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   http://www.lankanewspapers.com/zaharan - Archive of Feb 2011




Astrologer Predicts India Vs Sri Lanka In World Cup 2011 Semi Final
Tuesday, 1 February 2011 - 12:26 PM SL Time

According to a local astrologer (Jyotish) in Mawanella, central Sri Lanka we are most likely to witness a repeat version of the first semi-final of 1996 Wills World Cup, and only the results this time seems to be different. The astrologer predicts a strong star for Sri Lanka in the 2011 cricket world cup, only second to India`s stronger star.

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Sri Lanka Hope To Make Most Of Home Comforts
Tuesday, 1 February 2011 - 6:02 PM SL Time

NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka`s ability to rise to the occasion makes them one of the most feared teams in the World Cup, especially in favourable home conditions.

When the focus was on other sides in the 2007 edition in the Caribbean, Sri Lanka steadily emerged as deserving challengers to Australia in the final with their solid all-round show.

They have often proved tough customers in all conditions, having depth in batting and bowling. Their best in recent months came when they clinched their maiden one-day series in Australia under Kumar Sangakkara.

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Sri Lanka President Congratulates Five-Year Old Record Setting Swimmer
Wednesday, 2 February 2011 - 6:38 PM SL Time

Feb 01, Colombo:

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today (yesterday) invited Viyama Oshadi, the five-year old who set a record swimming 1000 meters across the Kelani River to the Temple Trees and congratulated her for her extraordinary feat.

Oshadi residing in Sedawatta, Wellampitiya is a student of the Carlton pre-school, Maligawatta of which First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa is the Principal.

According to the local media reports Oshadi swam across the river starting from Kelani River bank in Sedawatta under the observation of two instructors of the Sports Medical Institute, G.A. Ranil Panditaratne and J.R.J.Udugama. Oshadhi took 14 minutes and 41 seconds to swim across the river.

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Sri Lanka Are `Red Hot Favourites` To Win World Cup - Hayden
Thursday, 3 February 2011 - 10:17 AM SL Time

Former Australian opening batsman, Matthew Hayden, has tipped Sri Lanka as one of his favourites to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

The top four teams are Sri Lanka, Australia, India and South Africa. But Lankans are the red hot favourites, the 39 year old said yesterday speaking at a charity auction in Chennai, India.

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Tharanga Warms Up For World Cup With Century - Sri Lanka Beat West Indies By Eight Wickets
Friday, 4 February 2011 - 10:43 AM SL Time

By Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies at the Sinhalese Sports Club grounds yesterday when they won the second ODI by eight wickets.

Chasing a revised target of 197 in 47 overs, opening batsman Upul Tharanga hit an unbeaten hundred to help Sri Lanka win inside 43 overs.

After Tillekeratne Dilshan departed early for 11, Tharanga added 80 runs for the second wicket with Kumar Sangakkara (20) and an unbroken 97 for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene, who made less than run-a-ball 48.

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Sri Lanka Need To Fix Middle Order, Ranatunga
Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 10:59 AM SL Time

Kumar Sangakkara or Mahela Jayawardene should drop down and bolster a concerning middle order if Sri Lanka are to be successful at this month`s World Cup, former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga told Reuters.

Ranatunga, the burly left-handed batsman who led Sri Lanka to the title the last time it was played in the subcontinent in 1996, believes the island nation are the favourites, besides India, to win the World Cup for a second time.

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R. Premadasa Stadium - February 04, 2011
Saturday, 5 February 2011 - 6:39 PM SL Time

The R. Premadasa Stadium, which plays host to key World Cup games in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, has undergone large-scale renovations since 2009, costing Sri Lanka Cricket eight million dollars. The seating capacity has increased from 14,000 to 35,000 and the media-box is now able to accommodate 200 journalist, among other upgrades.

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Lanka Looks To Clinch Series
Sunday, 6 February 2011 - 10:06 AM SL Time

SL - WI FINAL ONE-DAYER AT SSC:

Sri Lanka will be looking forward to register their second successive victory against the West Indies and win the three-match series when the two teams meet in the third and final one day international to be played at SSC grounds today.

Sri Lanka will be brimming with confidence, having won the second match by eight wickets at the same venue three days ago.

Kumar Sangakkara and his men have won their past three completed ODI matches while the West Indies have suffered defeats in their past five appearances in ODIs, apart from the rain-washed out first game in the current series. A win today would enable the hosts to win the series 2-0 as a morale booster for the upcoming ICC World Cup which begins in the subcontinent later this month.

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Are We Ready For World Cup?
Sunday, 6 February 2011 - 4:59 PM SL Time

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is 12 days away. Sri Lanka starts the campaign with a match against Canada at Sooriyawewa Stadium on February 20. Let`s talk about our preparations for the mega event.

All three stadiums have got the ICC approval but on one condition that they will be completed in 14 days or before the completion of the tournament. But it is learnt that a heavy work load is still remaining at Sooriyawewa. We are not sure if cricket officials have put in enough effort to finish the stadium down south. Since the president of the country hails from this area, any mishap or bungling will not be His Excellency`s liking. He should not be made a laughing stock.

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Renovation Work Costing Rs.40 Million Commences In Sri Lankan Capital Ahead Of Cricket World Cup
Monday, 7 February 2011 - 11:55 AM SL Time

Sri Lankan authorities have taken measures to renovate certain areas of Colombo ahead of the Cricket World Cup 2011 tournament scheduled to commence in the Sri Lankan capital in mid-February.

The Cricket World Cup 2011 matches are scheduled to commence on February 19. The first match in Colombo will be held on February 26 at R. Premadasa Stadium in Kettarama.

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Sanga Regrets Losing Home Advantage For World Cup - Training At Pallekele And Hambantota Abandoned
Monday, 7 February 2011 - 5:47 PM SL Time

by Rex Clementine

The national cricket team`s preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup suffered another severe blow after it was revealed on Sunday that the 15 member World Cup squad will not have any training sessions at Hambantota or Pallekele, ahead of the game`s flagship event.

This means that the national cricket team will play their first World Cup games at the two newly constructed venues with no idea about the ground situation.

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Sanga Wants To Stick With Current Batting Line-Up
Tuesday, 8 February 2011 - 10:56 AM SL Time

by Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara says the current batting line-up of his side will remain for the World Cup where he will occupy the number three slot followed by Mahela Jayawardena at number four. Last week country`s World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga said that Sri Lanka will do well in the game`s flagship event if one of the two senior Sri Lankan batsmen drop down to number five to strengthen a fragile middle order.

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Top Coaches On SLC Radar
Tuesday, 8 February 2011 - 6:07 PM SL Time

By Channaka de Silva

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has approached two Australians and two South Africans to rope them in for the job of national coach as present Sri Lanka team coach Trevor Bayliss is due to end his term after the forthcoming World Cup, sources said.

Australians Tom Moody and Darren Lehmann together with South Africans Ray Jennings and Mickey Arthur are the four names SLC officials are contemplating to secure for the job.

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Cricketers Sacked After Hotel Frolic
Wednesday, 9 February 2011 - 12:19 PM SL Time

A prominent Sri Lanka Under-19 cricketer who makes news for the wrong reasons is reported to have been sacked from the team after he was caught misbehaving with a foreign woman in his hotel in Colombo during the recently concluded series against England.

The player, whose father is a VIP, was dismissed from the squad along with another team-mate who had committed the same breach of discipline.

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Sri Lanka Wary Of World Cup Minnows
Wednesday, 9 February 2011 - 4:38 PM SL Time

Ace Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said Wednesday his team should not lower their guard against smaller teams in their quest to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.

Sri Lanka are in Group A with defending champions Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya, with the top four sides qualifying for the quarter-finals.

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Murali Calls Scheduling Kiwi - Lanka Game `Mystery`
Thursday, 10 February 2011 - 10:28 AM SL Time

by Rex Clementine

Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan called his team`s scheduling of the first round World Cup match against New Zealand in Bombay `a mystery`. Sri Lanka are one of the co-hosts of the tournament and although they host the second most tournament matches of the World Cup behind India, their game against the Kiwis was scheduled at Bombay instead of any of Sri Lanka`s three venues.

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1996 World Cup Heroes Inspire Sanga
Thursday, 10 February 2011 - 1:58 PM SL Time

Sri Lanka cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara says the 1996 World Cup winning team`s determination inspired him. Sangakkara was a schoolboy when Arjuna Ranatunga`s side stunned the world by emerging champions 15 years ago and he spoke highly of Sri Lanka`s unbeaten run in the sixth edition of the World Cup.

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World Cup Warm-Ups Shifted From Pallekele
Friday, 11 February 2011 - 10:27 AM SL Time

Heavy monsoon rains have forced the International Cricket Council to move World Cup warm-up matches from Sri Lanka`s Pallekele stadium, tournament organisers said Thursday.

Sri Lanka has been hit by monsoon downpours since December hampering preparation of the pitches at the newly-built Pallekele venue in the island`s central district.

Pallekele was to host practice matches between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands on Saturday and Kenya and the Netherlands on Tuesday. A new venue for the two matches will be announced shortly, the organisers said in a statement.

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`They Don`t Wake Up With Sore Knees Every Morning Like I Do` - Malinga
Saturday, 12 February 2011 - 10:30 AM SL Time

In an exclusive interview with Island Cricket, Lasith Malinga explains why he may not play another Test match for Sri Lanka again.

Why are you unable to play Test cricket but not ODIs and Twenty20s?

I missed the last Test series against West Indies because the team management decided not to risk aggravating my knee problems before the World Cup.

Test cricket or 3 - 4 day cricket places a much bigger strain on my knees because I have to be able to bowl a minimum of 15-20 overs in a day, on consecutive days. And in Test cricket, these days, you also have to play back to back games.

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We Are Well Prepared - Sangakkara
Sunday, 13 February 2011 - 12:23 PM SL Time

By Ranjan ANANDAPPA

WORLD CUP CRICKET:

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara said that his team is geared up to face any situation in the up-coming World Cup Cricket Tournament. The team is not worried, and they do not want to have negative thoughts of the preparation of grounds. He said that the final decision was to play well and be consistent on whatever grounds that are given for the matches.

We are just going to be prepared as well as we can and do our best against whatever challenge condition and challenge we have to face, said the confident Sangakkara.

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Bayliss Happy With `Impressive` Sri Lanka
Sunday, 13 February 2011 - 6:56 PM SL Time

Sri Lanka team coach Trevor Bayliss applauded his team`s performances in the warm-up as `impressive` and said the future looks even brighter for the islanders with some exciting youngsters proving their mettle.

Sri Lanka tested some of their young and exciting players in the opening warm-up against Netherlands and they came up with brilliant all round performance to record a massive win.

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Cricket World Cup: Sri Lanka Hoping To Repeat Triumph
Monday, 14 February 2011 - 12:30 PM SL Time

Cricket fans and analysts alike in Sri Lanka hope that the 1996 champions can repeat their World Cup success when the 2011 event starts on Friday.

Sri Lanka are co-hosting the tournament with India and Bangladesh.

Roy Dias, a former vice-captain and national selector, said: `If you compare the 1996 and 2011 teams, both are very well balanced.`
`I think Kumar Sangakkara`s team is focussed very much to win the World Cup,` Dias told BBC Sinhala service.

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World Cup Format Favours Top Teams
Monday, 14 February 2011 - 6:14 PM SL Time

The format of this month`s cricket World Cup was tweaked to give India and other big teams a better chance of advancing in the tournament, a top organiser said on Wednesday.

Tournament director Ratnakar Shetty described the early exit of India and Pakistan from the last World Cup, played in the Caribbean, as a disaster for the event and said the format was altered to avoid a repeat.

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Sri Lanka Is Australia`s Biggest Threat At The World Cup
Tuesday, 15 February 2011 - 11:03 AM SL Time

Former Australian players Damien Fleming, Mark Waugh and Greg Blewett have named Sri Lanka as Australia`s biggest threat at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

Speaking on an Australian cricket show broadcast on Fox Sports, all three players picked Sri Lanka as the side to beat in cricket`s showpiece event, which starts on February 19.

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Sri Lanka`s World Cup Venues Are `Good To Go,` says Lorgat
Tuesday, 15 February 2011 - 6:15 PM SL Time

Sri Lanka`s three World Cup stadiums are good to go, according to International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

Just days ahead of the first match of the tournament, speaking to the Reuters news agency, Lorgat said that he no longer had concerns over any of the venues.

Despite stadiums in Sri Lanka not meeting initial ICC deadlines for completion of construction and renovations, all three were now ready, he said.

We felt they [Eden Gardens - Kolkata] would not be ready by February 27 but they had every opportunity to be ready for the matches in March and we`ve got to the point now when all of the venues are going to be ready for the games scheduled, Lorgat said.

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Sri Lanka-Canada Match A Sell Out
Wednesday, 16 February 2011 - 11:38 AM SL Time

Sri Lanka`s opening World Cup match against cricketing minnows Canada has been sold out, Sri Lanka Cricket said Tuesday.

Ticket prices for the new 35,000-seater Hambantota stadium in Sri Lanka`s deep south started from 150 rupees up to a maximum of 1,000 rupees. All tickets were sold out for Sri Lanka`s maiden encounter against Canada, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement. The match will be played on February 20.

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Beware Of The Bite Of The Underdog
Wednesday, 16 February 2011 - 5:42 PM SL Time

By Shanaka Amarasinghe

Not many people would know who John Davison is unless you`re a cricket nut. He is the 40-plus Canadian batsman who had the fastest century in a World Cup tournament.

It`s not Shahid Afridi, Adam Gilchrist or even Sanath Jayasuriya. It`s `Jim,` from a country that plays ice-hockey and exports bad music. He held for a while, the coveted batting feat, until the marauding Mathew Hayden of the last tournament.

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Skippers In Rickshaws As World Cup Opens
Friday, 18 February 2011 - 10:26 AM SL Time

The opening ceremony of the World Cup got under way Thursday with the captains of the 14 competing teams paraded through Dhaka`s historic Bangabandhu Stadium in colourfully draped rickshaws.

Protected by a sheet of bullet-proof glass, Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina watched as home skipper Shakib Al Hasan received a rapturous welcome from the packed arena as he arrived at the rear of the unusual parade.

The two-hour event, in which Ricky Ponting, captain of defending champions Australia, led the sparkling three-wheeled procession, saw 3,500 performers putting on a show reflecting Indian, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi culture.

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No Papare For Cricket World Cup In Sri Lanka
Saturday, 19 February 2011 - 10:30 AM SL Time

New security measures will prevent cricket fans from bringing their musical instruments to ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 matches in Sri Lanka. Alcohol will also prohibited and fans already under the influence of alcohol will be denied entry, authorities said today.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Colombo, inspector general of police in Sri Lanka Mahinda Balasuriya told reporters that banners, glass bottles, laser pointers, sharp instruments, professional cameras and fireworks would also be considered as prohibited items.

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India Seek Revenge In WC Opener Against Bangladesh
Saturday, 19 February 2011 - 2:28 PM SL Time

Dhaka: India take on Bangladesh in the 2011 World Cup opener on Saturday with a chance to exact revenge for a shock loss in the previous edition four years ago.

Bangladesh ensured India`s early exit in the first round of the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is determined to avoid any repeat on the subcontinent.

Dhoni`s men have won both their warmup games ahead of the 14-nation tournament and the manner of their crushing victory over New Zealand on Wednesday is just what the skipper wants to see this weekend.

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Jayawardene Praises Premadasa Stadium Lights
Saturday, 19 February 2011 - 6:21 PM SL Time

Mahela Jayawardene heaped praise on the newly reconstructed R. Premadasa Stadium and said the Sri Lankan team was heartened by what they found there when they played their second ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 warm up match at the venue.

Playing under lights at the R. Premadasa Stadium was what we were after and we were heartened by what we encountered, Jayawardene wrote on his website.

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Hambantota Decked Up For Sri Lanka`s Opener
Sunday, 20 February 2011 - 10:20 AM SL Time

Sri Lanka take on Canada in this recently important port town in south Sri Lanka at a venue that both the competing teams know nothing about because no one has ever played on it, and against the backdrop of a history of encounters that the underdogs would want to forget.

Repeated delays in completion of the stadium just outside the town has meant that the Sri Lankan team has not had a good look at the pitch and the Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara had described this as tantamount to losing home advantage. Plans to have a few warm-up matches in Hambantota had to be given up because of unseasonal rains.

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Sri Lanka Won`t Take Canada Lightly
Sunday, 20 February 2011 - 2:23 PM SL Time

Open World Cup campaign in Hambantota today

Pitted as one of firm favourites to this year`s cricket title along with India, South Africa and England, Sri Lanka will open its World Cup campaign against minnows Canada today afternoon at the brand new stadium in Hambantota, a venue unknown to both teams.

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Jayawardene To Decide On Future After World Cup
Sunday, 20 February 2011 - 7:10 PM SL Time

Mahela Jayawardene said that he will be assessing his career after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, which got underway today.

The 33 year old former Sri Lankan captain, with 332 ODI matches under his belt, will be playing in his fourth World Cup.

I will decide on my future after this tournament, Jayawardene wrote on ESPNCricinfo.

I will see how my body feels and assess how much international cricket I have left in me.

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Mahela Hits Fastest World Cup Hundred For Sri Lanka
Monday, 21 February 2011 - 10:30 AM SL Time

Mahela Jayawardane stroked a delightful century as Sri Lanka amassed 332 for seven wickets in 50 overs against Canada in their World Cup cricket match being played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Sooriyawewa on Sunday.

Jayawardane and skipper Sangakkara took the Canadian bowlers by their necks to build a 173 runs stand for the third wicket. The pair left the crease inside two overs but the middle order took charge of the situation to steel 56 runs off a mere six overs.

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Malinga Fit For Pakistan Clash
Monday, 21 February 2011 - 4:04 PM SL Time

Despite missing Sri Lanka`s opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 against Canada today, Lasith Malinga will play in the co-hosts` next match of the tournament, when they take-on Pakistan in Colombo on February 26.

Sri Lanka chose to rest Malinga when the right-arm fast bowler picked up a back strain during a practise session in the lead up to the game against Canada.

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Ban On Props Removed
Monday, 21 February 2011 - 6:38 PM SL Time

To promote the World Cup and to encourage the cricketers the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mahinda Balasuriya has taken a decision to allow spectators to take posters, banners and other propaganda materials to World Cup venues following several appeals by the public.

Music to all World Cup venues is being provided by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) therefore the spectators do not need to bring music groups and musical instruments, the police said.

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Batting Concerns Remain For Sri Lanka
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 - 10:35 AM SL Time

Hambantota: Despite buoyancy in the camp after their handsome 210 runs victory in the opening A Group World Cup game, there are still areas of concern in the Sri Lanka batting order.

If there is a genuine evaluation of the lower middle-order`s performance against Canada, the analysis in the aftermath of the debut performance at the fancy Sooiryawewa Stadium against the Canadian bowling, will show how three batsmen missed their chance to make an important impact.

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Lasith Malinga`s House Burgled
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 - 1:10 PM SL Time

The home of leading Cricketer Lasith Maliga`s wife`s home had been burgled. The incident had occurred at the home located at Angoda, Awissawela area.

Approximately 50 lacks worth of items had got burgled. The time Lalith Malinga was playing the world cup matches, none of the inmates were in the residence, and this opportunity was utilized by the robbers and had broken the home for stealing states reports.

Information states, Jewellery embossed with diamonds, gold jewels, digital cameras, electronic equipments and some gifts obtained for Lasith Malinga during cricket matches were robbed.

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Sanga Hopes For Hathuru`s Return
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 - 7:00 PM SL Time

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara hopes former shadow coach Chandika Hathurusinghe would return to serve Sri Lanka cricket soon.

Hathurusinghe, the former Sri Lanka opener, was serving as Sri Lanka`s shadow coach before being unceremoniously dumped on disciplinary grounds and is now doing duty for the Canada team as the assistant coach.

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Aussie Couple Gives Cup Fans Food For Thought
Wednesday, 23 February 2011 - 11:08 AM SL Time

COLOMBO: Enjoy a cold beer at Bradman`s bar, relive Bodyline`s ruthless history before tucking into a Dickie Bird Burger.

A restaurant on the outskirts of Colombo, set-up inside an old bungalow by a couple of cricket-loving Aussie surfers, is proving to be a home-from-home for World Cup fans.

The Cricket Club Cafe is packed with memorabilia from the sport`s past with a section dedicated to each of the top teams participating in the six-week World Cup which Sri Lanka is co-hosting with India and Bangladesh.

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Sri Lanka Back In Tune With Fans, On Minister`s Orders
Wednesday, 23 February 2011 - 2:21 PM SL Time

Sri Lanka removed a ban on Tuesday on taking musical instruments into the island nation`s World Cup venues, a day ahead of an expected low attendance match between Pakistan and Kenya.

Sri Lankans, especially youths, love to watch cricket accompanied by music from within the ground and the initial ban threatened to take away much needed atmosphere, especially at sparsely attended games.

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Sri Lanka Bans Violent World Cup Song
Wednesday, 23 February 2011 - 7:00 PM SL Time

World Cup song which carries threats against defending champions Australia as well as earthquake-hit New Zealand has been banned on orders of the Sri Lankan president.

The song warns that Ricky Ponting`s Australians will end up as bird food while New Zealanders, still reeling from the Christchurch quake, could have their jaws broken.

President Mahinda Rajapakse heard the Sinhalese and Tamil mixed song and wanted it taken off all state-run radio and television channels, an official close to the president told AFP.

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Sri Lankan Fans Ripped Off
Thursday, 24 February 2011 - 10:44 AM SL Time

Large scale racketeering is reported to be taking place with tickets for Sri Lanka`s World Cup match against Pakistan being sold at exorbitant rates, cricket fans told the Daily Mirror yesterday.

They said they were compelled to purchase tickets priced at Rs. 50 at Rs.1500 sold out on the streets.

An investigation conducted by the Daily Mirror revealed that a leading official at the World Cup Secretariat in Colombo was calling the shots and promoting the sale of tickets at black-market rates while some other employees were also helping out .

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Hambantota, Sri Lanka`s New Sport`s Capital?
Thursday, 24 February 2011 - 2:25 PM SL Time

HAMBANTOTA: We`ve gushed over how quickly Hambantota got ready for the World Cup, we cursed how far it is from the main city and ran out of count of the number of difficulties one had to face to reach the venue where the two World Cup matches were staged and staged successfully at that.

Now, as the Hambantota party ends, it`s time to take stock of the pros and cons of having a $9 million cricket venue in an essentially poor territory. Namal Rajapasa, son of Sri Lankan president Namal Rajapaksa, whose brainchild the stadium is and who is member of parliament from this region, allays the fears of the people who think this could be a white elephant and lays down his plans to bring the Commonwealth Games here in 2018.

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Sri Lanka Sweat Over Malinga`s Fitness
Friday, 25 February 2011 - 10:23 AM SL Time

Colombo: Sri Lanka and Pakistan slip out of their World Cup comfort zone on Saturday when they face each other in a subcontinent Group A `derby` for their first serious test after both claimed comfortable opening victories.

The match has added significance too as it was a gun attack on the Sri Lankan team in 2009 in Lahore which led to Pakistan`s ongoing bar on staging international fixtures.

The hosts face a big call on fast bowler Lasith Malinga who according to team manager Anura Tennekoon has recovered from a sore back that saw him rested for the opening game against Canada.

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Bring On Muralitharan, says Pakistan Coach
Saturday, 26 February 2011 - 10:25 AM SL Time

Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in ODI and Test cricket, will be playing in his last World Cup and is expected to announce his retirement after the tournament.

In the past if Muralitharan had plans for us, we have played really well against him in this country, Younis told reporters at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today.

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Can Sri Lanka Change Its Cup History Against Pakistan?
Saturday, 26 February 2011 - 2:28 PM SL Time

History is stacked against Sri Lanka as it takes on Pakistan on Saturday in its first World Cup match against that country in 19 years. Pakistan has won each one of the six encounters when the teams have met in a World Cup match and the last game was in Perth in 1992.

But then, form has a one-way relationship with history. Form makes history. On paper, Sri Lanka looks more balanced and has proved that it can deliver, last year it won all but six of the 26 ODIs it played. Pakistan goes into the match with a record that does no justice to the talent in the team the recent New Zealand series win was preceded by losses in nine series.

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Pakistan Surprises Co-Hosts Sri Lanka
Sunday, 27 February 2011 - 11:01 AM SL Time

By Dinouk Colombage

Co-hosts Sri Lanka took on potential world champions Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Prior to the game the media believed that this encounter would prove to be one of the tighter games, and they were not mistaken.

Winning the toss and choosing the bat first the Pakistan openers got off to a flyer, attacking everything that the Sri Lanka bowlers threw at them. However it was not long before Ahmed Shehzad was removed by Thisara Perera for 13. Mohammed Hafeez and Kamran Akmal combined to put on 48 runs in 6.4 overs. They had set the tone early and clearly showed that they were going to take the attack to the Sri Lankans. The introduction of Muttiah Muralitharan got the desired result, although not in the manner they expected, with Hafeez being run out for 32.

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Buoyant India To Take On Scratchy England
Sunday, 27 February 2011 - 2:29 PM SL Time

Bangalore: England will have to contend with some explosive batting and a vociferous home crowd when it takes on World Cup favorite and co-host India in a much-awaited Group B match on Sunday.

India, which began the tournament with a comprehensive 87-run victory over Bangladesh in Dhaka, plays their first match on home soil at the Chinnaswamy Stadium with all eyes on its famed batting lineup.

The victory over fellow co-host Bangladesh, seen as revenge for a costly defeat in the last World Cup, came after emphatic wins over defending champion Australia and New Zealand in practice games.

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`Genius` Warne Predicted Correctly: Strauss
Monday, 28 February 2011 - 11:29 AM SL Time

Bangalore:

England captain Andrew Strauss, who won the man of the match award for his brilliant 158 in Sunday`s World Cup match against India, said Australian legendary leg spinner Shane Warne was a `genius` to have said that the clash would end in a tie.

`I think Warne is a genius to have predicted that way (a tie). What more can I say,` a disappointed Strauss told reporters late Sunday, after the group B league match ended in a dramatic tie at the Chinnaswamy stadium in the heart of this technology hub.

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Sri Lankan Fans Have Seemingly Set Their Expectations Too High At World Cup
Monday, 28 February 2011 - 6:30 PM SL Time

DISAPPOINTED Sri Lankan fans have lashed out at their team after it slipped to a World Cup defeat against Pakistan. Even though they lost by only 11 runs and still have a strong chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

Despite high hopes before the match, 1996 champion Sri Lanka fell short of Pakistan`s total of 7-277, leaving thousands at a packed R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo devastated.

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