly in addressing vulnerabilities exposed in recent years. He noted that BREAKTHROUGH builds upon an established foundation that includes the Chamber’s Center for SMEs, the annual Scale-Up Sri Lanka forum, and youth entrepreneurship initiatives like SPARK, conducted in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Aligned with the strategic goals of the Ministry of Industries, the 12-month programme aims to help selected entrepreneurs overcome operational challenges, strengthen their business models, and sharpen market competitiveness.
Gamika De Silva, Group Chief Marketing Officer of JXG, added that the programme is structured to deliver lasting national impact rather than mere commercial recognition, noting that its core objective aligns closely with national economic priorities.
Leveraging the Chamber’s provincial networks, BREAKTHROUGH adopts a multi-tiered framework to uplift enterprises islandwide:
Comprehensive Sector Inclusivity: Open to businesses across diverse industries, spanning agriculture, technology, manufacturing, and services.
Ecosystem Collaboration: Inviting broader ecosystem partners to contribute resources, technical expertise, and strategic guidance.
Rigorous Evaluation and Mentorship: Selected participants will undergo financial readiness assessments and receive specialized guidance utilizing the intellectual property, technological acumen, legal frameworks, and marketing strategies of JXG and its partners.
Applications for the inaugural cohort of BREAKTHROUGH are open until January 20 via dedicated web portals. Structured as a comprehensive 12-month programme – with initial selection milestones concluding in March – the initiative is designed to provide sustained engagement and support the emergence of globally competitive enterprises originating from Sri Lanka.
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