Friday, July 8, 2011

Cricket must face up to political bouncers

      Peter Roebuck
July 9, 2011
"It's hard to know where sporting boycotts ought to start and stop" ... Tamil Tiger soldiers in 2004, and above, Sri Lanka and Australia play in the ICC Cricket World Cup in Colombo, March 5, 2011. "It's hard to know where sporting boycotts ought to start and stop" ... Tamil Tiger soldiers in 2004, and above, Sri Lanka and Australia play in the ICC Cricket World Cup in Colombo, March 5, 2011. Photo: AP/Reuters
The recent expose´ of the systematic execution, rape and abuse of Tamils in the closing stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka has provoked deep consternation among cricketers. One prominent player has been having nightmares since Four Corners aired the Channel 4 report this week, and the Players Association has been asked to intervene. Australia is due to visit Sri Lanka in August.                  Read more:
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Sri Lankan Premier League Postponed

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

The Sri Lankan Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament has been postponed and will be replaced by a provincial tournament featuring six local teams, an official from Sri Lanka Cricket said Friday.

Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara launched a scathing attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket administration.
The buildup to the SLPL, which was scheduled for July 19 to August 4, was dogged by problems, ranging from India’s refusal to let its national players participate to the dissolution of the Sri Lankan cricket administration last Friday.
“We are not playing the SLPL,” said Yamuna Pitigala, Sri Lanka Cricket’s public relations and marketing secretary.
She said the event could be played in August, but added that even this was unlikely. It certainly is, given that the Australian team is set to tour Sri Lanka from August 6 to mid-September.
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