Sports
Green light for rugby players, but SLR continues to battle AR
By A Special Sports Correspondent
The fast-running Sri Lankans and their frolics in the abbreviated form of rugby union will be missed at the opener of the Asian Sevens Rugby Series which is scheduled to commence in Thailand on October 22 (Saturday). This is on account of there being a tug-of-war between Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) and Asian Rugby (AR).
SLR’s position in the sport as of now stands in jeopardy because of its membership with the Asian rugby controlling body being suspended. The result of that move is Sri Lanka now being unable to contest international tournaments under its national flag. Arrangements however have been made for Sri Lanka’s rugby teams (men’s and women’s) to feature in the tournament’s second leg onwards under the flag of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s chances of contesting the tournament at least from the second leg scheduled in South Korea- onwards became a reality after Sri Lanka’s sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe intervened in the matter and initiated a discussion with AR President Qais Al-Dhalai. Ranasinghe had requested AR’s president to lift the ban on Sri Lanka Rugby and allow the participation of the island’s rugby teams in future Asian Sevens Tournaments.
Unlike in the 15-a-side version of the game the seven-a-side version of the sport is a discipline at the Olympic Games. Hence there are reports that Al-Dhalai was requested by the NOCSL not to prevent Sri Lanka from contesting the Asian Rugby Sevens because rugby sevens comes under the Olympic Charter. Preventing the participation of any country at sport goes against the spirit of the Olympic Games.
The SLR and AR started being at loggerheads since April this year. This was after the then sports minister Namal Rajapaksa suspended the registration of SLR with the Ministry of Sports. The AR subsequently suspended the SLR citing political interference. Then there was some good news for SLR when the court of appeal issued an enjoining order on May 13 preventing the suspension of SLR’s membership with the Ministry of Sports.
Despite the sanctions imposed on SLR its elected officials have done well in promoting the game and conducting tournaments and rugby events. The SLR has also signed MOUs with other rugby unions, signed sponsorships deals and appointed new members to serve in the governing body for rugby in Sri Lanka.
Some weeks back it organised its awards night for the winners and top players who featured in the last league rugby tournament and also conducted many rugby-related workshops and programmes. It also conducted the much-awaited inter-club rugby sevens tournament at which Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club emerged victorious.
It’s known to the rugby fraternity here that SLR President Rizly Illyas and former sports minister Namal Rajapaksa didn’t see eye to eye in rugby-related matters. Rugby sources revealed that Rajapaksa wanted to bulldoze over the SLR with his agenda; a move which Illyas and his executive committee fought fiercely with the aim of safeguarding the independence of the local rugby controlling body. Rajapaksa suspended the registration of the SLR with the Ministry of Sports through a gazette notification.
However after the regime change in the country the newly appointed sports minister Ranasinghe has been quite supportive of SLR. SLR has also received the backing of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka. NOC SL President Suresh Subramanium has, according to newspaper reports, affirmed that people and individuals entrusted with power may come and go, but sports and laws governed by the NOC must be respected. He had also added that no official nor politician is bigger than the game.
Sri Lanka’s rugby rift with Asian Rugby was even brought to light at the recently concluded Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly held in Cambodia. Also, the SLR has received the backing of the rugby fraternity at home; largely because the local rugby controlling body was victimized firstly politically and secondly by the acts of Asian Rugby. Asian Rugby has meanwhile maintained, according to media reports, that the SLR was suspended regarding matters associated with the leadership of the rugby union among other allegations.
Sanctions imposed against SLR have still not been lifted. AR in a communique, that was run on digital media, has said that ‘for the suspension on SLR to be lifted we require SLR to provide substantive and conclusive evidence that SLR is now fully responsible for the organization of rugby related matters under its jurisdiction and that it is in a position to perform its constitutional and regulatory duties in an appropriate manner’.
SLR has stood its ground and taken the fight up to the AR. Rugby sources have hinted that there could be a hidden Sri Lanka hand in this matter where the AR is tuned into working against the interests of SLR.
Despite all these issues Sri Lanka’s rugby players are set to make their appearance at the second edition of the Asian Rugby Sevens series, scheduled to take place on November 12 and 13 in South Korea. The third and final leg of the Asian Rugby Sevens will be held on November 26 and 27 in Dubai.
The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.
Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.
The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.
Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head to head record is less impressive in T20 however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.
Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.
Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh from an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.
Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.
Australia (probable XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
The one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.
England (probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley/Mark Wood
[Cricinfo]
Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.
To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.
The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.
Of course, it will take some doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily;Klassen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.
But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.
Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markam, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje
Conditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma
[Cricinfo]
Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.
However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.
But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.
Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11, Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman 3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets
[Cricinfo]
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