Sports

Aaron Finch retires from T20s, ends Australia career

Published

8 months ago

February 7, 2023

editor

Aaron Finch has announced his retirement from T20Is, bringing an end to his Australia career, meaning there will be a new captain when the team next take the field later this year.

The move had been expected following Finch’s decision to quit ODIs late last year and a significant gap until Australia’s next T20Is following the home World Cup where they failed to make the semi-finals.

After that tournament, where Finch missed the final game against Afghanistan due to injury, he said he would take to assess his future during the BBL. He enjoyed a successful tournament for Melbourne Renegades, where he made 428 runs at 38.90, but has decided he won’t push through to August when Australia next play T20Is in South Africa.

Finch captained the team to their first T20 World Cup title when they defeated New Zealand in Dubai during 2021.

“Realising that I won’t be playing on until the next T20 World Cup in 2024, now is the right moment step down and give the team time to plan and build towards that event,” Finch said.

“I’d like to thank my family, especially my wife Amy, my team-mates, Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association for their support to allow me to play the game I love at the highest level. I also want to say a huge thank you to all the fans who have supported me throughout my international career.

“Team success is what you play the game for and the maiden T20 World Cup win in 2021 and lifting the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2015 will be the two memories I cherish the most.

“To be able to represent Australia for 12 years and play with and against some of the greatest players of all time has been an incredible honour.”

Finch leaves as Australia’s leading men’s run-scorer in the format with 3120 at 34.28 and a strike-rate of 142.53. His high score of 172, made against Zimbabwe in 2018, is the highest T20I innings of all-time – a record he also held with his 156 against England in 2013.

(espncricinfo.com)

News

Kusal suffers shoulder injury

Published

1 day ago

September 29, 2023

editor

During the first warm-up match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka opener Kusal Janith Perera retired early due to a shoulder injury.

He scored 34 runs before leaving the field due to a shoulder injury that has resurfaced.

So far, the Sri Lankan team has scored 127 runs for two wickets.

News

Whoever wins today, football to lose

Published

2 days ago

September 29, 2023

editor

Many football fans and players are of the opinion that no matter who wins the election for Football Sri Lanka (FSL) today (29), football will lose as a sport.

Though the Sports Minister tried to show that he wants to drive out the corrupt officials from the administration of sports, they alleged that he is helping to bring FSL ex-president Jaswar Umar, who was found guilty in an investigation, to power again.

They said that it is an open secret that he helped Sri Ranga, a former politician who knows nothing about football, to win the previous FSL election.

If Jaswar is elected, they said that they will go to court against his appointment.

They accused Jaswar of blatantly embezzling the funds received by FIFA.

The Sports Minister has called for a forensic audit for a tour undertaken by Sri Lanka Cricket officials, but he could have been able to expose misappropriation of funds worth millions had he called for a forensic audit for FSL.

Earlier, an investigation conducted by the Corruption Investigation Police Unit at the Sports Ministry found that Jaswar was guilty of misappropriating funds and told that he could not run for FSL elections. However, the Sports Minister has allowed Jaswar to contest the elections.

Currently, Sri Lankan football is in the 207th place out of 211 countries in the FIFA world rankings.

The women’s team is ranked 153rd.

Jaswar was previously the FSL President and Secretary for many years, but the fans and players said the poor level of football in Sri Lanka is a good example of his commitment to football despite receiving funds from FIFA.

News

Sports Minister emphasizes need to probe SLC funds

Published

3 days ago

September 28, 2023

editor

Minister of Sports Roshan Ranasinghe has emphasized the importance of investigating if the funds received by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are utilized to produce talented players.

The Minister has further stated that the current national cricket team has the capacity and the talent to defeat any team in the world.

Noting that the SL cricket team was capable of easily defeating the Indian team during the time of former captain Arjuna Ranatunga, the minister further noted that this capacity can be restored in the current team as well.