Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad has been provisionally suspended and charged with violating anti-doping regulations after he tested positive for a prohibited substance in May, the country's cricket board (PCB) has said.
Over 20,000 people have been displaced with officials warning the situation could get worse.
Former captain Chris Gayle hit an explosive double century to propel West Indies to 362 for two on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, on Monday. The tall left-hander smashed the ball all around the ground, batting throughout the day to finish unbeaten on 219 off 247 balls.
Sri Lanka have decided to rest strike bowler Lasith Malinga for the first Test against West Indies in Galle which starts on Monday.
Sachin Tendulkar scored 203 and Suresh Raina got a ton on debut as India ended Day 4 in the second Test against Sri Lanka on 669 for 9, 27 runs ahead.
The dreaded duo of Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan will be missing from the Sri Lankan bowling attack but Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday said their absence does not make his batsmen's job any easy in the second cricket Test starting in Colombo on Monday.
The Indian team practised hard at Colombo on Saturday to ensure the mistakes made at Galle aren't repeated.
Suresh Raina has been named captain of the India Blue team for the Duleep Trophy, which will be held in Kanpur and Lucknow from September 7 to 29, providing him a platform to make a return to the Indian team.
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said rankings need to be fairly done. 'A fair FTP is the first step towards having proper rankings.'
Muttiah Muralitharan went past 800 wickets to help Sri Lanka crush India by an emphatic ten-wicket margin on the fifth and final day of the first Test in Galle on Wednesday. Tillakaratne Dilshan slammed 68 from 47 balls, having hit six boundaries and a six, while Tharanga Paranavitana was unbeaten on 23 as Sri Lanka raced to 96 for no loss in 14.1 overs.
Rahul Dravid, on Wednesday, became the second batsman in Test history to aggregate 9,000 runs while batting at No. three.
Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss said his players are hoping that retiring spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will bow out of the five-day game with a victory by producing another memorable performance on Thursday, the fifth day of the first Test against India, in Galle.
Muttiah Muralitharan's superb bowling kept Sri Lanka on course for an innings victory over India on Day 4 of the first Test in Galle on Wednesday. The wily spinner, playing his final Test, took five for 63 in the first innings and then claimed the wicket of Yuvraj Singh (5) in the second innings with the final delivery of the day to put the Lankans high in the saddle. He now needs just two wickets to breach the magical 800-wicket mark in Test cricket.
The second day's play of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka was washed out because of persistent rain in Galle on Monday.
Images from the opening day of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka in Galle, on Sunday.
ICC President Sharad Pawar paid glowing tributes to retiring Sri Lanka spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, describing him as a legend, role model and a great ambassador of the game.
Batsmen all over the world will rejoice with the news that legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is retiring very soon, Australian vice captain Michael Clarke has said.
Ajantha Mendis wrecked havoc when India toured Sri Lanka in 2008 but senior batsman Rahul Dravid is hopeful that this time around he and his colleagues are better equipped to tackle the 'mystery' spinner in the forthcoming Test series, beginning in Galle next month.
India captain Virat Kohli says comeback man Parthiv Patel 'respects' the fact that he is a stopgap keeper but expects him to make full use of the opportunity so that he can grab the second wicketkeeper's slot, especially when India plays away from home.
Defeated joint opposition candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka rejected the Sri Lankan government's allegations on Thursday that he had attempted to assassinate President Mahinda Rajapakasa, terming it as "trumped up charges" to arrest him.
ICC says it will meet representatives of the channel that claims to have unearthed 'spot-fixing' and 'pitch-fixing' in Test matches t
The Trent Bridge Triumph was India's second biggest win against England in England. Rajneesh Gupta serves up the interesting numbers from the third Test.
Sri Lankan cricket legend Sanath Jayasuriya on Tuesday refused to comment on the International Cricket Council's charge of non-cooperation in an ongoing anti-corruption probe.
Shikhar Dhawan is savouring a purple patch, hitting century after century, but the opener won't be overtly worried if he has to face a slump in form.
The win at Colombo enabled India retain its No 1 ranking in Tests, but at the same time brought to the fore a question that has been in our minds for some time now. Is bowling India's biggest weakness?
Statistical highlights from the third day's play of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka.
Still licking the wounds of a 10-wicket mauling in Galle, a jittery India go into the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka starting in Colombo on Sunday with their status as the World No 1 team at stake.
India's injury woes were compounded on Sunday after opener Gautam Gambhir was rendered a doubtful starter for the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka due to a knee problem.
Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who helped bowl his side to a 10-wicket victory over India in the first test on Thursday, has been rested on medical advice for the second test that starts on Monday.
Senior batsman Shikhar Dhawan proved his form and fitness in style before the South African series as he led India 'A's strong reply against Bangladesh 'A' with an unbeaten century on Day 1 of the only unofficial Test.
One of the finest but most controversial spinners of his generation, Sri Lankan veteran Muttiah Muralitharan bid an emotional goodbye to his 18-year-old Test career on Thursday with an unprecedented tally of 800 wickets.
Images from the fifth day's play in the first Test between Sri Lanka and India, in Galle, on Thursday.
Images from the Day 4 of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka in Galle.
Sri Lanka would look to accelerate in the first two sessions on Monday to score a big total and put pressure on the Indians in the first Test in Galle, Sri Lanka, captain Kumar Sangakkara said on Sunday.
Veteran Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan does not consider his swansong Test against India a "big match" and says he would not feel sad if he retires without touching the unprecedented 800-wicket mark.
India will seek to end a 17-year-long series drought in Sri Lanka when they go into the three-match Test series against the island nation in Galle on Sunday with a depleted bowling attack and dodgy form of some of their famed batsmen.
Paying glowing tribute to retiring Muttiah Muralitharan, former Pakistani star Saqlain Mushtaq on Friday said the Sri Lankan spinner is the best of his era and world cricket may not see a bowler like him in next 100 years.
Retiring Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan on Wednesday said among the current crop of slow bowlers, only Harbhajan Singh can match his record of scalping nearly 800 Test wickets.
Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muraitharan will retire from the longer version of the game after the first Test against India in Galle, beginning July 18.
Tamim Iqbal scored a double century and Imrul Kayes 150 in a record opening stand of 312 as Bangladesh overhauled a huge first innings deficit to force a draw with Pakistan in the opening Test at Khulna on Saturday.
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