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Wednesday, 30 August 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The proposed charity Twenty20 game in Colombo on 8 September between a Sri Lanka XI and a World XI has been postponed, Sri Lanka Cricket said yesterday.
The match had been earmarked to raise funds for flood-affected children in the country as well as those hit by drought in other parts of Sri Lanka, and had been formally announced during the third Sri Lanka-India Test in Pallekele earlier this month.
However, SLC said on Tuesday that the game had been postponed at the recommendation of their Technical Committee. Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley De Silva said: “The Technical Committee of SLC has evaluated the factors involved and feel quite rightly that we need to give our players a break after several months of intense cricket. In addition to this, a couple of key players like Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara are also not available on this date, so we felt that we could afford to wait a while and play this game at a more conducive time.”
When the match was first announced, SLC had played their cards close to their chest, not willing to reveal the names of the players that would constitute the World XI. There was greater clarity once the game was put off.
“I must extend my sincere thanks to the players who confirmed their participation – Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan (India), Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq and Abdul Razzaq (Pakistan), Tymal Mills (England), Graeme Cremer (Zimbabwe), Luke Ronchi (New Zealand), JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien (South Africa) amongst others, as well the respective boards for the support extended,” de Silva said.
The purpose of this game was to raise funds for the disaster-affected, with a special focus on children who have lost their parents, single mothers and the elderly who have been left destitute, the SLC added, and reiterated their commitment to stage the game at a more convenient date. “We have by no means abandoned this plan, and we will definitely be playing this match at the earliest possible date,” said de Silva.
Iconic fast bowler Lasith Malinga has been appointed the captain for the fourth ODI against India to be played on Thursday.
The appointment comes after doubts were expressed over fitness of stand-in skipper Chamara Kapugedara who led Sri Lanka in the third ODI.
Kapugedara, who was appointed Sri Lanka’s stand-in-skipper after regular skipper Upul Tharanga received a two-match ban for a serious violation of a slow overate during the second ODI, has aggravated a back injury during the third ODI in Pallekele.
Malinga led Sri Lanka to the T20 World title in 2014, the country’s second global trophy after the 1996 World Cup victory. Malinga is one wicket away from reaching 300 wickets in limited-over cricket.
