The suspension, announced under Sections 32 and 33 of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973, also revokes the appointment of Prof. (Rear Admiral) Shemal Fernando as the Competent Authority for Sri Lanka Rugby. He had been appointed under a previous Gazette (No. 2386/08) dated 29 May 2024.

In place of the Competent Authority, the Minister has appointed a five-member Working Task Force with the limited mandate of adopting the new Constitution of Sri Lanka Rugby. The constitution was prepared by a Constitutional Review Group set up by World Rugby and agreed upon by all stakeholders.

The Task Force includes:
– Mr. Priyantha Ekanayake (Chairman, National Sports Council) – Chairman
– Mr. Suresh Subramaniam (Chairman, National Olympic Committee)
– Mr. M. R. Latiff (Retired Senior DIG)
– Mr. Dinal Phillips (President’s Counsel)
– Mr. Rohan Abayakoon (Member, National Sports Council)

An election to appoint office bearers is to be held within 90 days after the registration of the new Constitution. Until then, the Task Force is authorised to manage all affairs of Sri Lanka Rugby.

LA28, the committee charged with planning the city’s third Summer Games, have announced a partnership with Archer Aviation to provide an air taxi service during both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The company says it plans to use a fleet of aircraft to ferry fans to and from venues, LA28 announced on Thursday.

Flying taxis have been a longstanding dream. They were planned to debut in the Paris Games in 2024, but were not certified by Europe’s air safety agency in time.

Similarly, Archer Aviation has not yet been certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration, meaning the aircraft are not ready yet for commercial use. It’s founder and CEO has said he hoped to have that key signoff – a Type Certification that says it meets design and safety standards – by the aviation regulator this year.

If they receive certification in time for the 2028 Games, the air taxis would offer 10-20 minute flights to residents and visitors and fly between select destinations, including several of the largest Olympic venues in the region.

It is unclear how much each trip would cost, but Archer Aviation’s founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said he wants to keep prices comparable to a high-end Uber, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Like the popular ride-hailing service, customers would be able to request an air taxi through an app. The aircraft can carry up to four people and operates similarly to a helicopter in its take-offs and landings.

The piloted Midnight aircraft is part of a family of vehicles called “eVTOLs” – which stands for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

Archer, which is backed by Boeing and United Airlines, is among several eVTOL makers seeking to change travel in congested urban cities by offering short-haul air travel.

The industry has seen many hurdles, including battery density, and none of the aircraft have yet been approved by the FAA.

Archer’s Midnight aircraft is built with 12 engines and propellers, and produces “less noise and emissions than a traditional helicopter”, according to LA28.

Archer Aviation hopes it will be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “at similar levels of safety as commercial airliners”.

“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America,” Mr Goldstein said in a statement. “There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games.”

Safety, regulations and investment have proved a big hurdle for companies trying to introduce flying taxis. Despite the setbacks and delays, many still believe they could be the future of transportation.

Archer Aviation remains confident its aircraft can buck recent trends, and sees the 2028 Olympics as a way to introduce them to the world.

The UK government announced the Future of Flight action plan in 2024, predicting that the first flying taxi could take off in the UK by 2026 and become a regular sight in the skies.

Los Angeles has previously hosted the Olympics in 1984 and 1932, making this the third time the city has hosted the Summer Games. The city has announced the 2028 Games will not allow cars, a tall order after plans were nixed to expand the area’s transit system.

(BBC News)

Dassanayake replaced Stuart Law as the head coach, following Law’s departure at the end of last year after leading the team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

This is the second time Dassanayake is working as head coach of the USA, having previously held the role for 03 years from 2016 to 2019.

During his previous tenure, Dassanayake played a key role in helping the USA secure their ODI status and establish themselves as an emerging force in the world of cricket.

With the USA already qualified for next year’s T20 World Cup in India, Dassanayake is eager to lead the team in another global tournament and further develop the foundation he helped lay in the previous decade.

Expressing his excitement, Pubudu Dassanayake stated that “It’s an honour to return and lead the USA Men’s National Team.”

“I’m proud of what we accomplished during my previous time here, and I see tremendous potential in this group to reach even greater heights.

“I look forward to working closely with the players and staff to continue building something meaningful for USA Cricket.”

Dassanayake played 11 Tests and 16 ODIs for Sri Lanka towards the end of last century, before moving to Canada and playing in their national side at the end of his playing career.

The four remaining group games will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Ground, with the playoffs and final in Lahore. Aside from one afternoon game in Rawalpindi – between Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators on 18 May, all fixtures take place at night, with evening games starting at 7:30pm local time.

“HBL PSL X picks up from where it left off,” he wrote in the post,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on X (formerly Twitter). “6 teams, 0 fear. Get ready for 8 thrilling matches starting 17th May, leading up to the Grand Final on 25th May. Best of luck to all the teams!”

The league, which was postponed due to increasing cross-border tensions with India, has eight games left.

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After extensive consultations with government and security agencies, and with all the key stakeholders, the Board has decided to proceed with the remainder of the season, the BCCI states.

.A total of 17 matches will be played across 06 venues, starting May 17, 2025, with the final on June 03, 2025.

The revised match schedule is as follows :

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The incident took place during the final group stage game of the recently concluded tri-series in Sri Lanka, with the hosts facing South Africa in Colombo. The Proteas emerged victorious in a high-scoring fixture.

Athapaththu was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match.”

In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Athapaththu’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.

The said incident occurred in the 32nd over of South Africa’s innings, when after being hit for a four by Annerie Dercksen, Athapaththu took off her sunglasses and smashed them to the ground, breaking them into several pieces.

The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Anna Harris and Dedunu de Silva, third umpire Lyndon Hannibal and fourth umpire Nimali Perera.

There was no need of a hearing as Athapaththu admitted the offence and accepted the sanctions proposed by Michelle Pereira of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

The tri-series was eventually won by India, who defeated Sri Lanka, the tournament hosts in the final by 97 runs.

(ICC)

“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” Kohli said in a social media statement on Monday morning. “There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.

“As I step away from this format, it’s not easy – but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for. I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude – for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way. I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile.”

It was previously reported over the weekend that Kohli had communicated his desire to retire from Test cricket to the BCCI ahead of the big five-match series in England starting June 20.

He made his Test debut on India’s tour of the West Indies in mid-2011, and after a quiet start in Kingston where he scored 4 and 15 – he totaled 76 runs in five innings on that tour.

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Earlier, De Silva was suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Ministry of Sports due to various irregularities committed by him over several years.

Accordingly, the NOCSL Executive Committee decided to hand down a five-year ban on De Silva, considering the recommendations made by the NOCSL Ethics Committee, NOCSL President Suresh Subramaniam told the Daily Mirror.

Subramaniam further stated that the penalty on De Silva has already been communicated in writing to the IOC.

Accordingly, the former secretary, who has been banned for five years, is now completely prohibited from representing the NOCSL at any foreign event or international conference.

(dailymirror.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailymirror.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

If Kohli doesn’t change his mind, he will bring the curtain down on a glorious career that has spanned 14 years and included 123 Tests – 68 of them as captain – in which he has 9230 runs at an average of 46.85.

But it hasn’t been a particularly fruitful time in the format for Kohli of late. When he scored 100 not out in the Perth Test in November 2024, it was his first century in Tests since July 2023 (against West Indies in Port of Spain), and his average, 55.10 at its peak after he scored his career best of 254 not out vs South Africa in Pune in 2019, has been 32.56 over the last 24 months.
Despite that, it’s understood that the team management and selectors expect his experience to be crucial on the tour, where India will also be playing under a new captain – Shubman Gill is the frontrunner to take over from Rohit Sharma following his retirement from Test cricket earlier this week.

Kohli, as well as Rohit, were included in the highest category (A+) in the latest BCCI contracts, which is usually meant for players who play all three international formats. Both Kohli and Rohit had retired from T20Is after India won the World Cup last year and, if Kohli does retire from Tests, they will only be available for ODI cricket going forward.

Apart from Rohit, India are without R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket during the 2024-25 series in Australia. With Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane not in the mix at the moment, and Mohammed Shami’s form under scrutiny after his return from a long injury layoff, Kohli is among the only seniors around, along with KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah.

Before Rohit replaced Kohli as India’s Test captain, India had won 40 of the 68 games in which Kohli led, losing just 17. The 40 wins makes Kohli India’s most successful Test captain of all time – MS Dhoni with 27 from 60 and Sourav Ganguly with 21 from 49 rank below him – and also places him at No. 4 on the overall list of captains with the most Test wins, behind Graeme Smith (53 from 109), Ricky Ponting (48 from 77) and Steve Waugh (41 from 57).

It was in England that Kohli had recorded one of his greatest highs as a Test batter, on the 2018 tour. He was the top run-getter across the two sides in the five Tests, aggregating 583 at an average of 59.30 with two centuries. That it came after he had scored just 134 runs in ten innings on the previous tour, in 2014, made the performance that much more special. That year, 2018, was also his best in terms of aggregate for a year, when he scored 1322 runs.

During his golden run, he averaged 75.93 in 2016, 75.64 in 2017, 55.08 in 2018, and 68.00 in 2019. During that period between 2016 and 2018, Kohli scored 3596 runs in 35 Tests at an average of 66.59, with 14 hundreds and eight fifties in 58 innings.

(espncricinfo.com)

A statement from Pakistan Cricket Board says : 

The last 24 hours have seen a worsening of the situation on the LOC, increased incursion of 78 drones, and the firing of surface to surface missiles from India.

The decision to postpone has been taken pursuant to advice received from the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif who has kept in view the reckless aggression from India that has escalated to a point where national attention and sentiments are rightly focused on the courageous efforts of the Armed Forces of Pakistan who are vociferously upholding the sovereignty of our beloved Pakistan.

The PCB and its players stand resolutely in solidarity with the families of the martyrs and our security personnel defending the nation.

The PCB recognizes the efforts and support of its partners, franchises, participating players, broadcasters, sponsors, and organizers in having ensured the smooth conduct of the tournament thus far, however; cricket while being a unifying force and a source of joy, must take a respectful pause when the country is facing such callous opposition.

We, at the PCB, also have sincere regard for the mental well-being of participating players and the sentiments of our foreign players, and we respect the concerns of their families who want to see them back home.

Yesterday, it was also announced that the IPL will also be suspended for a week.

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