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Jason Holder accepted that his team had to step up if they were to challenge Australia in the first Test at Dominica and he also felt that the pitch would get tougher to bat on as the match progressed

Daniel Brettig in Roseau 04-Jun-20152:08

‘Not an easy scoring ground’ – Holder

West Indies allrounder Jason Holder conceded the hosts had to summon more fighting performances than that dished up on day one in Dominica if they are to challenge Australia in the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy series.Holder made 21 and claimed the wicket of Shaun Marsh in the evening session, but it was telling that his middling day was deemed most noteworthy for speaking to the assembled press. Even if three Australian wickets were plucked in the final session, to be bowled out for 148 set the West Indians back considerably after the encouraging signs shown in a shared series against England.”We had a pretty decent series against England but that’s behind us, at this present time we’re playing Australia and they’re the No. 2 ranked side on the world, so we need to be better than we were in the England series,” Holder said. “We can’t forget what we did in the England series, we did a lot of good things there and it’s important we carry on in that same vein and not lapse and go back into a mode we don’t want to get back into.”We always expect a very good challenge from Australia. They’re in your face all the time and that’s the traditional Australian cricket. We just need to stand up and fight. We showed a lot of fight in the last series and we’ve shown fight in the past, it’s within each and every individual to show some fight. We didn’t show enough today, but I’m very confident we’ll rebound in this series.”Holder denied that the dropping of Shivnarine Chanderpaul had distracted the young team ahead of this match, amid talk that some of Roseau’s usual spectators had chosen not to attend in protest at the omission of the 40-year-old, plus the snub of the Windward Islands’ Tyron Theophile.”I wouldn’t say it changed the dynamics at all,” Holder insisted. “Obviously Shiv has had a very good career and it’s beyond me, the decision for him to be left out, I can’t really answer those questions, I just think we really need to pull together as a side. We have a very young side and we have some very good players.”We just need to work with what we have, and I have full confidence the team we have now is the best team. We just need to have that belief and keep going forward together.”In assessing the pitch, Holder said he had been impressed by Josh Hazlewood but also felt the surface was likely to get more challenging with each day as its variable pace and bounce became more exaggerated in addition to taking spin. “Watching from the pavilion I found it a little two-paced, I felt Josh Hazlewood bowled really well, put the ball in the right areas and got a little bit of movement as well,” Holder said.”When I went in to bat I found it a little bit slow and once you bowl straight wicket to wicket it became hard to score. If you can keep batsmen guessing and making them play on these types of wickets with the variable bounce, it’s in your favour as a bowler.”

Marcus North, Perth Scorchers’ captain, confirmed that breaches of team discipline harmed the squad’s Champions League campaign but would not name which players were involved

Firdose Moonda in Centurion23-Oct-2012Marcus North, Perth Scorchers’ captain, confirmed that breaches of team discipline harmed the squad’s Champions League campaign but would not name which players were involved.”All I will say is that there are players that played today and players that didn’t play today that let the team down in preparation last week,” North said at Scorchers’ final appearance in the tournament. “Last week, against Delhi, there are players in our side that didn’t reach the standards of preparations that we require from them. It was not the night before the game against Delhi, but our preparations for the Delhi game in Cape Town.”The Scorchers’ lost that match by three wickets, after posting a below par 121 for 5 and were knocked out of the tournament because of that. They also lost the opening game against Titans in Centurion and had one washout but came back to earn a consolation win in their final game.Knowing that the result would have no bearing on their chances, the Scorchers made three changes to their starting XI. Their leaving out of both Marsh brothers, Shaun and Mitchell, and Nathan Rimmington led to speculation that those were the players who had breached team protocol, especially since the Marsh brothers have been in trouble for misbehaviour previously.North did not verify that but stuck to his line about giving everyone a run in the event. “We brought 15 players over for this tournament, it was a dead rubber for us and we wanted to give those guys an opportunity to play in a big tournament like this,” he said.Scorchers’ coach Lachlan Steven had earlier said there would be “further discussions about things” once the team returned home, hinting that some corrective measures would be taken. But North could not say whether there would be any action: “I have no idea. I can’t speak on behalf of Cricket Australia.”Instead, he chose to focus on the reasons for the teams’ poor performance in South Africa, especially after they were expected to do better. “It’s been a frustrating campaign for us. We had the Titans first, who were very hungry on their home patch. And then in Durban against Kolkata, [we were] very much on our way to posting a winning total … ” North said. Rain came down with the Scorchers on 91 for 2 and they did not get back on the field.”Against Delhi we came back against a side who have four players who have been international captains [Mahela Jayawardene, Ross Taylor, Kevin Pietersen and Virender Sehwag] and are so good that David Warner can’t even get a place. It was good to get a win today. Titans’ Martin van Jaarsveld, who I played with at Glamorgan, came to me and said we should do them a favour and we did.” Scorchers’ victory meant both the Titans and Delhi Daredevils qualified for the semis.What awaits the Scorchers once they’re home is uncertain, especially after national chairman of selectors John Inverarity told SEN radio station that there needed to be “some changes,” at Western Australia to “recapture their culture”. North dismissed the seriousness of that comment when he said, “He is not part of Western Australia management.”The team has suffered a few barren years, having last won silverware in 2004, and are believed to have a number of behind the scenes problems. North did not delve into any of them but said he is “excited” for the season ahead. In the meanwhile, he thinks his countrymen at Sydney Sixers could go on to win the Champions League and called them the “best performing unit” of the tournament.

Cricket Ireland have named a full-strength squad for their upcoming ODI’s against Canada that will be played at Clontarf next week

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2011Trent Johnston has recovered from a knee injury and has been named in a full-strength Ireland squad for their upcoming ODI’s against Canada that will be played at Clontarf next week. Boyd Rankin, Niall O’Brien and Ed Joyce, the three players who missed the Intercontinental Cup game against Namibia because of their county commitments, are also back in the side for the two one-dayers on September 19 and 20, as is captain William Porterfield. Kevin O’Brian led the team against Namibia in Porterfield’s absence.Johnston has suffered through an injury plagued season, but took a cortisone injection two weeks ago and said his knee has felt a lot better since then. “I’ve a lot more mobility, and I’m due to start bowling again in the nets tomorrow while the I-Cup game is going on. I’ll be building up my workload as the week progresses, and I’d be pretty confident of playing next week.”Having said that, I’ll probably still have the operation on my knee on the 29th of this month. If that goes to plan, I’ll be back in full training in December ahead of the tour of Kenya and the T20 World Cup Qualifiers in UAE in mid March.”Ireland coach Phil Simmons said the return of Trent gives the side a boost. “I like experience in my squad as everyone knows, and it’s no surprise that it’s the World Cup squad, with the exception of Andre Botha,” Ireland coach Phil Simmons said. “We’ve been boosted by the return of Trent, who always gives the squad a lift by his very presence.”Ireland take on Canada in a four-day game that starts on September 13.Ireland ODI squad: William Porterfield (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Albert Van der Merwe, Andrew White, Gary Wilson

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has decided to not sign a central contract with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), ESPNcricinfo has learnt

Tariq Engineer29-Sep-2010Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has turned down a central contract with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Gayle is the third prominent West Indies player to opt out of a central contract, after allrounders Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo did the same earlier this month.”Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, who were both offered A contracts, and Kieron Pollard, who was offered a C contract, have indicated to the WICB that they were not minded to take up the offers,” confirmed a press release from the board. “The WICB has written to Gayle, Bravo and Pollard seeking details of the issues which caused them not to take up the offer in an attempt to understand same and so that the issues can be addressed for future contract offers.”The contracts on offer had required players to make themselves available for the West Indies team at all times, something that the three players – all of whom have forged prominent careers in domestic Twenty20 competitions including the IPL – were reluctant to do.The board release subsequently confirmed that Gayle, Pollard and Bravo would be available for selection in the West Indies team if they meet the board’s criteria which makes it mandatory for players to participate in regional tournaments, unless under “exceptional circumstances”, to be in contention. It also confirmed that possession of a retainer contract is not a pre-requisite for selection to the West Indies team.According to the criteria that was outlined in August, those players seeking selection into a particular format will have to make themselves available for participation in the corresponding regional version – the first-class four-day competition, the 50-over one-day tournament or the Caribbean T20.The WICB had offered 25 players contracts on August 31 – ten of them were development contracts worth $25,000 – and gave the players until September 10 to accept them. If any player chose not to accept the contract, the board said it would make alternate offers. Twenty-three of the players have now signed their contracts, 15 on full retainers across three bands, plus eight further names on Developmental contracts.”The WICB is delighted to have a full complement of players on Central Retainer and Developmental contracts,” said WICB CEO Dr. Ernest Hilaire. “We see this as a clear demonstration by the players themselves that they are committed to working with the WICB towards the development and success of West Indies cricket.”The WICB is encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response from the players and we look forward to working very closely with each of them in the coming year,” Dr. Hilaire added.”Gayle, Bravo and Pollard have each indicated to the WICB that they remain committed to West Indies cricket and are available for selection to the West Indies team,” continued the statement. “The WICB appreciates the stated commitment to West Indies cricket.”West Indies contracted players Shivnarine Chanderpaul – A, Sulieman Benn – B, Darren Sammy – B, Kemar Roach – C, Brendan Nash – C, Adrian Barath – C, Darren Bravo – C, Shane Shillingford – C, Nikita Miller – C, Devon Smith – C, Ravi Rampaul – C, Nelon Pascal – C, David Bernard Jr – C, Andre Russell – C, Carlton Baugh Jr – CDevelopmental contracts Kirk Edwards, Gavin Tonge, Andre Fletcher, Chadwick Walton, Devendra Bishoo, Assad Fudadin, Imran Khan, Kevin Stoute

England captain stands down from Hundred duty to manage workload

Valkerie Baynes28-Jun-2025Nat Sciver-Brunt has opted not to captain Trent Rockets in the Hundred this year to manage her workloads.ESPNcricinfo understands that Sciver-Brunt has made the decision to play for her Hundred team but will step aside as their skipper to ease the pressure of her responsibilities, having been appointed as the England Women’s captain two months ago.England’s T20I series against India, starting at Trent Bridge on Saturday, will be her third in charge after leading the side to twin 3-0 sweeps of the T20I and ODI series against West Indies.Trent Rockets are yet to appoint a replacement captain, but options could include Australian allrounder Ash Gardner, who led Gujarat Giants at this year’s WPL and stood in for one game at WBBL side Sydney Sixers while Ellyse Perry served a suspension for over-rates penalties in 2023.Grace Scrivens, the former England Under-19 captain who has been mooted as a potential senior captain despite being yet to make her international debut at that level, could take the next step in her leadership development after she led England Women A on the T20 and four-day legs of their recent tour of Australia.Related

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Sciver-Brunt played as a batter only through the West Indies series while continuing her recovery from a long-standing Achilles tendon injury which she hopes will allow her to return to an allrounder role at the 50-over World Cup in India later this year.She also became a mother in March when wife Katherine gave birth to their son, Theo. It is a role that team-mate Tammy Beaumont told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast she had taken to with admirable ease.”Nat is just a complete natural,” Beaumont said. “She’s always been great with kids and being with her own son is absolutely no different.”She’s almost superhuman at times, just to be able to be a mother and a new England captain and perform at the level that she always has done. I think it’s just a testament to her character that she can always take anything and everything in her stride.”Sciver-Brunt scored three fifties during West Indies’ tour of England, including the first ODI, which was dominated by a 222-run opening partnership between Beaumont and Amy Jones. She scored an unbeaten 55 in the second T20I at Hove.India are expected to pose a more difficult opposition for England and new head coach Charlotte Edwards, who replaced Jon Lewis in the aftermath of a dire Ashes campaign, in which Australia won the points series 16-0.England and India will play five T20Is followed by three ODIs, the latter series starting at Southampton on July 16.

India captain also confirms Jadeja’s return to fitness, which gives the team more depth and options

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-20245:24

Rohit: ‘When you have an inexperienced attack, you have to show faith in them’

Ravindra Jadeja is fit and available for selection, giving India more batting depth and options when it comes to bowling combinations. He is also the only left-hand batter outside opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jadeja had missed the first Test with spasms in the upper back on the morning of the match.While confirming Jadeja’s return to fitness, Rohit Sharma spoke of the importance of not judging inexperienced bowlers too harshly. “Although we’ve had a brief chat with the management, the coaching staff about what we want from this game, and what we want from the bowlers in this game, we’ve not completely finalised our playing XI. Everyone is available for selection. There’s no injury concern. All of them who are here are available to play. We’ll sit down in the evening and decide what is the right one.”Having said that, I still feel that, sometimes we’ve got a little bit of inexperience in our bowling, and sometimes when you have that, you’ve got to show some faith in them, show trust in them, and that can happen to any team. Like I said in the last post-match press-conference [in Centurion] about Prasidh [Krishna] playing his first game, we all get nervous when you are playing your first game. It’s understandable, but I thought, and I’ll still back that thought of mine, that he’s got good ability to succeed at this level and especially in this format. So it’s just about showing faith and trust in everyone and getting the job done from them.”Related

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Apart from Krishna, it was Shardul Thakur, in his 11th Test, who disappointed with the ball in the first Test. Jadeja’s return opens up the possibility of playing two spinners as R Ashwin brings with the bat more than what Thakur does.However, the conditions might not support that idea. Rohit was asked if he expected the conditions to be less hostile to India in Cape Town. “I honestly don’t know too much about that,” he said. “You know, the conditions look pretty similar to what it was. I mean, the pitch looks similar to what it was in Centurion, maybe not so much grass, but there is enough covering of grass on the pitch.”But yeah, the overhead conditions will matter. I think it’s pretty hot here compared to Centurion, which was a little cooler the first two days. Again, when we played last time here, 2018 and ’21… I wasn’t here in ’21, but the guys were telling me it was pretty similar conditions. We know exactly what is required when the conditions are like that. Based on the pitches, how the conditions are, you gotta respond to that.”India do have reinforcements in the squad. Avesh Khan, who played for India A at the same time as the first Test, has been called up to provide the team management that option of a tall bowler. He took a five-for in that game. That India are giving themselves these options tells you how much they need a hit-the-deck bowler. They already have Mukesh Kumar, who has the best body of work in domestic cricket among contenders for a fast-bowling spot, but is a skiddy, shorter bowler.With Thakur struggling with the ball in his last six Tests, India could even think of sacrificing the batting depth and play four out-and-out fast bowlers. Any two of Thakur, Krishna, Avesh and Mukesh could play at Newlands.

Billy Root adds 77 not out in clash between third and fourth-placed sides in Division Two

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2022A career-best double-century for Glamorgan captain David Lloyd put his side in the driving seat in this third vs fourth clash.Glamorgan finished the first day on 380 for 3, gaining four batting bonus points, with Lloyd on 203 not out, his second century coming off just 101 balls as Derbyshire’s bowlers toiled.Glamorgan first class debutant Tom Bevan offered good support with 48 in a century partnership which set the platform, while Billy Root made the most of a move up the order to No. 5 by contributing 77 not out in a partnership of 197.Derbyshire needed a win to overtake Glamorgan and stay in contention for promotion going into the final round of fixtures, but now find themselves with their backs against the wall with the Welsh County looking to push on to a huge first-innings total.Glamorgan were without India’s Shubman Gill with a heavy cold, while they also brought in off spinner Andrew Salter for all-rounder Kiran Carlson. Derbyshire gave a debut to South Wales-born paceman Adam Sylvester.Related

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With a winner between these sides having a chance to challenge second-placed Middlesex in the final round of matches, Lloyd’s day did not start so well when he lost the toss and was asked to bat on a pitch which had a greenish tinge.Three balls later and Derbyshire had lost opening bowler Ben Aitchison with a rolled ankle, which made the decision to bowl seem a little unfortunate. He did return to bowl one more over, and fielded at slip, but his future fitness in the game is doubtful.Anuj Dal took over the rest of that over and also made the first breakthrough, getting opener Ed Byrom caught behind.Bevan made his first class debut having made his breakthrough this season with a century against Hampshire in the Royal London Cup.He was slower than Lloyd at the other end, but also showed enough promise to mark him out as one for the future. While he has helped steer local side St Fagans to the South Wales Premier League title this season, he is likely to be otherwise engaged next year.He would have been disappointed to miss out on a half-century, attempting to get there in style hitting across the line at spinner Alex Thomson and skying the ball instead.Sam Northeast looked comfortable until he was clean bowled out of the blue with Luis Reece getting the ball to move off the seam.While wickets fell at the other end, Lloyd got better and better. Having moved to his half-century just before lunch, he moved to three figures comfortably before tea, no sign of nerves about his first hundred of the season as he smashed the ball aerially through mid on off Thomson to bring up the landmark.His previous highest score this season was 84, his average in the mid 20s with the allrounder having moved to regularly opening the batting.Soon after tea he surpassed his career-best score of 121 and carried on past 150, with Root offering steady support in another century partnership. Root moved to his half-century off 94 balls as the run rate increased with the second new ball.

Tom Lace makes light work of 90-run chase to seal fourth win in five

Andrew Miller08-May-2021Gloucestershire 93 for 3 (Lace 31*) and 273 (Bracey 75) beat Middlesex 210 (White 76*, Payne 5-31) and 152 (Gubbins 52, Payne 6-56) by seven wicketsDavid Payne has been an under-sung asset in Gloucestershire’s ranks for more than a decade now, but he chose quite the stage, and the circumstances, in which to produce the finest performance of his career. With Sky’s commentators looking on for their impromptu feature match at Lord’s, Payne followed up his first-innings five-for with another haul of 6 for 56 – 11 for 87 all told – to cement his side’s table-topping form with a crushing seven-wicket win over Middlesex.It was Gloucestershire’s fourth win in five, with a draw against Hampshire completing the set, and once again, their batters sealed the deal with ease in the fourth innings – the easiest chase of the lot this time, as Tom Lace, the ex-Middlesex man, completed their pursuit of 90 with a fluent unbeaten 31.It would have been with some foreboding that Middlesex assessed the rain radar as the third day dawned to dank skies across London. It is one of the curses of playing their cricket at Lord’s – a venue that has had drainage like a sieve since the outfield was relaid almost two decades ago – that play was inevitable at some stage of the day, even as the rest of the country’s first-class cricketers were able to peep through their curtains and hit the snooze button on their alarms.And so when play resumed after an early lunch at 1.10pm, the challenge for Middlesex was plain. Get a lead, any lead, before an innings that had already been crippled by three wickets late last night caved in completely. Such is the lack of confidence in a line-up that had already been bowled out for less than 150 in all four of its completed matches this season. In that sort of company, their eventual total of 152 was arguably a sign of progress.What credit Middlesex deserved for their signs of life belonged mainly to Nick Gubbins, who gave himself some sighters in Payne’s opening over of the day, before taking it upon himself to climb into the remaining deficit with three fours in his second – a thick outside edge for four followed by two fuller swings of the bat, through point and long-off respectively, as he aped the proactive approach that Gloucestershire, through James Bracey and Ian Cockbain, had taken in tricky conditions on day two.Gloucestershire, though, reasserted themselves immediately. Ryan Higgins extracted Ethan Bamber, the nightwatchman, before he could open his account, and with a new man now in his sights, Payne dealt Robbie White – Middlesex’s first-innings resistor – an early sucker punch. White’s fifth delivery was a pinpoint inswinger on an off-stump line that he could neither leave nor play, and ended up chopping onto his own stumps for 1.Related

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John Simpson, however, arrived with the right mindset, as he and Gubbins carried Middlesex into credit before doubling down to give their bowlers something to defend in an assertive counterattack.Gubbins climbed into Matt Taylor’s second over of the day with another trio of boundaries, including a blistering drive through extra cover, and as the pair brought up their fifty stand from exactly 50 balls, Gloucestershire’s captain Chris Dent was forced to change tack and bowl dry rather than chasing the magic balls in the helpful conditions.Sure enough, the ploy worked, though with a touch of good fortune. Moments after bringing up an excellent fifty with a flick off the pads, Gubbins was sent on his way for 52 as Payne thudded another swinger into his front pad. It would have been hitting the stumps for sure, but as for the line, DRS would have been in business had Gubbins had recourse to a review. Sadly for him, Sky had only brought their skeleton resources to HQ.At 109 for 6, with a brittle lead of 46, there was only one option left for Middlesex. Simpson sounded the charge with back-to-back fours off Higgins, and Martin Andersson responded by crunching Payne down the ground twice in three balls as he used his reach to cover the movement with a pair of big strides.But when Simpson took the same approach in Payne’s next over, he merely plopped a return catch straight back to the bowler, and three balls later, James Harris had been served his marching orders too, via another perfect full-length inswinger that was far too good for his as-yet static feet. It was Payne’s fifth wicket of the innings and tenth of the match, and the simple but deadly method summed up the consistency of his menace throughout this contest.All that remained was the mopping-up. Andersson attempted to take Payne down before he could get stuck into the tail but flashed a sharp chance to Brathwaite at a solitary slip, who clung on well with a juggle. Thilan Wallalawita then landed some late lusty blows, including a pulled six into the building works that caused a replacement ball to be brought out, but Tim Murtagh couldn’t emulate his young team-mate as he snicked to slip while trying to dump Dan Worrall into the top tier of the new Edrich Stand.Gloucestershire’s reply was as serene as it needed to be in awkward conditions. Dent made the early running before his off-stump was sent cartwheeling by the ever-eager Bamber, while Bracey will perhaps rue an impetuous lofted drive on 13 that plopped into the hands of mid-on – after his excellent 75 on day two, it rather ruined the impression of a man striving for an England berth.Lace, however, didn’t miss a beat. His six boundaries, including a series of sparkling drives, snuffed out any prospect of jitters, as he quickly overhauled a labouring Brathwaite, who barely hit it off the square in a dour 21 from 61 balls. West Indies’ captain, however, seemed to have done enough for a red-inker until Harris slammed an inswinger into his knee-roll, but it mattered not. Gloucestershire are top of the league, and they are looking a very serious outfit right now.

Most of the other major venues have been updated well enough to host international cricket again

Umar Farooq in Rawalpindi15-Dec-2019Day 1: 68 overs of play
Day 2: 17.5 overs
Day 3: 5.2 overs
Day 4: Called off without a ball (teams remained at hotel)
Day 5: Predictable draw
Nine sessions of the Rawalpindi Test were effectively washed out but a full house still turned up for the final day’s play and they were treated to a remarkable innings from Abid Ali. The 32-year old became the first male cricketer to score a century on both his Test and ODI debuts but even his performance couldn’t distract from the fact that the return of Test cricket to Pakistan – the end of 10 years of exile – literally turned into a washout.No ground outside of Rawalpindi and Karachi was considered to host the Sri Lanka Tests, although originally the series itself was expected to take place in October, the best time for cricket in Pakistan.So, over the last four days as rain doused the prospect of an outright result, the PCB has been under the spotlight for their choice of venue. The last 10 Test matches played in northern Punjab in the month of December have all failed to produce a result with an exception of one game against Zimbabwe in 1993. There was one Test in Faisalabad which was abandoned without a ball bowled. Another, in Gujranwala, had weather that was good enough for only 36 overs of cricket.Even so, Rawalpindi was the best option available to the PCB. Multan, Faisalabad and Peshawar have not been upgraded well enough to host international cricket again. Lahore and Karachi do but one city is experiencing heavy smog and the other will host the second Test on Thursday.In the aftermath of the 2009 attacks, logistics – direct flights in and out – and security clearances play a huge part in any match that is played in Pakistan. PCB had prioritised getting Lahore and Karachi ready first and had only recently invited ICC security consultant Reg Dickason to assess the state of affairs in Rawalpindi. Multan is next on the list; it is currently being considered to host four games in PSL 2020. Peshawar is already under renovation. Faisalabad, however, is yet to receive much attention.

It will help with the day-to-day activities of the Competent Authority, which is currently heading up the SLC until fresh elections take place

Madushka Balasuriya12-Nov-2018Sri Lanka’s sports ministry has appointed a five-member advisory committee to assist in Sri Lanka Cricket’s day-to-day operations, until yet-to-be-announced board elections are held. It is expected to share duties with the sports ministry-appointed Competent Authority, which has been heading up SLC since June 1.Comprising president’s counsel Dinal Philips, Samantha Rajapaksa, Mohamed Hisham Jamaldeen, Ranil Pathirana and Lasantha Wickremasinghe, the committee has been mandated with “inculcating corporate and operational efficiency.”An SLC release said: “The new committee will provide guidelines for the SLC management to continue its operations unhindered, whilst it will also focus on inculcating corporate and operational efficiency to SLC operations, going forward”The appointment of this advisory committee – effective November 9 – comes on the heels of three other committee appointments last week, though SLC confirmed that each committee would retain a degree of autonomy and exist independent of each other.”The recently appointed Cricket Advisory Committee, Tournament Committee and the Umpires Committee will co-exist independently and are authorised to take decisions, without interference from any parties on cricket-related matters,” the release concluded.SLC elections have been delayed indefinitely since May 31 after a Court of Appeal found that SLC election protocol had been flouted in the run-up to the elections. While the court subsequently lifted the ban, elections failed to materialise in the months since. The ICC has set a deadline of February 9, 2019 for the SLC to hold its elections.