ThePapare.com

1 week ago | thepapare.com | Rex Clementine

It’s a rare day in the African sun when a Sri Lankan side returns from South Africa with a series win tucked under their belt. But in 2008, the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team did just that. Head Coach Chandika Hathurusingha, a man with a keen eye for talent, came home singing praises of two 21-year-olds who had stood tall on those unforgiving, bouncy tracks — Angelo Mathews and Suranga Lakmal.

2 weeks ago | thepapare.com | Rex Clementine

The curtains have finally come down on Virat Kohli’s glittering Test career. Kohli followed skipper Rohit Sharma into retirement – with an England tour just around the corner. With just 800 runs shy of the golden landmark of 10,000 Test runs, many thought Kohli would pad up for the five Test series in England. But the scars from Australia may have triggered some searching questions from the selectors.

3 weeks ago | thepapare.com | Rex Clementine

If Sri Lanka’s 2023 World Cup campaign in India had a headline, it would read: “Dropped Catches, Dropped Hopes.” Their fielding, or lack thereof, was the Achilles’ heel. Take the clash against Pakistan, for instance. After posting a formidable 344 on the board – a total that should’ve put the game to bed – they somehow managed to lose. Butterfingers in the outfield and sluggishness on the turf cost them dearly. The same script unfolded against Afghanistan.

1 month ago | thepapare.com | Rex Clementine

The National Super League will come to a head this week after the grand finale with Dambulla locking horns with Galle at SSC. These two heavyweights were the pick of the bunch during the group stages, with Dambulla chalking up two wins from their four outings. Kandy and Colombo finished third and fourth respectively, but it was a case of blowing hot and cold for Colombo — they showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately lacked the staying power. The real damp squib, however, was Jaffna.

1 month ago | thepapare.com | Rex Clementine

If there’s one department in Sri Lankan cricket that’s truly punching above its weight these days, it’s fast bowling. The team may not boast household names or poster boys plastered across billboards, but peel back the stats, and you’ll see the quicks have been quietly running riot. Credit where credit’s due – to Chris Silverwood’s guiding hand and the tireless work of the coaches at the High Performance Center. Together, they’ve transformed Sri Lanka’s pace battery from toothless to tenacious.