May 10 (Daily Mirror) - The newly elected President of the Colombo District Throwball Association (CDTA) Michelle De Kretser vowed to launch a mega campaign to promote the sport at the school and club level.

The former netball player said that throwball is a popular sport in the Asian region but it is currently played only in some selected parts of the country and would start a new programme from the Colombo District.

She stressed the importance of conducting Inter-Schools and Inter-Club Tournaments and the CDTA will pioneer both events in the future.

Kretser was unanimously elected as the President of the CDTA at their annual general meeting for 2024-2026 held in Colombo.

• The office-bearers:

President: Michelle De Kretser. Secretary: Yasmin Dharmaratne. Assistant Secretary: Dharshani Warnakulasuriya. Vice-President: Melani Ferreira. Treasurer: Nishanthi Dharmapriya. Tournament Secretary: Padma Karunaratne. Executive Committee: Gihan Sansajith, M. Fawaz, Shiromini Kingsley, Nilanthi Chandraratne, Nirasha Fernando, Sagarika Gunasinghe, Jennifer Costa, Suneetha Elwatta and Anusha Willarachchi. 

May 9 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka’s current national netball poolist and former captain Semini Alwis has been alleged to have used prohibited stimulants, according to a random test conducted by the Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency (SLADA).

Semini is a member of the national netball pool set up by the Netball Federation of Sri Lanka (NFSL) in preparation for the 13th Asian Netball Championship, which will be held from September 26 to October 6 in Saudi Arabia.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has officially informed Semini and the SLADA that the initial urine samples contained prohibited stimulants following a test conducted by the SLADA on March 21.

This is the first instance that a Sri Lanka netball player has failed a drug test conducted by the SLADA and WADA.

“We have received the initial report and will soon inquire from the relevant player about the prohibited stimulants before conducting an initial test,” SLADA Director General Dr. Shiromi Pilapitiya told the Daily Mirror today.

“After that, the player could proceed with a ‘B’ sample test to prove her innocence but until then she has been temporarily suspended from participating in the national pool training sessions.

Semini is a veteran player who has represented the country at two Netball World Cup Tournaments in 2015 and 2019 and a few Asian Championships (Junior and Senior).

She was the captain of the Sri Lanka Team at the 2015 Sydney World Cup in Australia.

Meanwhile, NFSL President Lakshmi Victoria has informed the incident with the Director General of the Department of Sports Development of the Ministry of Sports Professor Shemal Fernando and other responsible parties before heading towards the next step. 

The work, voted through by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) members last week, will increase the ground's capacity by 1,100 seats.

The existing Allen Stand will be demolished and rebuilt with an extra tier added.

Meanwhile, a fourth level will also be built on to the Tavern Stand.

Construction is due to begin at the end of the current season in September and be completed by 2027.

The redevelopment will provide improved catering, hospitality and accessibility, the MCC says.

A £53m project to redevelop the Compton and Edrich stands at Lord's was completed in 2021 to take capacity to 31,000.

Earlier this year, Middlesex County Cricket Club - a tenant at the ground which is owned by the MCC - said they were considering leaving Lord's.

The Sri Lankan Cricket Selection Committee has unveiled the much-anticipated 15-member squad set to represent the nation in the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. 

Under the captaincy of Wanindu Hasaranga, and with Charith Asalanka serving as the vice-captain, the team boasts a formidable lineup comprising seasoned veterans and promising young talents. 

The squad

1) Wanindu Hasaranga – Captain

2) Charith Asalanka – Vice Captain

3) Kusal Mendis

4) Pathum Nissanka

5) Kamindu Mendis

6) Sadeera Samarawickrama

7) Angelo Mathews

8) Dasun Shanaka

9) Dhananjaya De Silva

10) Maheesh Theekshana

11) Dunith Wellalage

12) Dushmantha Chameera

13) Nuwan Thushara

14) Matheesha Pathirana

15) Dilshan Madushanka

Travelling Reserves

1. Asitha Fernando

2. Vijayakanth Viyaskanth

3. Bhanuka Rajapaksa

4. Janith Liyanage

The kiss, which Ms Hermoso said was "unwanted", happened at last year's 1-0 World Cup against England and made global headlines.

Mr Rubiales was forced to resign but has denied any wrongdoing.

A Spanish High Court judge said on Wednesday Mr Rubiales was also facing one charge of coercion.

The scandal overshadowed a historic moment for Spain's women's team, which at the time was celebrating its first ever World Cup win on 20 August 2023.

During the trophy presentation ceremony, Mr Rubiales clasped Ms Hermoso's head between his hands and planted a kiss on her lips.

It was broadcast to billions worldwide, producing a fierce backlash and national debate over sexism in Spain.

Mr Rubiales, 46, has strenuously denied wrongdoing, saying the kiss was consensual and he was the victim of a "social assassination".

However, Ms Hermoso and her teammates said it had been unwanted and demeaning.

Mr Rubiales faces one count of sexual assault, which carries a prison term of a year.

He will also be tried for coercion alongside the former coach of the women's national team, Jorge Vilda, the team's current sporting director, Albert Luque, and the federation's head of marketing, Ruben Rivera.

All four men, who have denied wrongdoing, are accused of trying to pressure Ms Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual.

They could each face up to 18 months in jail if convicted.

The trial will be held at the Audiencia Nacional in Madrid. The date has not yet been confirmed.

The court has set a bail of €65,000 (£55,900) for Mr Rubiales's charge of sexual assault to be paid within 24 hours to cover "any civil liabilities he may be ordered to pay", AFP news agency reports.

A further bail of €65,000 is to be posted jointly between Mr Rubiales, Mr Vilda, Mr Luque and Mr Riveria on the charges of coercion.

Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara believes Sanju Samson can thrive at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup if he wins the race to be India's first-choice wicket-keeper.

Samson has been in fine form for Rajasthan Royals at the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) under the watchful eye of Sangakkara, with the right-hander having scored an impressive 471 runs from 11 matches alongside seven dismissals in his role as keeper.

India chose two specialist keepers within their 15-player squad for next month's T20 World Cup and Samson faces a head-to-head battle with the returning Rishabh Pant to decide who will keep wickets at the 20-over showcase that will be held in the USA and West Indies.

Sangakkara was one of the premier wicket-keeper batters in the world in recent times and the Sri Lanka legend has seen enough at the IPL this year in his coaching role at Rajasthan to know Samson can make a strong impact at the T20 World Cup should he earn selection in India's XI.

"He's a special player and when he's fresh and focused there's nothing he can't do," Sangakkara said of Samson. 

"He's a humble, grounded guy... not much on social media. He tends to like a lot of privacy, cares for the rest of the group.

"Those are great qualities to have apart from talent and skill. I think he'll be exceptional in that group going to the World Cup."

While Samson has been one of the premier keeper-batters in the IPL in recent years, the 29-year-old missed out on selection for India at the last T20 World Cup and has only played 25 T20I for his country since debuting against Zimbabwe in 2015.

But Sangakkara thinks Samson is a more mature player now than in previous years and a different approach from a mental perspective is helping him get the most out of his ability.

"With Sanju, the biggest thing about this season for him is having a lot of clarity about the way he should bat," Sangakkara added.

"There are certain stages of the game that he seems to lose a bit of concentration, which we've addressed from past seasons.

"He's changed his mindset about the importance of rest and recovery, rather than just training all the time and being tired mentally and physically. The rest is his exceptional ability."

“Amul's partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket is an excellent move, as associating with an international sports brand is definitely going to help the firm gain market growth and further enhance its brand visibility among the international audience," CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket Ashley De Silva said.

Sri Lanka will kick off the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 campaign on June 3, 2024, facing South Africa in New York.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be held in the West Indies and the USA from June 01 to 29.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan threatened to beat up a fan for trying to click a selfie. Before returning to play international cricket, the veteran recently played for the Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) 2024. The incident happened before SJDC’s match against Prime Bank Cricket Club on Monday, May 6 at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah.

Before the toss, Shakib was having a chat with head coach Sheikh Salahuddin and their spin bowling. That’s when a fan came and tried to take a selfie with Shakib. It did not go down well with Shakib, who tried to snatch the phone away from the fan and made gestures of beating him up. Thereafter, the fan returned and Shakib returned to his discussions with the coaches.

• Mixed day for Shakib Al Hasan 

Shakib Al Hasan was brimming with confidence after scoring a magnificent hundred against Gazi Group Cricketers on May 3. But against Prime Bank, Shakib bagged a golden duck after Rejaur Rahman Raja accounted for his wicket. Raja had figures of 6.3-0-23-8 as Prime Bank bowled Sheikh Jamal out for 71 in 21.3 overs and won the match by 270 runs.

Prime Bank’s win meant that Abahani Limited won the DPL 2024. Najmul Hasan Papon, the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was present to hand over the trophy to the winning team.

Shakib did not have a memorable day with the bat in hand, but he did his job precisely with the ball. The left-arm spinner got the wickets of Shahadat Hossain Dipu and Zakir Hasan to finish with impressive figures of 10-0-42-2. Shakib also became the third Bangladeshi after Abdur Razzak and Mashrafe Mortaza to pick up 400 plus wickets in List A cricket.

Shakib is expected to play a critical role when Bangladesh take part in the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America.

The T20 World Cup in the Americas has received a terror threat, Trinidad's Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has revealed even as the ICC asserted that a "comprehensive and robust security plan" is in place to "mitigate any risks" to the showpiece beginning June 1. The tournament -- featuring 20 teams, including India -- is scattered across nine venues, six of them in the West Indies.

As of now, the threat, according to media reports, is specific to the West Indies, which aside from some preliminary matches, will be hosting the entire Super 8 stage along with the semifinals and the final on June 29.

"Unfortunately, the threat of terrorism in its many and varied expressions is an ever-present danger in the world of the 21st century," Rowley was quoted as saying by 'Trinidad Daily Express' here.

Rowley did not name any organisation but reports here stated that the Islamic State made the threat through its propaganda channel.

The ICC responded to the development with a statement assuring preparedness.

"Safety and security of everyone at the event is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place," a spokesperson of the global body said in a statement issued to PTI.

"We work closely with authorities in our host countries and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event." Rowley said "extra effort in national security preparations and response readiness" will be put in to neutralise the danger.

"Given the fact that bad actors can choose to misbehave in any way possible, it makes it virtually impossible to completely seal off all opportunities," he said.

"However, in order to ameliorate these dangers, we at the local and regional levels have remained alert to many threats and singularly or together have our intelligence and other security agencies working to protect the population in countries and at venues throughout the tournament," he added.

The World Cup matches in the West Indies will be held in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago. The US leg will feature games in Florida, New York and Texas.

New York will host the marquee India-Pakistan clash on June 9.

Cricket West Indies said everything is being done to ensure foolproof security at the mega-event.

"We work closely with authorities in the host countries and cities, and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event," CWI CEO Jonny Graves told 'Cricbuzz'.

"We want to assure all stakeholders that safety and security of everyone at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place," he added.

BCCI's response

Talking about the development, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told ANI: “As far as threat is concerned, the responsibility of security lies with the security agencies of the country that is hosting the game. Every precaution will be taken. We will take whatever steps are necessary for the safety of the players and spectators. We will talk to the agencies responsible for carrying out the World Cup. We will go according to the decision taken by the central government. We will be in touch with WI and USA Govts. All precautions will be taken. We wil be in touch with the ICC to take all necessary measures."

After confirming their spots in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 in Bangladesh later this year, Sri Lanka and Scotland will face each other in the final of the tournament in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, 7 May.

The match also decides which groups the two teams will fall into at the big event later this year.

Australia, India, New Zealand and Pakistan are in Group A while South Africa, England, West Indies, and hosts Bangladesh form Group B, as revealed in the fixtures announcement earlier this week.

The winner of the Qualifier final will slot into Group A as Qualifier 1 while the runners-up will be in Group B as Qualifier 2.

• Sri Lanka's unbeaten run to the finals

Sri Lanka have maintained their reputation by securing five consecutive victories, but despite that, they have not had it easy. They were given more than a minor scare by UAE's Esha Oza in the semi-final, with their skipper's knock nearly taking the game out of Sri Lanka's hands.

"Udeshika [Prabhodhani] bowled really well, so we got her [Esha Oza's] wicket. That wicket was massive for us, because otherwise we would have missed the World Cup," Chamari Athapaththu said ahead of the final, reflecting on a tense moment in the semi-final clash.

"As a captain, I am tensed [about such hiccups], but the players and the staff were very happy with our performance because we won the semi-final, even if it was at the last moment."

Earlier in Group A when these teams met, Sri Lanka registered a comfortable ten-wicket win after bowling Scotland out for 94.

• Scotland propelled by irresistible Kathryn Bryce

Kathryn Bryce has been the bedrock of Scotland's dream run to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024. The skipper is the top run-scorer (177 runs in five matches) and joint-highest wicket-taker (nine wickets) for them in the tournament.

"There have been so many people play before us and there were so many different people playing at that first Qualifier we played at in Thailand," Bryce told Cricket Scotland after her stirring performance in the semi-final.

"We have had a couple of good Qualifiers, but when we have made it to the semi-finals (in 2015 and 2018), there has been not really much chance of us getting through."

While Bryce has led from the front, the likes of Rachel Slater, Megan McColl and Abtaha Maqsood have also made vital contributions in crunch games.

They are now confirmed to be one of the 10 teams in Bangladesh later this year, but a win here against Sri Lanka would be a massive boost for Scotland ahead of the big tournament.

Top-order batter Michael Jones and fast bowler Brad Wheal make a return to Scotland's T20I squad for the upcoming mega event in West Indies and USA.

The duo, both of whom last played in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, aren't part of the squad that will play in the upcoming T20I tri-series in the Netherlands but have been named in the T20 World Cup squad.

Richie Berrington will captain the side that will hope to better their performances from 2022, when they famously registered a big win over the West Indies.

“To have Michael Jones and Brad Wheal available, their experience from previous T20 World Cups is crucial for the group," head coach Doug Watson said.

"I’m looking forward to meeting them both, getting to know them and seeing their skills up close. The bulk of the squad have been together for a while now and did a fantastic job last summer at both the 50-over Qualifier and the T20 Qualifier.

"It’s nice to have a bit of continuity along the way, although they haven’t played a lot of cricket since. Hopefully we can see the same level from these players, if not higher, when we get to the Caribbean."

Scotland will play a tri-series with Netherlands and Ireland as a part of their preparation for the tournament from May 18.

“I’m very excited about what lies ahead, and I think the players are too, the closer we get to it," Watson said.

"We’re getting a few games in before then; we’re off to play Netherlands and Ireland next week, and that’ll be good just to get a bit of competitiveness under our belts. We’re done with training now, and we want to play competitive cricket. 

“For us as a nation, it’s a real opportunity to shine on the global stage. If you look at the landscape of cricket now, with all the different franchise tournaments available for these guys to play in around the world, this is still the pinnacle. From a personal
and team perspective, it’s massive."

Scotland are in Group B of the T20 World Cup with England, Australia, Oman and Namibia.

Teams have until 25 May to make changes to their squads, after which any alteration will require approval from ICC's Event Technical Committee.

• Scotland squad: Richie Berrington (c), Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal.

After stunning Zimbabwe and the African field in qualifying, the Cricket Cranes look ahead to Group C play, taking on co-hosts West Indies, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan.

Masaba will be deputised by Riazat Ali Shah, and the skipper joins several Ugandans with over a decade’s experience in international cricket, underlined by 43-year-old Frank Nsubuga, who will be one of the oldest players in the tournament.

A cult hero in emerging cricket circles, Nsubuga’s squad selection caps off a life’s devotion to the game. He first represented Uganda in ICC events as a 17-year-old in the 1997 ICC Trophy, a pathway event on the road to Cricket World Cup 1999.

Fast-forward 25 years, Nsubuga made headlines, taking a sprawling catch approaching the boundary in a Cricket World Cup Challenge League match against Kenya in 2022.

He’s not the only Ugandan player to turn heads in recent times, with spin-bowling all-rounder Alpesh Ramjani ready to continue in the same form that led to his nomination for 2023 ICC Men’s T20I cricketer of the Year.

One of several notable all-rounders in the squad, Ramjani claimed the most T20I wickets in men’s cricket last year, 55 of them at an economy of under five an over. Fellow left-arm orthodox spinner and squad member Henry Ssenyondo also comes off a strong 2023, taking 49 wickets in the same period.

Riazat Ali Shah and Dinesh Nakrani are two notable aggressors with the bat, and the side also boasts U19 World Cup experience through youngster Juma Miyaji, who played in the 2022 event in the West Indies.

While it is the first time Uganda will take part in a senior men’s World Cup of any type, Uganda have been represented in a global event through the now-defunct East Africa team that took part in the 1975 Cricket World Cup. Samuel Walusimbi was the sole Ugandan player in the squad, featuring in three matches.

Uganda begin their T20 World Cup campaign on June 3 against Afghanistan in Guyana.

• Squad: Brian Masaba (c), Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Dinesh Nakrani, Fred Achelam, Kenneth Waiswa, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah (vc), Juma Miyaji, Ronak Patel.

Travelling Reserves: Innocent Mwebaze, Ronald Lutaaya