Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Ratnayake, Malinga named Sri Lanka coaches for Australia tour

Sri Lanka's cricket board appointed two stand-in coaches Thursday to help the national team during their upcoming Twenty20 tour of Australia.

Former Test player Rumesh Ratnayake, 58, was named interim coach, but will not travel with the team to Australia because he is in self-isolation after contracting Covid-19, the board said in a statement.


However, it said he was expected to join the national team in time for the first T20 match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on February 11.

Another former pace bowler, 38-year-old Lasith Malinga, was named "bowling strategy coach" for the five-match series, the board said.

"Sri Lanka Cricket is confident that Malinga's vast experience and renowned death bowling expertise, especially in the T20 format, will help the team immensely going into this series," the board added.

The series sees the return of Danushka Gunathilaka to international cricket after a ban for breaching Covid rules during a tour of England last June.

The all-rounder and two others were sanctioned after they admitted breaching a bio-secure bubble in Durham during a tour of England last June.

Gunathilaka, 30, had his ban lifted following an appeal and the payment of a $50,000 fine, and is among the 20-man squad named for Australia under Dasun Shanaka.

The first two T20 matches will be at the Sydney Cricket Ground on February 11 and 13, followed by one match in Canberra and two in Melbourne.

More For You

‘Anti-Islam posts’ land Reform councillor James Lee in controversy

James Lee

‘Anti-Islam posts’ land Reform councillor James Lee in controversy

Eleanor Storey

NORFOLK’S newest councillor has found himself in hot water just days into the role, following the emergence of social media posts in which he said Islam should be banned and Muslims deported.

James ‘Jimmi’ Lee, who was elected to represent Acle for Reform at a Broadland Council byelection last Thursday (15), is at the centre of a row over the messages on his X account.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lammy visits Pakistan amid worry over ‘fragile ceasefire’

David Lammy and Ishaq Dar

Lammy visits Pakistan amid worry over ‘fragile ceasefire’

FOREIGN SECRETARY David Lammy has described the India-Pakistan ceasefire as “fragile” as he travelled to Islamabad last Friday (16) for a quick visit following the recent conflict in the region.

Lammy met Pakistan’s senior cabinet ministers, including prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, foreign minister Ishaq Dar and interior minister, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.

Keep ReadingShow less
Next shuts Sri Lanka factory overnight, axes 1,400 jobs

Employees sew garments inside a garment factory in Katunayake free trade zone on April 9, 2025. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Next shuts Sri Lanka factory overnight, axes 1,400 jobs

FASHION retailer Next has abruptly shut one of its three factories in Sri Lanka, sacking around 1,400 workers and sparking protests on Wednesday (21).

The Next factory at the island’s Katunayake Free Trade Zone, just outside the capital Colombo, announced its immediate closure on Tuesday (20) and promised severance deals to 1,416 workers made redundant overnight.

Keep ReadingShow less
Swati Dhingra

Dhingra also attributed her vote to her broader view on where interest rates should be over the longer term.

Bank of England's Swati Dhingra defends call for bigger rate cut

Bank of England policymaker Swati Dhingra said on Monday (19) that her decision to vote for a half-point reduction in the central bank's recent interest rate decision was intended to make a statement on the direction of the British economy.

"I get to pick times when I want to be able to make a more categorical statement about where I think the economy is headed," Dhingra said in a podcast interview with the Financial Times.

Keep ReadingShow less
Yoga & Meditation Session

Align Body & Mind: Transformative Yoga & Meditation Session

Find Peace: Yoga & Meditation at Wrights Meadow

If you're seeking a meaningful way to restore balance in your life, improve your mental wellbeing, and strengthen your body through mindful movement, mark your calendar for Thursday, 29 May. The Wrights Meadow Centre in High Wycombe (HP11 1SQ) will host a transformative Yoga & Meditation Practice designed to bring you back into alignment – physically, mentally, and spiritually. Combining the grounding energy of Hatha yoga, the dynamic flow of vinyasa, and the calming clarity of guided meditation, this session promises a holistic experience for both beginners and seasoned practitioners.

The evening will begin with a well-rounded Hatha yoga session, focusing on steady, deliberate poses that help stretch and tone the body while calming the nervous system. With vinyasa flow elements seamlessly woven in, participants will experience a more fluid sequence of movements that connect breath with motion, promoting better circulation, improved flexibility, and heightened body awareness.

Keep ReadingShow less