“I am totally disappointed that such a project has been stopped. These are projects which the cricket committee where Mahela Jayawardene, Michael Tissera, Kapila Wijegunawardene and me, we all came up with it because we felt it was vital for the overall plan in developing our cricket to bring in the youth to train and develop in these areas. It is a huge blow for cricket,” said Wettimuny.

SLC on Wednesday said in a media release that it had decided to temporarily suspend construction of the indoor nets projects at the R Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), Pallekele and Dambulla due to SLC not obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities.

The release further stated that SLC would re-assess the high costs involved in construction (Rs. 248 million) and the space allocation at the respective venues.

Reacting to the allegations that the interim committee had not obtained approvals from the relevant authorities Wettimuny stated, “For the project the provision of Rs 248 million is already in the budget. In 2006 and in 2010 when they built the Khettarama Stadium they applied to the Colombo Municipal Council to get an assessment number and they never got it. We also applied and it never came. But we are under the Sugathadasa Stadium Committee who owns the property which has been leased to SLC. We got written approval to go ahead with the construction. When we brought the trees down we got the approval from the Pradeshiya Sabha.

“Pallekele belongs to the BOI (Board of Investment) and we have got BOI approval. It was on a BOI project that the stadium was built, even the BOI board guys came to our opening ceremony. According to my chief engineer there was no need to get anybody’s approval because it is developed by the board.

“Dambulla we had to get permission from the chief monk who owns the land. We obtained permission from him and he was even invited for the opening ceremony. He gave a speech saying that after so many years some good has been done for this area where thousands of children will benefit because they don’t have any place to go and hire and practice.

“The Sports Minister himself came for both opening ceremonies at Pallekele and Dambulla and said virtually the same thing.”

Explaining further Wettimuny said, “First they said there were no cash, then no parking space. For five days of international cricket they are depriving 360 days of fantastic training opportunities for cricketers. There is no logic it is basically to hit at the interim committee. Ultimately it is the cricketers who suffer from such petty mindedness.”

“Imagine the number of cricketers who will be deprived of the facilities in Kandy and Dambulla. I am baffled as to why such a decision has been taken because the end result must be that cricket should benefit and nothing else,” said Wettimuny.

“It’s a crying shame that such things can be done for petty reasons. Nobody has asked anyone to stop the work. They are finding petty excuses to stop a project started by the interim committee. It’s an absolute crime and a national shame to do a thing like this.”

“Malinga was originally expected to undergo the test on December 23 but it was postponed by three days on the advice of his doctors,” said chief selector Kapila Wijegunawardene.

Malinga who is struggling to be fit from a bone related injury to his left knee which he sustained during the ODI series against West Indies in October-November is being attended to by consultant physician Dr Arjuna de Silva and consultant rheumatologist Dr Harindu Wijesinghe in consultation with orthopaedic surgeon Dr David Young in Australia.

“Lasith’s injury is not a serious one but he is experiencing some pain. We as selectors have the utmost confidence that he will come through the test and be available for at least the second half of the ODI series,” said Wijegunawardene.

“We know Lasith is a tough character and he has managed himself well in the past even with injuries. However we will not push him too much. We will take a cautious approach as we will need him for the important tournaments ahead like the Asia Cup and the World T20,” he said.

Malinga is the captain of the Sri Lanka T20 side that won the World T20 held in Bangladesh last year and will defend their title in India in March.

Fast bowling all-rounder Thisara Perera has been flown to New Zealand as Malinga’s replacement while Nuwan Kulasekara has taken the place of injured Dhammika Prasad and Kithuruwan Vithanage drafted into the ODI side for Kusal Perera.

The national selectors believe that it is the right time to provide the necessary international exposure to these promising youngsters following the retirement of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

In fact Sri Lanka has tried out three batsmen for the vacant number three position with Lahiru Thirimanne, Upul Tharanga and Dimuth Karunaratne all failing to deliver the desired results in the recent past.

As a result the three-day fixture that starts on October 8 at the SSC ground in Maitland Place has virtually turned out to be a trial match with the national selectors having a close eye on some of the potential players.

“We are really concerned about these young players who will be our future stars, and we feel we should give these players more international exposure so that they could prove themselves at the highest level,” revealed chairman national selection committee Kapila Wijegunawardene.

The head of the national selection committee further stated that they have been following and observing these players in the recent past during the domestic and Sri Lanka A tours and believed that the players should be in a position to take up the challenge at Test match level.

“We have a systematic way of providing these opportunities to the up and coming players and we will open the pathways for them at the correct time so that they could make an impact in different formats of the game”.

The Sri Lanka team is of course hoping to bounce back following two back-to-back 1-2 home series defeats at the hands of India and Pakistan recently.

However Wijegunawardena noted that they are not very much concerned about the recent performances and the results on the field and believe that they would still like to have a couple of youngsters making it to the Test squad.

“We have some talented players like Milinda Siriwardena, Kusal Mendis, Minodh Bhanuka, Angelo Jayasinghe and Vishwa Fernando who have been knocking at the door for quite some time and we will certainly consider their performances,” added Wijegunawardena.

However the recent bad weather conditions have not only affected the training schedule of the players but even the strategy of the national selectors who are still undecided on wheather they should attack with pace or spin.

“I think our strength in the recent past have been more on spin but with the current bad weather conditions we are yet to make up our mind in this regard,” emphasised Wijegunawardena.

However Sri Lanka is likely to stick with the style of fielding seven batsmen and four bowlers. In fact it was the batting department that certainly let the side down during the home series against India and Pakistan.

Wijegunawardena also stated that none of the batting positions in the team were fixed and they need to work out the combinations depending on the players’ talent and potential.

He believed that the series against the West Indies will be another good opportunity for them to carry out some experiments and to identify the most suitable batsman for the respective position.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=sports/sri-lanka-blood-youth#sthash.K3cGZB6Z.dpuf

“No doubt it was a very bad day at the office for our boys in Galle, but such is the nature of the beast that wins and losses are part and parcel of international sport and we need to take it in our stride.”
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by ten wickets in a match reduced to four days due to rain in Galle, dismissing their opponents for 206 in their second innings and knocking off the necessary 90 runs at more than eight an over without losing a wicket. Sri Lanka batting first scored 300 to which Pakistan replied with 417. That gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.
The former Sri Lanka fast bowler was of the view Angelo Mathews’ men had clearly failed to play to their full potential in the first Test, following a break from international duty for nearly three months since being beaten by South Africa in the World Cup quarter-final in March this year. ‘They clearly looked rusty out there’ was how he described the form of his charges in the first Test.
But, he refused to trot it out as an excuse for Sri Lanka’s abject second innings collapse in Galle which handed the Pakistanis a 10-wicket win – which was also the first occasion a touring team had won a Test by such a margin in this country.
“I felt there were no major terrors in that wicket on day five, but at the same time there were more than a few ill-advised shots which were played by our batsmen which caused Sri Lanka’s downfall,” opined the selection chief ruling out any wholesale changes to the squad in the wake of the chastening first Test loss.
Wijegunawardene who replaced former captain Sanath Jayasuriya as the new Selection Committee Chief in early April this year was confident that the current players had it in them to comeback strongly in the on-going series.
Asked whether there were any perceived weaknesses in Sri Lanka’s overall performance in the series opener, the former pacer noted playing Pakistan leg spinner Yasir Shah more effectively the next time around would be the ultimate test for the home side.
Fast rising leg-spinner Shah ripped through the Sri Lankan second innings with figures of 7-76 — the best by a leggie in Sri Lanka — to help Pakistan turn the tables on their hosts in Galle.
“I think we can counter Shah the next time around considering our prowess at playing spin. It was one of those things that we got foxed down in Galle. But, I am optimistic that we have the batsmen to keep him at bay in the remaining two Tests.”
The Selection Committee Chief said the form of seasoned left-arm spinner Rangana Herath who could only grab a solitary scalp in the entire game for 129 runs was not an undue concern.
He however, backed Herath, who was coming back to international cricket following injury, to rediscover his mojo that rattled the Pakistanis during a two-match Test series last year. Herath mesmerized the tourists with 23 wickets in that series which Angelo Mathews’ team won 2-0.
The soft-spoken Wijegunawardene who represented his country between 1988 and 1992 winning two Tests and 26 ODI caps in the process, also rubbished claims Kumar Sangakkara’s imminent retirement was distracting the rest of the team.
“More than any distractions, those who are tipped to take over from Sanga once he quits, are looking to grab their chances with both hands and that is the positive vibe that is coming out of the dressing room right now,” quipped the ex-pacer noted for playing a key role having bowled legendary West Indies Captain Viv Richards in Sri Lanka’s first ODI win over West Indies in Rajkot back in 1989.
After the third Test due to start on 3 July in Pallekele, the teams will also play five one-day and two Twenty20 internationals.