Ranatunga lead to protest alongside SLC

Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga helped launch a complaint on Thursday against alleged dishonesty in the governing body and the politicization of its management.

Ranatunga is now a resistance lawmaker in Sri Lanka and connected several others to launch a appeal on Thursday in Colombo, demanding an end to the government appoint interim committees to run Sri Lanka Cricket.

Cricket officials were accuse of corruption and misconduct as the governing body accumulate US$ 69 million in debt after co-hosting the World Cup with India and Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka's sports minister fired the preceding administration earlier this month and selected another temporary five-man committee.

Ranatunga said the government has politicized cricket and other sports by appoint provisional committees to run their administration.

"Sri Lanka Cricket has become broke and establishment has no interest in rectify this sad situation," he said.

He calls on the public "to join hands to stop political intrusion and restore the image of sports."

SLC has been run by consecutive interim committees, picked by politicians, for seven years.

The International Cricket Council this month generally decided to amend its laws to make free elections compulsory for all national bodies by mid-2012.

Sri Lankan establishment have said election for SLC will be held next year.

In March, the International Rugby Board poised the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union from full IRB member status after failing to conduct suitable board elections, and restored the membership weeks later after election were held properly.

Netball is also run by a temporary committee, but the sport's officials have said elections will be held shortly for the alliance.

Ranatunga, who played for Sri Lanka from 1982 to 2000, led the national team in 1996 when the team hit Australia in the final to win the World Cup.

Cricket is the most popular and wealthiest sport in the country, but internal strife among those seeking a spot on the Board and political interfering has resulted in elections for office holders not being held for seven years.

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Australian set as NZ bowling coach

Veteran Australian state fast bowler Damien Wright has been set as the final piece of the New Zealand cricket coaching mystery.

The 35-year-old was confirmed today as the New Zealand bowling coach, combination head coach John Wright and one more Australian, assistant Trent Woodhill.

Damien Wright was Victoria's bowling coach last summer but still played Sheffield Shield cricket, and also twisted out for Worcestershire in England this season. He has 123 first-class matches to his name over a 14-year career for Tasmania, Victoria, and five English counties, taking 406 wickets at 28.62.

He also made three cameo appearances for Wellington in the New Zealand Twenty20 opposition last season.

"It's fantastic. I'm pleased to bits. I'm looking onward to getting concerned, it was a huge chance and one I was thrilled to take," Damien Wright told The Dominion Post on Wednesday of his imminent appointment.

He said he was approach by former Australian coach John Buchanan, now NZC's director of cricket.

"I had a pair of interviews and a chat with John Wright and that go really well."

The New Zealand job became accessible last month after former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald made a late U-turn to go back to his homeland to support Gary Kirsten with the Proteas.

Donald had a verbal agreement to carry on the role he took up in January, but NZC didn't secure his signature after the World Cup and he conventional Kirsten's offer soon after he was long-established as South Africa's head coach.

Coach John Wright said the selection is an exciting one for NZC and capitalises on years of experience playing first-class cricket and his work as bowling coach with Victoria.

"Damien comes highly regard by his peers and coaches in Australia. He is a coach on the rise and we are lucky to secure his services.

"As a player he made the most of his capability and got everything out of himself and they are character he will bring to his coaching.

"He will offer a lot to the team in terms of energy and eagerness and relate mainly well to the young fast bowlers."

The other leading contender for the New Zealand job was unspoken to be New South Wales bowling Coach Matt Nicholson. He played 124 first-class matches for NSW and Western Australia, and a solitary test against England at Melbourne in 1998.

Damien Wright begins on September 5 with the role base at NZC's high presentation centre at Lincoln in Christchurch.

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Dhoni lament Sehwag's nonappearance

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday rue deficiency of Virender Sehwag in the first two Tests against England.

Dhoni exclaim the opener is one of the few players in the world who could power the outcome of a game in a big way.

Sehwag, built-in in the squad of 17, is recovering from a process on his right shoulder and in his nonappearance, young Chennai opener Abhinav Mukund will open the innings with Gautam Gambhir at least in the first two Tests.

"We, as a side, rely on our openers quite a bit. A good start helps our middle order capitalize on it. There aren't many cricketers in the world that crash a game like Sehwag does. We will miss him," Dhoni said as India opens the tour with a three-day game against Somerset from Friday.

Dhoni insist that it was important for the openers to stand up to possibly the best international attack in the world. The Test series will begin at Lord's from July 21.

"England is a very good side; they frequently get abundance of runs. They take 20 wickets. We have to be at our very best," he said.

The Indian captain did not let himself to be weighed down by the fact that England; if winners by 2-0 in the series, could move them as number one Test team in the world.

"The basis of sport is to enjoy it. A lot of times you don't enjoy sport while playing top class cricket. We don't want to get into it the ratings aren't that important," he said.

Dhoni was also not ready to be besieged by England's strength and also looked at a few positives due in next few weeks.

"In West Indies, it was difficult to time after time score runs. Shot-playing wasn't that easy. It could be dissimilar here. You can play shots. The outfield certainly will be 200 miles faster than in the Caribbean which can be a great help to score runs," he said.

Over the next five weeks, in the four Tests, Indians can be assured of a huge support in the stands by the massive Asian population in the country. Dhoni recognized it but didn't think it would be the influential factor.

"Crowd support can push bowlers and batters to do that bit extra but frankly it's up to 11 players playing the match.

The bench strength and the support staff."

Dhoni did not forget to express his understanding with the victims of the Mumbai blast and hoped the pliability of Mumbaikars would help them overcome this tragedy as well.

"It's a sad event. It would be sad even if it didn't happen in Mumbai. Hopefully they will be soon being back at their best since Mumbai has resilience."

Coach Duncan Fletcher was by the skipper's side and said he did not think he would come back to England in such a way.

"Once I left England, I consideration that's it. I did a bit of consultancy before the coaching bug bit me again. When this chance came along, I couldn't turn it down."

From his short stretch with the Indians so far, Fletcher is frightened how too much cricket or lack of training isn't much of an issue with his players.

"They have played a lot of cricket. There is also a lot of cricket ahead. They played a Twenty20 game within hours of arrival in the West Indies, then a one-day game after two days. Still, the way Dravid and Laxman still prepare with strength - they might have played a lot of cricket but they don't show it. It doesn't seem to be an issue with this Indian side.

"In West Indies, I have never been concerned with those kinds of wickets, really spicy wickets in Barbados, it seemed all five days. Yet the team won. It appears in good space," he said.

Fletcher hinted if rules and conditions allowable, he would like to field more than 11 players in the three-day game against Somerset, beginning on Friday

He added: "We would like to play 13-a-side. Since this is the only first class game, the idea is to give practice to as many players as likely. But if there is a MoU alongside it, we would stick by it."

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"Feels extraordinary to be back in England"

India coach Duncan Fletcher told it feels odd to return to England with the blame to plot their downfall.

Fletcher was caoch of England from 1999 to 2007 and was chosen the Indian coach earlier this year.

"It's odd for me. I never consideration I'd be back in this role. When I left England I thought I wouldn't get (back) concerned with cricket. But having worked (as a consultant) with South Africa, New Zealand a bit and Hampshire to some degree - I sort of got the bug again," Fletcher was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

"It does seem a little bit odd coming over here. But I have enjoyed working with India, who I think had quite a good tour of West Indies. It's going to be a thrilling series. To be concerned with a top side and in a thrilling series is quite a challenge," he said.

During his term as the England coach, Fletcher had worked with some of the members of the current crop, particularly captain Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and pace spearhead James Anderson.

"The team has distorted quite a lot. There is a pair of senior players that I know something about but the rest of the team has changed. We'll have to look at the tapes, look at the technique that certain players have got, we'll have to assess that over the next couple of days," he said.

Asked if he thought England is a better side now, Fletcher said: "It's difficult to assess what is a better side - or (what is) the best side in the world. If you want to look at the statistics, then you'd have to say India is (the best side in the world). England has absolutely improved under Straussy and Andy Flower. They have done a really good job receiving that side back on track."

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