Posts Tagged ‘Arjuna Ranatunga’
Cricket authorities have a fresh problem to deal with after Sri Lanka asked for a changed itinerary with lesser matches for their forthcoming tour of Pakistan. A senior Pakistan Cricket Board official revealed that Sri Lanka had informed PCB that they would like to tour the country from February 15 for a series featuring two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 match.
Incidentally, the Sri Lankans had earlier agreed to play three Tests and five one-day internationals from January 20. “The situation is tricky now, because if we go by Sri Lanka’s revised itinerary then this series clashes with our confirmed tour of Bangladesh scheduled from March 3,”.
Pakistan had invited Sri Lanka to play the series after India cancelled their scheduled Future Tours Programme tour following the Mumbai terror attacks. PCB chief operating officer Saleem Altaf said he would be speaking to the Bangladesh Cricket Board to change dates for the series against Pakistan.
“We would now have to tour Bangladesh from mid-March, instead of March 3, if we are to host the Sri Lankans. I am hopeful the Bangladesh board will cooperate with us but it all depends on their FTP commitments,” Altaf said. Doubts lingered over Sri Lanka’s tour to Pakistan as the Arjuna Ranatunga-led interim committee, which had okayed the series, was sacked last week.
The Sri Lankans, however, decided to go ahead with the tour after getting security clearance from their foreign ministry. Altaf said the series against Sri Lankan was important in many ways since Pakistan had not played a Test in 2008 and was short of organising international series at home.
Pakistan is also due to host Australia from April 23 for five one-day internationals but Altaf said that it had been agreed in principle that the series could be moved to a neutral venue if the Australians are not given security clearance by their government to play in Pakistan.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ejaz Butt claims Sri Lanka’s tour next year will certainly go ahead as the island nation’s sports minister Gamini Lokuge has assured him of the series getting the requisite government clearance.
“Our High Commissioner has spoken to the sports minister who has assured him the tour is on but as per government policies, it has to be cleared by the Sri Lankan foreign ministry,” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt told.
He said Lokuge was assured that the tour, starting January 20, was definitely on and only the formalities needed to be completed. “As is the usual practice the Sri Lankan cricket authorities have to get security clearance from their foreign office. The foreign office will in turn will seek assurances from our government for proper security arrangements to be made for the series,” he said.
Pakistan invited Sri Lanka to play three Tests and five one-day internationals after India cancelled its confirmed tour to Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, which has put a big strain on relations between the two countries.
The former President of the Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee Arjuna Ranatunga had agreed to replace India but after he and his committee were sacked last week by the sports minister, the tour was under a shadow of doubt. But Butt said Lokuge had assured the Pakistan high commissioner the tour would not be affected by the change in the interim committee.
“As far as the security arrangements are concerned we will be meeting with Sri Lankan officials perhaps even the sports minister during the ACC meeting in Kuala Lumpur and we will assure them state level security plans and arrangements for the tour,” Butt said.
He also insisted that India had not called off its tour to Pakistan because of security concerns. “It was a political decision and we can’t do anything about it. But the fact is that India and Sri Lanka were both in Karachi for the Asia Cup earlier this year and they were satisfied with the arrangements we made for them,” he stated.
“All our provincial governments are coordinating with the board and the centre to assure top class security arrangements for the tour,” he said.
Butt did not agree with media reports that the Sri Lankans might call off their tour to Pakistan as they didn’t want to upset the Indian government. “I don’t know from where all this is coming from. But our relations with the Indian board remain good. Our government to government relations with Sri Lankan are excellent as well. Unfortunately sections of the Indian media have come up with stories apparently aimed at portraying a picture that isolates Pakistan cricket from all other countries.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board used diplomatic channels to convince the Sri Lankan government to give clearance for its team’s Test tour of the country from next month. PCB Director General Javed Miandad confirmed today that he had personally spoken to Sri Lankan sports minister Gamini Lokuge to get the tour on track.
“Our acting High Commissioner in Colombo, Dr Fazlur Rehman Qadri, played a big role in this. We are grateful to the Sri Lankan foreign and sports ministers for making this tour possible,” the former Pakistan captain said.
Miandad said the Sri Lanka’s tour would eventually be a lifeline for Pakistan cricket after the refusal of India to send its team. “Pakistan cricket was in danger of being isolated and for Sri Lanka to confirm their tour at this time is a big boost for us,” he said.
Pakistan had invited Sri Lanka for the tour after the Indian government refused to send its team in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks in November. The former head of the Sri Lankan Cricket’s interim committee, Arjuna Ranatunga, had confirmed the tour but after he was sacked by sports minister Lokuge, they were doubts if Sri Lanka would get clearance from its government.
With the tour now formally on, Miandad hoped it would lead to other foreign teams visiting Pakistan. “Our next aim is to ensure that Australia also agree to tour Pakistan for their one-day series in April,” Miandad said. “Pakistan badly needed to host international cricket teams and we have already started making preparations to ensure top-level security arrangements for the matches,” he said.
Pakistan have not played a Test this year following security concerns raised by the visiting teams. “We now need to plan ahead to have more international cricket at home. We need to make 2009 a far better year than 2008,” Miandad stated.
Former Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, who had predicted that Rahul Dravid would bounce back from his lean phase, was on Monday (December 22) effusive in his praise of the middle-order batsman who notched a century against England in the second Test in Mohali.
“Dravid is a fighter. That is why I said he would come back on his own soon as he has grit and determination besides the stamp of a world class batsman,” Ranatunga said.
“It is not without reason that he has surpassed 10,000 runs in Test cricket. He was going through a lean phase and I knew he would fight it out,” Ranatunga said on Dravid’s 136 that resurrected his career.
Dravid, 35, crafted a confident century, his first in 20 Test innings.
Rantunga said though the “wall” had used correct techniques, he was often unfortunate in getting dismissed for low scores.
The former World Cup winning captain and Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket said players like Dravid should be treasured since he can still contribute a lot to the game.
“Dravid should be encouraged as he has contributed to many wins for India and has some years of cricket left,” Ranatunga said.
He said Indian batsmen were getting their act together and going by current form, India could be ranked one of the best in the world.
The 45-year-old cricketer-turned-lawmaker also had a word of praise for the Indian fast bowlers and said both Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan have been performing with a lot of consistency and were coming up with good spells.
Sri Lanka Cricket Chairman Arjuna Ranatunga today (December 15) said he would not mind sending their cricket team to Pakistan if India refuses to tour their subcontinent neighbours as scheduled next month.
“We will not hesitate to send our team to Pakistan in case we are invited,” Ranatunga said.
The World Cup winning former captain said he was sure Pakistan would provide enough security arrangement to them.
“Even otherwise Pakistan has proved it can provide adequate security as it did during the Asia Cup Cricket tournament,” he said.
India’s tour of Pakistan, scheduled in January-February, is in jeopardy in the wake of recent Mumbai terror attacks, carried out by people from Pakistani.
Ranatunga described Sachin Tendulkar’s century, that helped India register a six-wicket win against England in their first Test, as one of his best, and said it was also a victory for the nation fighting terrorism.
Ranatunga said Tendulkar’s century during the trying times, when the match was precariously poised, proved that the little master could always play the sheet anchor’s role when India needed it the most.
“I think both Tendulkar and Yuvraj played a great knock today in a pitch that was turning and provided assistance to the bowlers,” he said.
Ranatunga hailed Tendulkar’s dedication en route his 41st century to Mumbai, saying he was hopeful the people, especially in the commercial capital Mumbai, will come out of the shock of the terror attack at various places there.
Ranatunga, however, said he felt very dearly for Rahul Dravid and predicted the “Wall” will come out of his poor run and start scoring runs once again.
“Dravid should be encouraged as he has contributed to many wins for India and has some years of cricket left,” Ranatunga said.
Ranatunga, who is also the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), said going by its current form India could be ranked one of the best in the world.
Karthik007's Blog 
Recent Comments