Spinner’s bowling action no-balled

West Indies offspinner Shane Shillingford has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action after the drawn Test match against Sri Lanka.

Shillingford took five wickets to help the West Indies dominate the rain-affected Test that ended on Friday.
West Indies batted first and declared its first innings at 580 for nine, then dismissed the hosts for 378. Shillingford recorded his best innings bowling figures of four for 123.

Sri Lanka, forced to follow on, ended at 241 for four – Shillingford with one for 79 – when rain stopped play.The umpires and Australian match referee Alan Hurst have submitted a report with their concerns to the West Indies team management, the International Cricket Council said.Shillingford must now submit himself to an analysis by ICC human movement specialists within 21 days. During this period he will still be allowed to bowl in international cricket, meaning he will be available for selection for the second Test starting on Tuesday.Under cricket's laws a bowler bending and straightening his elbow beyond a specified degree constitutes an illegal delivery.Shillingford has played four Test matches and picked up 14 wickets for the West Indies. – Sapa-AP

India donates 500 Mahindra tractors to Government of Sri Lanka

Mumbai: The Government of India recently donated 500 Mahindra tractors to the Government of Sri Lanka to help the rural population in North Sri Lanka. M/s DIMO, the Mahindra dealer in Sri Lanka, was awarded the contract for supply of these tractors.

The first batch of 52 tractors out of the total order of 500 was handed over by HE, Mr. Ashok K. Kantha, the High Commissioner of India in Colombo to Mr. Basil Rajapaksha, Minister of Economic development, Sri Lanka. The ceremony was attended by Hon. Rishad Bathiyudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hon. Dogulas Devananda, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Development and Major General (Retd.) G. A. Chandrasiri, Governor of Northern Province. All the tractors come with a complete set of farm implements, namely, 9 Tine Tiller, Rotovator, two furrow Disc Plough and cage wheel.

“We are delighted that the Government of India has chosen to donate Mahindra tractors to the Government of Sri Lanka. The Mahindra Group has a long and enduring association with Sri Lanka which is an important market for us and this is our way of helping in the nation building process,” said Mr. P. N. Shah, Chief Executive, International Operations, Automotive and Farm Sector.

Mahindra has already established a base for itself in Sri Lanka where it has been selling its range of tractors and utility vehicles for over a decade. The Group now plans to further consolidate its presence by foraying into the hospitality and finance sectors.

Mahindra tractor models 575 DI and the 605 are very popular in Sri Lanka. Future plans include a focus on expanding the range, offering agricultural implements along with tractors and increasing the service network to serve customers better.

Sri Lankan President to start second term on Friday

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be sworn in for his second term on Friday, a day after his 65th birthday. Several foreign dignitaries are due to attend the ceremony in Colombo. Bhutanese Prime Minister will attend the ceremony as the leader of the SAARC. Maldivian President will also attend the ceremony

Mr. Sang Guawei, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China has already arrived in the country to attend the ceremonial inauguration of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his second term on November 19 as the special envoy of the President of China Hu Jintao. source by: news.lk

Tuticorin-Colombo passenger ship service likely in 3 months - India

A passenger shipping service between Tuticorin and Colombo is likely to be launched shortly, according to G.K. Vasan, Indian Union Minister of Shipping. Addressing journalists he said officials from Sri Lanka and India were engaged in talks. Probably in three months, shipping service would start. source by: ada derana

Chinese-built port in Sri Lanka fuels Indian fears Beijing is encircling them

Port in Hambantota, Sri Lanka is latest in string of deepwater ports built with Chinese aid along Indian ocean coast
A vast new Chinese-built and funded port was inauguratedtoday in the far south of Sri Lanka, fuelling the growing concern of neighbours India that they are being encircled by Beijing.

The deep-water facility at Hambantota on the south coast of the island was officially opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to kick off spectacular festivities celebrating the official start of his second term in office.The Mahinda Rajapaksa port, built by Chinese labourers and engineers in a turn-key operation funded by soft Chinese loans, lies in the political heartland of Rajapaksa who, though controversial in the west for his alleged involvement in human rights abuses and autocratic style, remains popular among rural constituencies and the Sinhalese ethnic majority in the island nation. A traditional sailing yacht was the first vessel to dock in the port, followed by a cruise ship with dozens of saffron-robed Buddhist monks chanting prayers on its deck. Source by: Jason Burke in Delhi* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 18 November 2010 19.14 GMT

Sri Lankan cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga's new mission

LEGENDARY Sri Lankan cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga was in Sydney last week to talk about everything but the great game.Mr Ranatunga, who is now a member of the Opposition in Sri Lanka, met with Australian politicans of all stripes, including Balmain MP Verity Firth, as part of his attempts to highlight what he calls the breakdown of democracy in his home.

He told Ms Firth widespread corruption and the ‘unlawful’ court martial of Opposition Leader and former general Sarath Fonseka had crippled the country.Mr Fonseka is serving a three-year prison term in Sri Lanka after being convicted of participating in corrupt deals while he was head of the military.According to Mr Ranatunga, the charges against the general are purely an act of “revenge” by the government against General Fonseka for his decision to leave the military to enter politics.He also condemned the current government’s decision to remove the two-term limit previously imposed on the presidency.Born into a political family, Mr Ranatunga was previously part of the government in Sri Lanka, along with his brother and father.He said he broke from the government and his family because he did not think current president Mahinda Rajapakshe was doing enough to stamp out corruption.“We have a rule that we don’t talk about politics or cricket at home,” Mr Rantunga joked.Along with Australian-based Jagath Bandara and Sri Lankan MP Anura Dissanayaka, Mr Ranatunga has helped establish the umbrella group Campaign For Democracy In Sri Lanka to highlight what he believes are the nation’s flawed political processes.Mr Bandara told the Courier the Australian government needed to speak up about the situation in Sri Lanka.“We really are appealing for support. I have experienced democracy here in Australia, and I want the same experience for my people,” he said. Source by: inner-west-courier

Provide exercise machines for Sarath Fonseka

The Colombo High Court today ordered the Prison Department to provide necessary facilities for Sarath Fonseka to exercise and also to repair the roof of the Welikada jail.

The court ordered this when the White flag case taken at the Court this morning. Defence Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetti informed the Court that Fonseka was unable to attend the Court proceedings today as he was receiving treatment at the Prison hospital.

He also complained that although the Court allowed to provide necessary facilities to Fonseka to do exercises, still the Prison authorities had failed to provide them. He said that well wishers were ready to provide the exercise machines to Fonseka.Mr. Ladduwahetti also complained that the roof of Fonseka’s Cell was leaking due to heavy rains. In response the Court ordered the Prison authorities to repair the roof of the Welikada prison and give accommodation to Fonseka in a separate cell. source by: daily mirror

Magampura takes its place in maritime maps of the world – President

Today, we have left our mark, not only on the Sri Lankan map but also the world map. In the maritime maps of the world this will be marked as an important port, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He made this statement at the ceremonial berthing of the first vessel at ‘Magama Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port’, Hambantota today (18 November). The ceremony also marked the commencement of the construction of the second phase of the port.
When Asia is progressing rapidly led by China and India, Sri Lanka also seeks to be a part of this emergence, he said.When we introduced Mahinda Chintana to the nation in 2005, we Sri Lankans were deprived of many things in this country… we gave Sri Lankans, the rightful owners, everything from the fertilizer bag to the Shell Gas company… From the time when our land was sold, we are now moving to a time when we are adding to it, he further stated. Source By: news.lk