ThePapare.com

3 weeks ago | thepapare.com | Rex Clementine

The international cricket calendar these days feels like a cake with a quarter already sliced off – thanks to the glitz and glamour of the Indian Premier League. What was once a year-round schedule has now unofficially surrendered March to May, with bilateral cricket taking a back seat during that window. It’s as if the cricketing fraternity has struck a gentleman’s agreement to steer clear of international duty when the IPL juggernaut rolls in.

1 month 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.

1 month 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.

1 month 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.

2 months 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.