Sri Lanka Cricket has protested to the Australian cricket team management over alleged highhandedness of spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan, who is working with the visitors as a spin consultant for the three-Test series in island nation.
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has criticised the idea of creating two separate T20I teams for Team India, advocating for 'A' team tours to provide players with more exposure instead.
Prior to the series, Sri Lanka had not won a game in any format since October but become the first team from Asia to win a Test series in South Africa as they comfortably chased down a victory target of 197 on the third day.
If Smith is ruled out, then the left-hand batter Travis Head will lead the squad as he is the vice-captain of the side.
Weather continued to hamper play in the match New Zealand must win to level the series after the hosts won the opener
Australia spinner Steve O'Keefe will return home from the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka after injuring his hamstring during the first Test in Pallekele.
Fast bowler Dhammika Prasad picked up four wickets as hosts Sri Lanka bundled out West Indies for 163 to take a first-innings lead on the second day of the second and final Test at the P Sara Oval on Friday.
'It's always a pleasure to come here and challenge ourselves against a very, very good team' 'We are concentrating on our strengths and jobs. If we execute them well, it will be a challenging series'R
Captain Dimuth Karunaratne continued his rich vein of form to remain unbeaten on 49 with Angelo Mathews yet to score as only 36.3 overs of play were possible due to rain and bad light.
All-rounder Asela Gunaratne struck a superb 84 off 46 balls to inspire Sri Lanka to a dramatic two-wicket victory over Australia in the second Twenty20 International in South Geelong, Victoria on Sunday.
The 36-year-old Fernando, who last played for Sri Lanka way back in 2012, was included in place of T20 captain Lasith Malinga, who is recuperating from an injury.
Seamer Nuwan Kulasekara picked up four wickets to help Sri Lanka register a comfortable 70-run win in the third and final one-day international against Bangladesh on Saturday and level the series at 1-1.
Kohli, who was named man-of-the-match for the 2nd Test that India won against Sri Lanka in Nagpur on Monday, will play the third and final Test in New Delhi.
South Africa captain Aiden Markram said their Test victory over hosts Pakistan in difficult conditions was a major confidence boost for the tourists, who will be heading to India next and expect an even sterner test.
Pathum Nissanka's journey from a tsunami-hit childhood in Kalutara to a match-winning T20 World Cup century is a story of sacrifice, faith and fearless batting against Australia.
The Sri Lankan cricket board has turned down an invitation from the Pakistan Cricket Board to send its team to Lahore to play two T20 International matches at the start of its home series in October.
New Zealand Cricket officials announced that two Tests would be played from April 4-8 and 11-15 at venues still to be decided.
Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is of the opinion that India's home series against Sri Lanka served little purpose ahead of the gruelling tour of South Africa.
The paceman had injury problems in the recent ICC Champions Trophy in England, forcing him to miss the semi-final defeat by the hosts, and that has weighed heavily on the minds of the selectors with Test series coming up against Pakistan, India and Australia.
England took charge of the first Test after James Anderson and Stuart Broad took nine wickets between them in favourable conditions for seam bowling to shoot out Sri Lanka for 91 after Jonny Bairstow's excellent knock at Headingley on Friday.
"Virat has told the selectors that he needs some time to take a call on whether he will be playing the T20s or not. That's reason why they have not announced the T20 squad," a BCCI official, privy to selection matters, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Dravid said Sri Lanka tour can't be looked at as an India 'A' tour where most players get to play.
That Rohit will make a comeback was indicated by skipper Kohli in England and that was precisely the reason why he was rested for the limited overs series against West Indies.
Dinesh Chandimal will captain Sri Lanka in the T20 series against New Zealand in place of regular captain Lasith Malinga who has been forced out due to an injury, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said on Tuesday.
Cricket Australia on Tuesday confirmed former India One-Day International player Sriram Sridharan will join the coaching staff for the forthcoming Test tour of India as a spin consultant.
Pratika Rawal along with left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma and seamer Kranti Gaud received their maiden long-format call-ups for the one-off Test against Australia.
If the tri-series takes place, then South Africa would be left with no other option but to host India for two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 international from December and ending with the New Year's Test.
Australia's title bid will be tested by injuries and Asian conditions at the T20 World Cup.
Australia will play two spinners in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Pallekele on Tuesday, captain Steve Smith said, as the world's top-ranked side eye a turnaround in their poor record on the slow pitches in Asia.
'Even though the immediate past has not been good we are looking for a new leaf to start with'
Steve Smith and Aaron Finch struck half-centuries to help Australia to a three-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first One-day international in Colombo on Sunday. Sri Lanka, who lost the toss and were sent out to bat on a dry, turning wicket, set the visitors a target of 228, but Australia successfully chased them down with 19 balls to spare to give them the lead in the five-match series.
Pakistan didn't harbour any hopes of India fulfilling its commitment of playing the series.
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.
Ahmed Shehzad smashed 95 off 90 balls as Pakistan thrashed below-par Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the fourth one-day match in Colombo on Wednesday to clinch the five-match series.
The hosts have hit nadir in both form and confidence, and, after a lop-sided 3-0 Test series victory, the script did not change much in the opening ODI, where India steamrolled the opposition by nine wickets.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins' chances of playing at next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka are "quite grey at the moment" as he battles a back stress issue that has affected his participation in the ongoing Ashes series against England.
Sri Lanka's left-handed opener Dimuth Karunaratne is willing to think out of the box in an attempt to counter spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the upcoming three-match Test series against India.
India will host Sri Lanka in a three-match series starting February 9 ahead of Asia Cup and World T20. The tour begins in Pune, then the teams head to Delhi to play the second match on February 12 and the final game will take place in Visakhapatnam on February 14, reported ESPN cricinfo. It will be the first time the two sides face each other in the shortest format since the World T20 final in 2014, which Sri Lanka won. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, which acquired Test status in November 2015, will host its third international match and only its second T20I.
Saba Karim says Rishabh Pant's struggles stem from lacking a clear white-ball template, as his poor IPL form continues with LSG.
