Sri Lanka Name Squad For HK Cricket Sixes 2009r
By Hishan Welmilla
The 2007 Hong Kong Cricket Sixes champions, Sri Lanka have confirmed their squad for this year’s tournament with veterans Jeewantha Kulathunga, Indika de Saram and Nuwan Zoyza leading the charge at the Kowloon Cricket Club from October 31-November 1.
Zoyza, who has played 30 Tests and almost 100 one-day internationals (ODIs) is a new addition to his country’s Hong Kong entry, while sixes veterans Jeewantha Kulathunga, who will captain the side, and Indika de Saram are both remembered proudly for when they starred with the bat in the Lankans’ shock
Cup final victory over the All-Stars two years ago.
The left-handed Zoyza boasts an international ODI strike-rate of almost 100, ideal for the Sixes format, while he famously took a hat-trick in his first over the game in just his eighth Test match. The three consecutive wickets came against Zimbabwe in Harare in November, 1999.
Also on the team are vice-captain Kaushal Lokuarachchi, who played for the Wayamba XI in the current Champions League Twenty20 in India , Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Hasantha Fernando and Dilhara Lokuhettige.
Captain Shahzada Saleem Ahmed, President of the Hong Kong Cricket Association, said: “Sri Lanka are always one of the most popular teams at the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes, in no small part thanks to their superb victory over the All-Stars in the 2007 Cup final. With big-hitters like Kulathanga and de Saram playing alongside Zoyza, they will have a strong team once again.”
The 2009 Hong Kong Cricket Sixes will feature a new pool system with teams grouped into a Northern Hemisphere Pool and a Southern Hemisphere Pool of four teams each, ensuring two days of exciting sporting action. The Northern Hemisphere will feature defending champions England alongside India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, while the Southern Hemisphere will include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and hosts Hong Kong.
First played in 1992, the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is the longest-running international tournament of its kind and will this year celebrate its 15th edition. As such, the Sixes has been included by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as a Catch the Spirit event to celebrate the global governing body’s centenary celebrations.
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