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Bangladesh cancel Pakistan tour due to security concerns

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Bangladesh cancel Pakistan tour due to security concerns

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UPDATED:

12:20 GMT, 31 December 2012

Bangladesh have called off their upcoming tour of Pakistan because of security concerns.

No international cricket has been played in Pakistan since the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked in Lahore in 2009.

Six Sri Lankan players were wounded when
gunmen opened fire on their coach as they were being driven to the Gaddafi Stadium for a Test match.

The news will be a bitter pill to swallow for Pakistan having recently resolved another major dispute to resume bilateral ties with India after five years.

Wounded: Six Sri Lankan players were hurt when their bus was shot at in Lahore in 2009

Wounded: Six Sri Lankan players were hurt when their bus was shot at in Lahore in 2009

Wounded: Six Sri Lankan players were hurt when their bus was shot at in Lahore in 2009

'Bangladesh will not visit Pakistan for now,' said Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan.

'We have noticed that the security situation in Pakistan has not improved significantly, (it has) rather deteriorated.

'In this circumstance, we think it will not be very wise to tour. We
have conveyed our decision to Pakistan already. We are observing the
situation. If the situation improves we will keep our commitment.

'We have made a commitment to travel to Pakistan but we believe that the security of players and officials are the most important thing.'

Pakistan have been playing 'home' series in the United Arab Emirates as well as hosting Australia in England in 2010 for two Tests and two Twenty20s.

They recently hosted two Twenty20s against a World XI featuring Sanath Jayasuriya and Andre Nel.

Australia beat Sri Lanka in Hobart after Peter Siddle cleared of ball tampering

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Clinical Starc skittles Sri Lankan tail end on final day to seal first-Test win for Australia after Siddle ball-tampering row

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UPDATED:

10:41 GMT, 18 December 2012

Australia claimed six last-session wickets to finally end Sri Lanka’s stubborn resistance and seal victory in the first Test in Hobart after Peter Siddle was cleared of tampering with the ball.

Mitchell Starc polished off the tail to finish the innings with five wickets, building on Siddle’s earlier work, as the hosts clinched a 137-run win by bowling out their opponents for 225.

Sri Lanka had looked like rescuing an unlikely draw when they reached tea on 186 for four but, despite having to battle for almost 120 overs, the Australia attack completed the job just in time.

Gotcha: Peter Siddle, who had come under scrutiny for allegedly tampering with the ball, took the wicket of Thilan Samaraweera

Gotcha: Peter Siddle, who had come under scrutiny for allegedly tampering with the ball, took the wicket of Thilan Samaraweera

Storm: Siddle was cleared of tampering with the ball

Controversy: This picture was posted on social media site Twitter of Siddle handling the ball

Controversy: This picture (right) was posted on social media site Twitter of Siddle handling the ball

Starc finished with figures of five for 63 and Siddle with four for 50 to be named man of the match.

Pacer Siddle took nine wickets to help the hosts to victory in the series opener but also found himself at the centre of row after a picture of him apparently picking at the seam in Sri Lanka's first innings circulated on social media.

Despite complaints from Sri Lanka team manager Charith Senanayake, match officials found no evidence to charge the bowler.

Siddle struck once in each of the first two sessions of the day, claiming the wickets of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara (63).

The second came immediately before the first of two rain breaks which substantially aided the cause of the tourists, who had long since given up any hope of reaching their target of 393.

As well as the weather, which accounted for the best part of an hour of the afternoon session, Sri Lanka had DRS on their side as technology came to the aid of Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera (49) after they were on the wrong end of lbw decisions from umpire Nigel Llong.

But Siddle removed Angelo Matthews and Samaraweera to renew the hosts’ hopes before Starc took centre stage.

Having injured his hamstring batting on day four, Australia captain Michael Clarke took the field from the outset, rooted to his place at first slip and no doubt hoping for an early breakthrough to give the home side much-needed momentum.

But there was little encouragement and it came as something of a surprise when Siddle tempted Jayawardene into an open-bladed prod outside off stump that travelled low to Clarke’s right at first slip and was duly pouched by the hamstrung captain.

Whack: Mitchell Starc bowls a bouncer at Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews

Whack: Mitchell Starc bowls a bouncer at Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews

Grounded: Mathews dropped to the floor after taking a cricket ball to the elbow from a Starc delivery

Grounded: Mathews dropped to the floor after taking a cricket ball to the elbow from a Starc delivery

Sangakkara survived a real scare 10 minutes before the break, successfully reviewing a Llong lbw decision that had seen him given out to a shooting Shane Watson delivery angled in from around the wicket. Replays showed the ball hit him outside the line of off stump.

And it was a similar story in the fourth over after lunch when Samaraweera earned a reprieve to another Llong lbw decision, this time off Siddle, which struck the batsman outside off.

Two overs later, DRS was called into action again, but this time there was no reprieve for Sangakkara, who was struck in line by a ball going on to hit middle stump.

The weather immediately took the players off for a break before Mathews and Samaraweera survived two tricky mini-sessions, punctuated by a second rain interruption.

Clarke turned to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade to bowl the last over before tea, with Phillip Hughes putting on the pads and gloves behind the stumps.

The move may have smacked of a measure of desperation from the Australia captain, but it was far from the least threatening over of the day.

Dynamic duo: Siddle (right) and Starc (left) take the stumps after sealing victory in the first Test

Dynamic duo: Siddle (right) and Starc (left) take the stumps after sealing victory in the first Test

The final session proved key, though, as Siddle and Starc turned the match decisively in Australia’s favour.

Siddle had Matthews caught behind by Wade, back behind the stumps, for 19, before trapping Samaraweera lbw playing forward.

Starc gave his fellow paceman a helping hand by having Prasanna Jayawardene (21) caught at slip by Michael Hussey.

He then had Nuwan Kulasekara (nine) caught behind by Wade and four overs later bowled Rangana Herath (eight) off an inside edge.

That left the hosts needing one more wicket for victory and it duly arrived two overs later, Wade taking his fourth catch of the innings to dismiss Shaminda Eranga for six and hand Starc his fifth victim.

Umpires suspended for by ICC following match fixing TV sting

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Umpires suspended by ICC pending investigation in to alleged match fixing agreement

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UPDATED:

08:52 GMT, 10 October 2012

Six umpires accused of corruption will not be selected to officiate by the International Cricket Council until allegations made by an Indian television news channel have been investigated fully.

India TV named six officials it claimed were willing to fix matches for money in the build-up to the World Twenty20, leading the ICC to confirm they were urgently looking into the matter and prompting three of the accused to deny the accusations.

But this morning the ICC confirmed that none of the implicated officials would be considered for upcoming matches while an investigation is under way.

Hitting out: Umpire Nadir Shah

Hitting out: Umpire Nadir Shah

An ICC statement read: 'The
International Cricket Council (ICC) and its relevant Full Member Boards
have agreed not to appoint any of the umpires named in a sting operation
recently conducted by India TV to any domestic or international cricket
matches pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations into the
allegations made.

'The officials named are not
contracted by the ICC and those Boards who employ and nominate the
umpires directly will conduct the investigations as a matter of
urgency.'

Bangladeshi umpire Nadir Shah had earlier rejected the allegations, telling the BBC: 'It is absolute rubbish.

Troubled times: Cricket continues to be dogged by corruption scandals - including events of 2010 involving Aamer, Butt and Asif

Troubled times: Cricket continues to be dogged by corruption scandals – including events of 2010 involving Aamer, Butt and Asif

'These people are setting up these
things. Telling whatever they feel like. Once we knew that these people
are crooked we backed out.

'I didn't know it was a sting
operation. Once I found out that these people are trying to fix matches I
just backed out and left.'

None of the umpires named by the TV station officiated in the World Twenty20.

Sri Lankan official Maurice Zilva
echoed Shah's denial, telling the BBC: 'All I have to say is that we are
innocent of all these charges.'

Compatriot Gamini Dissanayake was
quoted by the Times of India as saying: 'I reject all allegations. This
is an attack on the entire Sri Lankan umpiring fraternity by an external
force.'

It is not the first controversy to hit cricket in recent years.

Pakistan internationals Salman Butt,
Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were jailed in 2011 after being found
guilty of bowling deliberate no-balls in a Test match.

In June this year Danish Kaneria was
handed a life suspension and labelled 'a grave danger to the game of
cricket' by the England and Wales Cricket Board after being found guilty
of two charges of ECB regulations.

Kaneria's former Essex team-mate
Mervyn Westfield, who in February was sentenced to four months in prison
after admitting a spot-fixing charge at the Old Bailey, was given a
five-year ban after pleading guilty to one offence.

Pakistan to host cricket internationals for first time since terror attack on Sri Lanka team

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Pakistan to host internationals for first time since terrorist attack on Sri Lanka team

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UPDATED:

12:37 GMT, 15 April 2012

International cricket is poised to return to Pakistan after the International Cricket Council revealed agreement has been reached for Bangladesh to contest two matches there later this month.

No full-member international side has toured Pakistan since a terrorist attack on a Sri Lanka team bus in March 2009 that left six police officers and a driver dead and several players and officials injured.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have agreed a two-match itinerary, and tabled their proposal to the ICC's executive board, which is currently meeting in Dubai.

Horror: The Sri Lankan team being rescued from the Gaddafi Stadium in 2009

Horror: The Sri Lankan team being rescued from the Gaddafi Stadium in 2009

The ICC have requested the PCB provide them with details of their security arrangements for the proposed one-day match on April 29 and Twenty20 encounter on April 30, both of which will be held at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.

'The ICC Board were informed today that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have agreed the Bangladesh tour of Pakistan will take place and will involve one One-Day International and one Twenty20 International to be held in Lahore,' read an ICC statement.

'The ICC Board, having due regard to its duty of care to match officials and other ICC staff, requested that the PCB to immediately provide a comprehensive security plan for consideration.

Big stage: Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium will host both limited-overs games

Big stage: Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium will host both limited-overs games

'Thereafter, the ICC's Anti Corruption and Security Unit will commission a localised risk assessment to determine whether its officials and staff are appropriately protected by the proposed security plan, before any further decision is taken in relation to their appointment.'

BCB president Mustafa Kamal, who recently assessed the security situation in Lahore, hailed the agreement between his board and the PCB as a significant moment for the people of Pakistan.

'The public of Pakistan have been deprived of cricket and we felt that we needed to support them,' he said. 'The reception we received when we toured Lahore and Karachi on our security visit was overwhelming.'

PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, who first approached Bangladesh about a possible tour last year and has previously spoken of his belief international cricket will return to the country in 2012, added: 'I want to thank the BCB and the Bangladesh Government for their support for this tour.'

Since the terrorist attack three years ago, Pakistan have been required to play designated home internationals on neutral territory, chiefly the United Arab Emirates but also in England and New Zealand.

Indonesia earthquake: Tim Bresnan tweets tsunami fear ahead of wedding in Maldives

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England all-rounder Bresnan and fiancee in tsunami fear ahead of wedding in Maldives

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UPDATED:

14:18 GMT, 11 April 2012

England and Yorkshire all-rounder Tim Bresnan has been caught up in the tsunami scare engulfing Asia after an 8.7 magnitude quake struck off the Indonesia coast.

Bresnan is in the Maldives – just three hours from the epicentre of the quake – with fiancee Hannah Battye who he is due to marry on Thursday.

Panic spread across the Indian Ocean after tsunami warnings were issued following two massive tremors in the same region that was devastated in the 2004 Boxing Day disaster which struck the province.

Tsunami fears: Bresnan with Battye - seen here at Elwood beach in Melbourne last year

Tsunami fears: Bresnan with Battye – seen here at Elwood beach in Melbourne last year

Bresnan – fresh from another winning performance with England against Sri Lanka in Colombo – tweeted his anxiety as he and his future wife waited nervously in their hotel.

He said: 'Just sat around reception in the Maldives with a life jacket on waiting for the tsunami to hit. Not ideal the day before my wedding.'

However, as the day progressed, tsunami warnings were downgraded to such an extent that those on the islands of the Maldives were deemed to be safe.

On hearing the news, Bresnan's fiancee Battye tweeted: 'Well I think @timbresnan thought he had nearly got out of it! Nope ding ding the bells are going to chime. #we'regettingmarriedinthemorning'.

The news comes on the same day that Bresnan has been named one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year.

Bresnan has been honoured in this year’s edition of the cricketers' almanack, which is published tomorrow.

Panic: Thousands are fleeing to higher ground after two huge earthquakes struck off the Indonesia coast

Panic: Thousands are fleeing to higher ground after two huge earthquakes struck off the Indonesia coast

Panic: Thousands are fleeing to higher ground after two huge earthquakes struck off the Indonesia coast

Named alongside Bresnan are his England
team-mate Alastair Cook, Lancashire's Championship-winning captain Glen
Chapple, Worcestershire seamer Alan Richardson and Sri Lankan star Kumar
Sangakkara.

The Five Cricketers of the Year are chosen by the editor of Wisden, a tradition that dates back to 1889.

'It's a very select membership and I'm over the moon to receive such a prestigious honour,' said Bresnan.

'To be included alongside the four other players this year and the great names of the past is very special indeed.'

Wisden editor – and Sportsmail cricket writer – Lawrence Booth said: 'Tim Bresnan touched the heights of world-class all-rounder against India, hitting a powerful 90 to assert England's dominance at Trent Bridge, and taking 16 wickets at 16 apiece, including possibly the ball of the series to dismiss Rahul Dravid at Edgbaston.'

Honour: Bresnan has been named on of the cricketers of the year by Wisden

Honour: Bresnan has been named on of the cricketers of the year by Wisden

Tillekeratne Dilshan: I feel sure I didn"t edge it

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Adamant Dilshan insists: I feel sure I didn't edge it

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UPDATED:

21:56 GMT, 6 April 2012

Tillekeratne Dilshan said he was '100 per cent sure' he didn't edge the ball after he was controversially given out caught at slip off Graeme Swann.

Dilshan, who had already been fined 10 per cent of his match fee for excessive appealing on the third day of the second Test in Colombo, risked another fine on Friday as he lingered at the crease after third umpire Rod Tucker upheld Bruce Oxenford's decision to give him out on 35.

Controversy: Dilshan asks for a review as England celebrate and replays can't prove he missed the ball

Controversy: Dilshan asks for a review
as England celebrate and replays can't prove he missed the ball

Controversy: Dilshan asks for a review as England celebrate and replays can't prove he missed the ball

The Sri Lankan hurled his helmet to the ground as he crossed the boundary, and coach Graham Ford stormed into match referee Javagal Srinath's room to demand an explanation after replays suggested there was at least an element of doubt over the decision.

'I was disappointed after getting out,' said Dilshan. 'I threw the helmet further than I meant to. I can't control the decision of the umpires, but I think the DRS should have Hot Spot – then the umpires could reach more correct decisions.

'I feel 100 per cent sure I didn't edge it. That's why I went for a review. But you have to respect the umpires' decision.'

Dilshan insisted that Sri Lanka, who at stumps on the fourth day led by only 30 with four second-innings wickets in hand, could still win the game.

He said: 'England couldn't chase 145 in the UAE recently, and if we bat for a session tomorrow (Saturday), it won't be easy for them.'

But England wicketkeeper Matt Prior said they had learned from that defeat earlier this year when they were bowled out for 72 by Pakistan.

'The best way to exorcise those ghosts is to have the opportunity to do it again,' he said.

'We back ourselves to get whatever they set us.'

Failure to win would cost England their No 1 Test ranking, and Prior said: 'Everyone wants to stay at No 1. We want to prove we're the best. We want to win every Test we play.'

Sri Lanka v England: Don"t penalise Kevin Pietersen"s switch hit

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Don't penalise Pietersen's switch hit, Test cricket thrives on the excitement
digg]

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UPDATED:

11:02 GMT, 5 April 2012

Lawrence Booth gives his verdict for
MailOnline from Colombo on day three of the second Test match between Sri
Lanka and England…

Cricket does like its rules, doesn't it Sorry – its Laws. Note the upper-case L: cricket takes its Laws very seriously indeed.

Six years ago, a Test match at The Oval was called off because the Laws took precedence over common sense. Umpires everywhere nodded sagely. For without the Laws, where would we be!

On Thursday, Kevin Pietersen found the Laws uncongenial to his unique brand of genius and, in particular, to his switch hit. (Or was it the playing regulations that scuppered him We lose track. It doesn't really matter.)

What's the problem Pietersen argues the odds with the umpires

What's the problem Pietersen argues the odds with the umpires

The only question that did matter, at least from a legal perspective, was whether or not Pietersen was altering his grip or stance in preparation for the switch hit before Tillekeratne Dilshan had begun his delivery stride.

Umpires Asad Rauf and Bruce Oxenford decided he was doing precisely that, and – because Dilshan pulled out of delivering the ball three times in one over – warned Pietersen under Law 42.10, which covers time-wasting.

Top Spin

Forget for a moment the gorgeous irony of punishing a player for time-wasting in an over that cost 19, and with a 109-ball Test hundred on a deathly slow pitch only moments away – and in a game England must win to retain their No 1 status.

And snigger at cricket's fussiness when a coach feels obliged to enter the match referee's office to ascertain whether a bowler's delivery stride begins when his back foot plants itself or his front foot lands (it's his back foot, apparently).

Instead, consider this. Can cricket afford to be as po-faced as this, not least in a series in which the Sri Lankan board has enraged sections of England's travelling support by making up ticket prices as they go along, and the locals have been either priced out of the market or cunningly not told about the cheaper seats until the last minute

Law-beaker The switch hit was the cause of much debate on day three

Law-beaker The switch hit was the cause of much debate on day three

Can Test cricket in particular afford to look down its nose at a time when Twenty20 and its innovations are forcing the five-day game into an even smaller corner

And do the fans really want moments such as these – when a batsman responds inventively to a 7-2 leg-side field with an off-spinner operating round the wicket – to be legislated out of existence

The counter-arguments came thick and fast on Twitter. What if a bowler suddenly changed hands without warning the batsman, or swerved at the last minute to go round the wicket rather than over it

Well, good luck to them! If you've got it, flaunt it.

Game over: KP's stand ended on 151 runs as England forged a lead

Game over: KP's stand ended on 151 runs as England forged a lead

Game over: KP's stand ended on 151 runs as England forged a lead

Which is precisely what Pietersen was
doing. When MCC gave their blessing to the stroke in 2008 after he had
first caused a stir by switch-hitting Scott Styris out of
Chester-le-Street, they noted that it was a 'difficult shot to execute
and that it incurs a great deal of risk for the batsman'.

MCC went on: 'It also offers bowlers a good chance of taking a wicket and therefore MCC believes that the shot is fair to both batsman and bowler.'

If the switch hit is such a liberty, why is it played by virtually no one else in the world game Answer: it's tricky to pull off, and you'll look pretty silly if you get out.

This is not to blame the umpires: theirs was the call to make, even if the call was a tight one. But when cricket gets bogged down in semantics – in delivery strides and altered grips – it loses part of its charm.

Andrew Strauss: England have point to prove in Sri Lanka

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Strauss not focused on ranking but admits England have a point to prove in Sri Lanka

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UPDATED:

12:45 GMT, 25 March 2012

England captain Andrew Strauss does not intend to let his side's world No 1 status distract them from the challenge of winning in Sri Lanka.

Strauss' side ascended to the top of the Test rankings last summer after whitewashing India at home, but were subsequently beaten 3-0 by Pakistan and only remained at the summit after South Africa's rain-affected draw against New Zealand.

Victory in Monday's first Test would go a long way to proving England's position is not a false one, not to mention putting some distance between themselves and a Proteas side who remain within a whisker of top spot, but Strauss is more focused on the series itself than its implications.

Head to head: Andrew Strauss (left) and Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene

Head to head: Andrew Strauss (left) and Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene

England have won just three Tests out of 11 in Sri Lanka and have not taken a match in their last two tours.

'I think we have got a point to prove and we do have to bounce back from those results against Pakistan, but we're not focusing on our world ranking at the moment,' he said.

'That's not of great consequence to us. If you focus too much on that then I think you're taking your eye off what is important, which is to try and win each game you play.

'We know the extent of the challenge here and we know how good Sri Lanka are, especially in their own conditions.

'That's plenty for us to focus on. The rankings will take care of themselves.'

Strauss and his fellow top-order team-mates endured one of their worst collective series in recent memory against Pakistan as they were dismissed on six occasions for less than 260.

England's Stuart Broad delivers a ball during a practice session ahead of their first test cricket match against Sri Lanka

England's Steven Finn delivers a ball during a practice session ahead of their first test cricket match against Sri Lanka

Bowling practice: Stuart Broad (left) and Steven Finn prepare to face Sri Lanka

Eoin Morgan paid for his failures with his place in the squad, but the spotlight is now on those who remain to show they have conquered their problems against spin bowling.

That they must do so on a Galle pitch that was reported to the International Cricket Council last year for providing excessive turn could be considered unfortunate, but Strauss has no issue over either his batsmen or the surface.

'There's always pressure on the batsmen. We underperformed in the UAE but to a certain extent the batting unit has performed outstandingly well for a long time,' he said.

'I've got no concerns about our ability to bounce back and get big scores over here, but there's always an element of pressure in international cricket.

'The history of the wicket here is that it tends to deteriorate at the back end of the match but we're looking at it being a pretty good Test wicket.

Inspection: Strauss examines the pitch

Inspection: Strauss examines the pitch

'I don't think there are any massive demons in it.'

England face a difficult decision over how to balance their side and Strauss was giving away nothing on the eve of the match.

Ravi Bopara started the tour as the overwhelming favourite to inherit Morgan's place but, having been ruled out of bowling in the Test series due to a side strain, he is now under serious pressure from uncapped all-rounder Samit Patel.

Tim Bresnan would strengthen the tourists' attack even more but his selection may be seen as a gamble too far in terms of weakening the batting order.

'You always have to consider in these conditions how much strain you put on your bowling attack and how much they can contend with, so that's a factor in what team we play,' said Strauss.

'The principle is always the same, you pick the side you think is most likely to win you the game, but we're going to have to be sensible about it and make sure we cover all those permutations.'

Ravi Bopara may still miss out on first Test against Sri Lanka

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The Ravi riddle! Bopara hits 66 but may still miss out on first Test against Sri Lanka

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UPDATED:

22:30 GMT, 22 March 2012

Ravi Bopara inched his way towards inclusion in the first Test on Thursday but left more questions than answers for England to ponder.

Bopara, favourite for the No 6 position vacated by Eoin Morgan, spent valuable time in the middle as England successfully chased the 359 they needed to defeat a Sri Lankan Development XI and record their second victory in successive warm-up matches.

Making the cut: Bopara on his way to a scratchy 66 on Thursday

Making the cut: Bopara on his way to
a scratchy 66 on Thursday

Yet, if Bopara's 66 enhanced his claims to succeed Morgan, the fact he was dropped three times and news he will be unavailable to bowl in Galle left the matter far from settled.

Andy Flower, the England team director, insists he will retain an open mind, though, over the remaining place in the line-up until he has seen the wicket that will be used for Monday's first Test.

His and batting coach Graham Gooch's faith in batting depth and a four-man bowling attack remains resolute, but if there is anywhere in the world where their resolve could be shaken it is Sri Lanka.

The suffocating heat and humidity mean fast bowlers cannot bowl spells longer than four or five overs and questions remain over Stuart Broad because of his ankle problem and Graeme Swann's poor form.

Out of sorts: Question marks remain over Swann's form

Out of sorts: Question marks remain over Swann's form

Add the fact that Bopara has been ruled 'unlikely' to bowl because of a left side strain, and the temptation to reinforce the attacking options will be strong.

Steven Finn is very unlucky not to be a regular member of the Test attack, but the only way he could play would be if Broad suffered a setback in his recovery, as his inclusion would leave too long a tail.

Matt finish: Prior hit 85 from just 60 balls on Thursday

Matt finish: Prior hit 85 from just 60 balls on Thursday

That leaves Tim Bresnan as the only feasible alternative to Bopara because he could bat at No 7, with Broad and Swann completing a more than decent lower middle order.

Matt Prior is certainly capable of batting at six, as he again showed yesterday with 85 from just 60 balls, but England prefer him at seven.

One man who will certainly play is Ian Bell, even though he again fell cheaply yesterday – for 11 – and has now scored just 129 runs in 13 innings in 2012.

But after becoming one of the best batsmen in the world last year, it is inconceivable England will not give him this series to put things right.

England's attacking move to declare on Wednesday was rewarded when the home side handed them 64 overs to score 359.

They reached it with 20 balls in hand, with Samit Patel – showing that he has a place at this level, if not in Galle, with 72 – and Swann hurrying England home.

Kevin Pietersen also stroked his way to a half-century that augers well for a bigger score next week. The only question now is whether Bopara has done enough to join him.

Sri Lanka yesterday gave their backing to Tillekeratne Dilshan after he was linked to a Bollywood actress alleged to have been involved in match-fixing.

Dilshan, who was said by Sri Lankan newspapers to be in a relationship with Nupur Mehta during the World Twenty20 in 2009, will be named in the squad for the first Test.