Sunday, June 21, 2009
What a final!!
Although Pakistan had Sri Lanka on the ropes early on, they fought back to give their bowlers a total they could defend. Pakistan had to fight to get that total, which eventually they did, thanks mostly to Shahid Afridi. But it turned out to be an exciting final, so congratulations to both teams.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Pakistan and Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup Finals
Congratulations to both Pakistani and Sri Lankan teams for getting to the finals of the T20 World Cup. To us on this blog, this will be a contest between our two home teams, so we are very happy to be in this win-win situation.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Samaraweera's Recovery
The Columbo Times published the following article about Samaraweera's recovery on March 18th, 2009.
DAMAGED but not daunted, wounded Sri Lankan batsman Thilan Samaraweera says his career is far from over and has not ruled out the possibility of returning to play in Pakistan, where he and teammates came under fire two weeks ago in the first terrorist attack against a cricket team.
Samaraweera, who had a bullet removed from his left leg, was discharged from a Colombo hospital on Wednesday, and spent the afternoon with his wife Erandathie and two daughters.
Samaraweera told the Herald he had been undergoing counselling to deal with the trauma of nearly losing his life in the attack, which rocked the cricket world to its core.
"I have decided that I have to take positive thinking, rather than keep worrying about what happened and replaying this incident. I have to move forward," Samaraweera, 32, said.
"It is good to be home. I was in the hospital, and I had trouble in my mind. Everyone was asking me about how it was on the bus, wanting to know what it was like, every half an hour.
"I have been getting psychological counselling. It helps. Other players are also getting counselling too. They need it. I am home now with my family, and the atmosphere is much better, the environment is changed. I have to move forward. There is no point thinking this and that - as a cricketer and as a person.
"I am a Buddhist, that is my religion, and I believe that [helped me] to survive."
Samaraweera was the only player shot by the terrorists - who ambushed the team bus as it drove towards Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the start of day three of the second Test - while many of his teammates were injured by shrapnel as bullets, rockets and grenades were fired at the vehicle.
"In that five minutes in the bus, I knew it was a life-threatening situation, but it was when I was in hospital after seven hours, I switched on the news and was watching the coverage, and I realised how serious it was and how lucky we were," he said.
"That is when I felt really scared. During that five minutes on the bus, the thought going through my mind was that I have to survive. Special thanks to our driver Mohammad Khalil [who courageously drove off as bullets were fired at him]. If he didn't do what he did, we would have a totally different story."
In career-best form, Samara-weera had become only the seventh batsman in Test history to score successive double centuries the day before the shooting. He joined Walter Hammond, Don Bradman, Vinod Kambli, Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith in the elite group, after smashing 231 in the drawn first Test at Karachi, and then 245 in the fateful Lahore fixture.
Ahead is a long and arduous rehabilitation program, but Samaraweera is certain he is not finished.
"I can't say an exact date but I expect that by mid-May I will start my cricket training," he said. "I know I have support from the whole country, they all pray for me, even international people. I think people would love to see me in the [cricket] ground again.
"When I was in the hospital in Pakistan, I thought my career was in doubt, but the professor came and said to me, 'You are very lucky.'
"The bullet hit my muscle only, it just missed my knee and was parallel to the nerves and bone - it was a lucky escape for my cricketing career.
"I am feeling much better at the moment, thanks to the doctors. I am very lucky."
Samaraweera could return to the field as early as June as he looks to add to his 49 Tests. Asked if he would ever return to Pakistan, he replied: "It all depends on the situation. Our board must believe that we will all be safe. I can't say I'm not going there."
Meanwhile, Bangladesh have halted Pakistan's tour to the country because they cannot guarantee the safety of the players.
Bangladesh's sports minister, Ahad Ali Sarker, said tours by all foreign sportspeople had been suspended until further notice, AFP reports.
More than 70 people died when border guards turned on their superiors, killing at least 56 senior army officers, during a 33-hour bloody revolt in Dhaka last month.
Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman Jalal Yunus said a November series was possible. Australia are not due to tour Bangladesh until April 2011.
And the Indian Premier League faces strife, also due to security concerns. Organisers have reportedly dropped Delhi as a venue, while there is a strong push to delay the six-week tournament, which is due to start on April 10 - to avoid a clash with local elections.
DAMAGED but not daunted, wounded Sri Lankan batsman Thilan Samaraweera says his career is far from over and has not ruled out the possibility of returning to play in Pakistan, where he and teammates came under fire two weeks ago in the first terrorist attack against a cricket team.
Samaraweera, who had a bullet removed from his left leg, was discharged from a Colombo hospital on Wednesday, and spent the afternoon with his wife Erandathie and two daughters.
Samaraweera told the Herald he had been undergoing counselling to deal with the trauma of nearly losing his life in the attack, which rocked the cricket world to its core.
"I have decided that I have to take positive thinking, rather than keep worrying about what happened and replaying this incident. I have to move forward," Samaraweera, 32, said.
"It is good to be home. I was in the hospital, and I had trouble in my mind. Everyone was asking me about how it was on the bus, wanting to know what it was like, every half an hour.
"I have been getting psychological counselling. It helps. Other players are also getting counselling too. They need it. I am home now with my family, and the atmosphere is much better, the environment is changed. I have to move forward. There is no point thinking this and that - as a cricketer and as a person.
"I am a Buddhist, that is my religion, and I believe that [helped me] to survive."
Samaraweera was the only player shot by the terrorists - who ambushed the team bus as it drove towards Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the start of day three of the second Test - while many of his teammates were injured by shrapnel as bullets, rockets and grenades were fired at the vehicle.
"In that five minutes in the bus, I knew it was a life-threatening situation, but it was when I was in hospital after seven hours, I switched on the news and was watching the coverage, and I realised how serious it was and how lucky we were," he said.
"That is when I felt really scared. During that five minutes on the bus, the thought going through my mind was that I have to survive. Special thanks to our driver Mohammad Khalil [who courageously drove off as bullets were fired at him]. If he didn't do what he did, we would have a totally different story."
In career-best form, Samara-weera had become only the seventh batsman in Test history to score successive double centuries the day before the shooting. He joined Walter Hammond, Don Bradman, Vinod Kambli, Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith in the elite group, after smashing 231 in the drawn first Test at Karachi, and then 245 in the fateful Lahore fixture.
Ahead is a long and arduous rehabilitation program, but Samaraweera is certain he is not finished.
"I can't say an exact date but I expect that by mid-May I will start my cricket training," he said. "I know I have support from the whole country, they all pray for me, even international people. I think people would love to see me in the [cricket] ground again.
"When I was in the hospital in Pakistan, I thought my career was in doubt, but the professor came and said to me, 'You are very lucky.'
"The bullet hit my muscle only, it just missed my knee and was parallel to the nerves and bone - it was a lucky escape for my cricketing career.
"I am feeling much better at the moment, thanks to the doctors. I am very lucky."
Samaraweera could return to the field as early as June as he looks to add to his 49 Tests. Asked if he would ever return to Pakistan, he replied: "It all depends on the situation. Our board must believe that we will all be safe. I can't say I'm not going there."
Meanwhile, Bangladesh have halted Pakistan's tour to the country because they cannot guarantee the safety of the players.
Bangladesh's sports minister, Ahad Ali Sarker, said tours by all foreign sportspeople had been suspended until further notice, AFP reports.
More than 70 people died when border guards turned on their superiors, killing at least 56 senior army officers, during a 33-hour bloody revolt in Dhaka last month.
Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman Jalal Yunus said a November series was possible. Australia are not due to tour Bangladesh until April 2011.
And the Indian Premier League faces strife, also due to security concerns. Organisers have reportedly dropped Delhi as a venue, while there is a strong push to delay the six-week tournament, which is due to start on April 10 - to avoid a clash with local elections.
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