• Lanka joins call for ban on Warne, Waugh
• Colts win Premier title with 60 runs win over SSC
• Men and Women Volleyball finals tomorrow
• No Foreign flavour in 1999 rugby season
• Lanka determined to win cricket series
• Darsha and Sugath to train in Australia
• Rover pinpoints...
  

The Australian Tour Itinerary

Lanka joins call for ban on Warne, Waugh

By Scott McDonald

KARACHI, Pakistan, Saturday (Reuters) - A call for life bans on Shane Warne and Mark Waugh is to be made by Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka when world cricket chiefs meet next month to discuss bribery and corruption in the sport.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Khalid Mahmood said yesterday the three countries would be pushing for bans at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, on January 10-11.

Australian test pair Warne and Waugh recently admitted taking money from an Indian bookmaker for information on pitch and weather conditions during a one-day tournament in Sri Lanka in 1994.

Mahmood said: "The subcontinent was unanimous that the guilty players should be banned for life when we met at New Delhi 10 days ago.

"At least three countries (Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka) will be pressing the ICC to step in, investigate the charges and clamp life bans on those found guilty."

Mahmood said any ban would have to be approved by a majority of the nine ICC executive board members.

"Lets see if the majority favours life bans," he added.

Former Australian test batsman Neil Harvey is among others who have called for two-year bans on Waugh and Warne.

Two days before the ICC meeting, Waugh and Warne are to appear before a Pakistan inquiry which will sit in Australia to take testimony from the pair as part of an investigation into bribery and match-fixing in Pakistan cricket.

PCB legal adviser Ali Sibtain Fazli and Lahore High Court Registrar Abdus Salam Khawar will travel to Australia to hear their testimony because Waugh and Warne were reluctant to travel to Pakistan and attempts to set up a live video link failed.

The pair have accused former Pakistan captain Salim Malik of offering them bribes to play poorly during Australia's tour of Pakistan in 1994.

Waugh testified before the inquiry in October when Australia were touring Pakistan, but investigating judge Malik Qayyum said he needed to be interviewed again following his admission about accepting money from a bookmaker.

Warne has made similar allegations but did not testify as he missed the recent tour of Pakistan because he was recovering from shoulder surgery.

Malik has denied the charges and says Warne's and Waugh's admission over the Indian bookmaker prove his innocence.

Waugh and Warne were secretly fined by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) in early 1995 but the incident was covered up until an Australian newspaper broke the story earlier this month, causing the ACB to be accused of double standards.

PCB chief executive Majid Khan criticised the ACB on Saturday, saying: "It is very unfortunate the way ACB covered up the issue and only fined the two cricketers.

Had the ACB informed us at that time, a joint probe by the two boards could have been conducted to resolve the issue."

The ACB has since announced its own investigation into cricket and betting would begin on January 12 and last about three weeks.

Colts win Premier title with 60 runs win over SSC

By Bernie Wijesekera

Colts led by Chaminda Vaas crushed SSC, with no less than eight Sri Lanka players, by 60 runs in the final of the Premier Limited-Overs Day/Night Cricket Final at the Khettarama Stadium yesterday. SSC were all out for 216 runs. The wickets were taken by D.Hettiarachchi (6 for 43) and Sajith Fernando (2 for 38).

Colts CC skipper Chaminda Vaas elected to bat first after winning the toss. Helped by a superb exhibition of controlled hitting by openers Romesh Kaluwitarne (70) in 64 balls, with nine hits to the ropes and Dulip Samaraweera (57) in 146 balls, with four boundaries, made a mockery of the SSC attack which included the pace trio of Pramodaya Wickremasinghe, Nuwan Soyza and Ruchira Perera, when they put on 123 runs for the first wicket in 20 overs.

This fine start by the openers helped the latter order batsmen to provide festive fireworks when they amassed 276 for 6 in the final day/night match at the Khettarama Stadium. Kalu sprayed the SSC attack, along with Samaraweera, when they scored 91 runs in 15 overs which included 79 runs against the pace trio. Finally, Kalu in full cry, got out for a rash shot caught at mid-on off Ruchira Perera for a spicy 70.

Perera's first over cost 15 runs while Nuwan Soysa was made to look a toddler, when he came in for a severe battering. Apparently, Soysa has still not recovered full from his injury. His first five overs cost him 25 runs and in the seventh over Jeevantha Kulatunga hit him to a huge six over long-on. In the previous over Kulatunga hit an identical shot, off off-spinner Thilan Samaraweera for a six. Jeevantha, going for another big hit ,was caught in the deep by Sanjeewa Ranatunga, off Soysa for 35 in 32 balls with two sixes and one four.

A seventh wicket stand between Chaminda Vaas (41 n.o with three boundaries) and Eric Upashantha (27 n.o with two fours) added further salt and pepper to the innings to make it 276 for 6. The SSC fielding against the massacre was found wanting.

SSC - 216 in 43 overs (Upeka Fernando 42, M. Atapattu 41, M. Jayawardena 40, S.Ranatunga 35 n.o; D.Hettiarachchi 6 for 43, S.Fernando 2 for 38)

Colts - 276 for 6 in 50 overs (R. Kaluwitharne 70, D.Samaraweera 57, Sajith Fernando 14, Indika De Saram 14, Jeevantha Kulatunga 35; C.Vaas 41 n.o, E.Upashantha 27 n.o; N.Soysa 1 for 16, R.Perera 3 for 57, T. Samaraweera 1 for 47)

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