Japanese firms signal expansion drive amid reform push — JETRO

More than half of Japanese companies operating in Sri Lanka are planning to expand their businesses over the next two years, reflecting renewed investor confidence as the country stabilises its economy, according to the latest survey by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

Hiroki Oi, Resident Representative of JETRO Colombo Office, said the findings indicate a steady recovery in sentiment among Japanese investors.

“The share of Japanese companies in Sri Lanka planning expansion has risen to 51.6%. This marks a significant increase from 36.7% in 2024, 25% in 2023 and just 9.5% in 2022,” Oi said, presenting the 2025 Survey on Business Conditions of Japanese-Affiliated Companies Overseas.

He noted that expansion intentions have increased for three consecutive years, signalling that Japanese firms are taking a longer-term view of Sri Lanka’s potential.

At the same time, operating profit expectations show cautious optimism. According to the survey, 39.3% of Japanese companies expect operating profit to increase in 2025 compared to 2024, while 50% expect no change and 10.7% anticipate a decrease.

For 2026, the share expecting an increase rises further, while those forecasting a decline drops.

However, profitability levels remain a concern. Only 46.4% of Japanese firms in Sri Lanka expect to record profits in FY2025 — unchanged from the previous year — while 39.3% foresee losses.

“Sri Lanka needs to improve profitability to remain competitive with neighbouring countries,” Oi stressed, pointing out that several regional markets report higher shares of profitable Japanese affiliates.

Japanese companies in Sri Lanka operate across diverse sectors including manufacturing, construction, trade and finance, logistics, tourism, healthcare and IT.

Japan remains the largest export destination for Japanese-affiliated companies based in Sri Lanka, accounting for 43.9% of exports, followed by Europe at 13.4% and the United States at 12.1%.

The survey also highlights both strengths and risks in the local investment climate. Companies cited fewer linguistic and communication barriers (56.7%) and relatively low labour costs (40%) among the key advantages of operating in Sri Lanka.

Market scale and growth potential were also viewed positively.

Yet concerns persist. Political and social instability was identified as the top risk by 83.3% of respondents, followed by unclear policy management by local authorities (60%) and underdeveloped legal systems (46.7%). Time-consuming tax and administrative procedures were also flagged as significant operational hurdles.

Oi emphasised that policy clarity and administrative efficiency will be crucial to sustaining investor confidence.

“Clear, transparent and consistent policy management, along with improvements in administrative procedures, will further enhance Sri Lanka’s attractiveness as an investment destination,” he said.

As Sri Lanka advances its reform agenda, the survey suggests that while Japanese firms remain watchful on profitability, a majority are prepared to deepen their engagement — provided stability and structural improvements continue.

“The steady rise in expansion intentions demonstrates that Japanese companies recognise Sri Lanka’s long-term potential,” Oi observed. “The challenge now is to convert that potential into sustained profitability and competitiveness.”

By Ifham Nizam

from The Island https://ift.tt/hMPSRCH

Donald Trump to call for new tax cuts in State of the Union as poll ratings tank

Donald Trump is expected to use today's State of the Union speech to call for new tax cuts as his approval ratings plummet with 60% disapproval in latest poll

from Daily Express :: US Feed https://ift.tt/AE9pNQG

Italian cricket under sexual harassment cloud

Italian cricket has been rocked by allegations of sexual harassment, days after the country’s maiden appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The BBC has reported a case of sexual misconduct alleged against Prabath Ekneligoda, who is the women’s cricket co-ordinator at Federazione Cricket Italiana (FCRI), with the claim being that he touched a member of the Italian women’s team inappropriately.

The report states that the player, whose identity is currently unknown, reported the incident to the police in March 2025, following which an investigation took place in November. Ekneligoda, who also happens to be the founder of Roma Cricket Club in Italy, was then interrogated in December.

“The Italian Cricket Federation reiterates that its conduct is guided by principles of fairness, transparency and the protection of its registered members, as well as by the ethical and civic standards that underpin the sporting system,” read an FCRI statement as quoted by the report, which also states that Ekneligoda’s lawyer has refuted the allegations.

The report further mentions that a decision is now to be made over the possibility of a trial keeping in mind the existing evidence.

[Cricbuzz]

from The Island https://ift.tt/AXRl0KN

Governance cannot be a postscript to economics

The visit by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva to Sri Lanka was widely described as a success for the government. She was fulsome in her praise of the country and its developmental potential. The grounds for this success and collaborative spirit go back to the inception of the agreement signed in March 2023 in the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s declaration of international bankruptcy. The IMF came in to fulfil its role as lender of last resort. The government of the day bit the bullet. It imposed unpopular policies on the people, most notably significant tax increases. At a moment when the country had run out of foreign exchange, defaulted on its debt, and faced shortages of fuel, medicine and food, the IMF programme restored a measure of confidence both within the country and internationally.

Since 1965 Sri Lanka has entered into agreements with the IMF on 16 occasions none of which were taken to their full term. The present agreement is the 17^th agreement . IMF agreements have traditionally been focused on economic restructuring. Invariably the terms of agreement have been harsh on the people, with priority being given to ensure the debtor country pays its loans back to the IMF. Fiscal consolidation, tax increases, subsidy reductions and structural reforms have been the recurring features. The social and political costs have often been high. Governments have lost popularity and sometimes fallen before programmes were completed. The IMF has learned from experience across the world that macroeconomic reform without social protection can generate backlash, instability and policy reversals.

The experience of countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal in dealing with the IMF during the eurozone crisis demonstrated the political and social costs of austerity, even though those economies later stabilised and returned to growth. The evolution of IMF policies has ensured that there are two special features in the present agreement. The first is that the IMF has included a safety net of social welfare spending to mitigate the impact of the austerity measures on the poorest sections of the population. No country can hope to grow at 7 or 8 percent per annum when a third of its people are struggling to survive. Poverty alleviation measures in the Aswesuma programme, developed with the agreement of the IMF, are key to mitigating the worst impacts of the rising cost of living and limited opportunities for employment.

Governance Included

The second important feature of the IMF agreement is the inclusion of governance criteria to be implemented alongside the economic reforms. It goes to the heart of why Sri Lanka has had to return to the IMF repeatedly. Economic mismanagement did not take place in a vacuum. It was enabled by weak institutions, politicised decision making, non-transparent procurement, and the erosion of checks and balances. In its economic reform process, the IMF has included an assessment of governance related issues to accompany the economic restructuring process. At the top of this list is tackling the problem of corruption by means of publicising contracts, ensuring open solicitation of tenders, and strengthening financial accountability mechanisms.

The IMF also encouraged a civil society diagnostic study and engaged with civil society organisations regularly. The civil society analysis of governance issues which was promoted by Verite Research and facilitated by Transparency International was wider in scope than those identified in the IMF’s own diagnostic. It pointed to systemic weaknesses that go beyond narrow fiscal concerns. The civil society diagnostic study included issues of social justice such as the inequitable impact of targeting EPF and ETF funds of workers for restructuring and the need to repeal abuse prone laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Online Safety Act. When workers see their retirement savings restructured without adequate consultation, confidence in policy making erodes. When laws are perceived to be instruments of arbitrary power, social cohesion weakens.

During a meeting between the IMF Managing Director Georgeiva and civil society members last week, there was discussion on the implementation of those governance measures in which she spoke in a manner that was not alien to the civil society representatives. Significantly, the civil society diagnostic report also referred to the ethnic conflict and the breakdown of interethnic relations that led to three decades of deadly war, causing severe economic losses to the country. This was also discussed at the meeting. Governance is not only about accounting standards and procurement rules. It is about social justice, equality before the law, and political representation. On this issue the government has more to do. Ethnic and religious minorities find themselves inadequately represented in high level government committees. The provincial council system that ensured ethnic and minority representation at the provincial level continues to be in abeyance.

Beyond IMF

The significance of addressing governance issues is not only relevant to the IMF agreement. It is also important in accessing tariff concessions from the European Union. The GSP Plus tariff concession given by the EU enables Sri Lankan exports to be sold at lower prices and win markets in Europe. For an export dependent economy, this is critical. Loss of such concessions would directly affect employment in key sectors such as apparel. The government needs to address longstanding EU concerns about the protection of human rights and labour rights in the country. The EU has, for several years, linked the continuation of GSP Plus to compliance with international conventions. This includes the condition that the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) be brought into line with international standards. The government’s alternative in the form of the draft Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PTSA) is less abusive on paper but is wider in scope and retains the core features of the PTA.

Governance and social justice factors cannot be ignored or downplayed in the pursuit of economic development. If Sri Lanka is to break out of its cycle of crisis and bailout, it must internalise the fact that good governance which promotes social justice and more fairly distributes the costs and fruits of development is the foundation on which durable economic growth is built. Without it, stabilisation will remain fragile, poverty will remain high, and the promise of 7 to 8 percent growth will remain elusive. The implementation of governance reforms will also have a positive effect through the creative mechanism of governance linked bonds, an innovation of the present IMF agreement.

The Sri Lankan think tank Verité Research played an important role in the development of governance linked bonds. They reduce the rate of interest payable by the government on outstanding debt on the basis that better governance leads to a reduction in risk for those who have lent their money to Sri Lanka. This is a direct financial reward for governance reform. The present IMF programme offers an opportunity not only to stabilise the economy but to strengthen the institutions that underpin it. That opportunity needs to be taken. Without it, the country cannot attract investment, expand exports and move towards shared prosperity and to a 7-8 percent growth rate that can lift the country out of its debt trap.

by Jehan Perera

from The Island https://ift.tt/JRvjItF

Rampaging Hetmyer, spinners seal West Indies’ massive win over Zimbabwe

West Indies went on an unfettered big-hitting spree at the Wankhede Stadium, crushing Zimbabwe by 107 runs and sounding out a warning to other title-contenders in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Led by turbo-charged fifties from Shimron Hetmyer and Rowman Powell, West Indies racked up 254 for 6 – the second highest total at a men’s T20 World Cup – including 19 sixes. No team has hit more sixes in an innings in the history of the competition.

In response, Zimbabwe were all out for only 147, suffering their first loss in this tournament after topping Group B in the lead-up to the Super Eight.

It was Hetmyer, who started the carnage with a 19-ball half-century before former captain Powell and the rest of the middle order joined the six-hitting party. Hetmyer, Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder all kept launching the ball into the night sky and made it look ridiculously easy, like West Indies’ hitters did in 2012 and 2016.

After missing Zimbabwe’s group-stage fixtures against Australia and Sri Lanka with injury, left-arm quick Richard Ngarava marked his return by having Brandon King holing out to long leg for 9 off 12 balls with a 101kph slower ball. Then, in the final over of the powerplay, Craig Evans dug an offcutter into the pitch and had Shai Hope caught spectacularly by Brian Bennett in the outfield for 14 off 12 balls.

Despite losing two wickets, West Indies scored 55 runs in their first six overs, with Hetmyer responsible for 20 of those. Hetmyer was just getting started at No. 3, a new(ish) role for him in this T20 World Cup after spending the previous edition on the bench.

Identified by coach Daren Sammy as a batter who could perform Nicholas Pooran’s role, Hetmyer aced it on Monday. He was particularly severe on spin, cracking Graeme Cremer and Sikandar Raza for 56 off 17 balls, with all seven of his sixes coming against spin. Hetmyer’s strike rate of 329.41 is the second-highest among batters to have scored 50-plus runs against spinners in a men’s T20I, where ball-by-ball data is available.

Rovman Powell celebrates his half-century [Cricinfo]

Along the way, Hetmyer charged to a 19-ball half-century, toppling his own record for West Indies’ fastest fifty at a men’s T20 World Cup. Earlier in this tournament, Hetmyer had clubbed a 22-ball fifty against Scotland  in Kolkata.

Hetmyer was also aided by Zimbabwe’s fielding lapses. Tashinga Musekiwa dropped Hetmyer on 9 and then again on 70. Hetmyer added 15 to his tally after the second reprieve before Bennett eventually held onto a chance in the deep.

But the momentum seamlessly switched from one West Indies batter to another. Powell, who was on 15 off 17 balls at one point, teed off when he imperiously whipped Evans over midwicket. He hit three more sixes, including a 106-metre monster over extra-cover off part-time seamer Dion Myers in the 13th over. He pressed on to bring up a 29-ball fifty.

In the next over, Powell drilled one back so fiercely that the ball burst through the hands of Raza and left him needing attention from the physio. Raza even had to spend some time off the field, with Ngarava, the Test captain, standing in for him in the closing stages of the first innings.

Though Powell departed for 59, with Musekiwa getting third-time lucky and clinging onto a catch, electric cameos from Rutherford, Shepherd and Holder powered West Indies past 250.

Gudakesh Motie registered his career-best T20I figures [Cricinfo]

Zimbabwe need a strong start to stay in the game. However, that was not to be and by the end of three overs, they were three down. Gudakesh Motie then precipitated Zimbabwe’s collapse with his career-best T20I figures of 4 for 28.

Having hurt his finger in the first innings, Raza (27 off 20 balls) came out to bat but only flickered briefly before Motie castled him with a delightful delivery that pitched on middle and ripped away to hit off.

Akeal Hosein’s dismissal of Bennett with his stock ball that drifted in towards middle and leg and turned away to hit off was another contender for the ball of the day.

The end was nigh for Zimbabwe when they slumped to 103 for 9 in the 15th over, but Evans delayed it with a 21-ball 43. Forde wrapped up the win – West Indies’ second biggest in terms of runs – when he had Evans top-edging a catch to short third in the 18th over.

Brief scores:
West Indies 254 for 6 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 14, Shimron Hetmyer 85, Rovman Powell 59, Sherfane Rutherford 31, Romario Shepherd 21, Jason Holder 13; Richard Ngarava 2-47, Blessing  Muzarabani 2-42, Brad Evans 1-46, Graeme Cremer 1-38) beat Zimbabwe 147 in 17.4 overs (Tadiwanashe Marumani 14, Brad Evans 43, Dion Myers 28, Sikandar Raza 27, Tony Munyonga 14;  Gudakesh Motie 4-28, Akeal Hosein 3-28, Matthew Forde 2-27, Jason Holder 1-25)  by 107 runs

[Cricinfo]

from The Island https://ift.tt/nH1huYD

All-round South Africa hammer India in Ahmedabad

Stop press. India’s victory streak in T20 World Cups was halted at 12 by the side they stole one from in the final of the last World Cup. After a surprise call to bat first, South Africa recovered from 20 for 3 to post 187 and then launched just about the perfect defence both with tactics and execution in significant dew to secure a 76-run win, which could have significant net-run-rate implications as well.

David Miller and Dewald Brevis started the comeback with some special hitting to balance Jasprit Bumrah’s 3 for 15 with analysis of 4-0-47-1 for Varun Chakravarthy. Even though they lost muscle just before the death overs, Tristan Stubbs took 20 to give South Africa something to work with.

Given the dew and the improvement in batting conditions after the first four overs, 187 seemed light, but almost everything they tried with the ball worked.Aiden Markram bowled the first over and had an India opener out for a duck, Ishan Kishan this time. Marco Jansen had a wicket first ball, Lungi Ngidi was unhittable with his slower balls, Keshav Maharaj produced three boundary catches in one over, the catching was sensational, and the biggest partnership they allowed was 35.

Bumrah, Arshdeep hurt South Africa

It feels like a long time ago, but South Africa’s decision to bat first didn’t look good when Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh ran through the top order. Bumrah was spot on, getting Quinton de Kock with a ball that seamed back in to hit top of leg and bowling a bewitching slower offcutter with the new ball to get rid of Ryan Rickelton. With Arshdeep Singh getting Aiden Markram for the seventh time in the last 51 balls he has bowled at him, India looked unstoppable.

Miller, Brevis show class

Coming in at 20 for 3, it would have been easy for Miller to play the scoreboard and not the conditions. It is a skill we can’t even fathom the enormity of to judge that the conditions are improving and that they need to go for a big score and then to be able to execute it.

Miller, at his home ground in the IPL, used all his experience of the conditions to aim straight, go after spin more than pace, and pull South Africa out of the hole. Before Brevis could join his party, Miller had already raced away to 32 off 17, including a step-hit six and a four off Varun, which does suggest a bit of overpitching thanks to his proficiency off the back foot. Brevis announced him with a no-look six off Varun in the same over.

There was a point when the first seven overs of seam had gone for 3 for 37 as against 3-0-39-0 from spin. This is when India’s sloppiness turned up. That last ball to make it seven overs was a no-ball from Hardik Pandya. Miller hit the free hit for a six. Soon Shivam Dube offered him another free hit, which he again hit for a six to get to fifty.

Between those two free hits, Brevis showed glimpses of his genius, putting paid to Dube’s wide lines with two sixes and a four. Dube had his own back with another Brevis dismissal on the pull for 45 off 29, but followed it up with that no-ball.

Stubbs provides the finish

Varun was headed for his worst analysis in T20Is when he managed to have Miller caught at long-off for 63 off 35, staying seven short of the most he has conceded. The wicket came just before the death overs, allowing Bumrah to bowl at new batters. Bumrah returned two overs for eight runs and the wicket of Corbin Bosch, but Stubbs took toll of the only slightly soft over he could get at the death. Facing all six balls from Pandya in the last over, he hit two sixes off the last two balls to end up with 44 off 24.

Dream start for South Africa

It had been telegraphed, emailed and faxed that Markram would take the new ball against the three left-hand batters at the top. This time Kishan played two balls normally for dots, then tried to go over mid-on, but nearly fell prey to the low bounce of the black-soil pitch. Then he tried to slog across the line, Markram got this ball to grip, and India had lost an opener for a duck in four of their five matches.

India didn’t separate the left-hand batters with Suryakumar Yadav sticking to his comfort zone of No. 4. Varma didn’t quite wait for offspin to do damage as he charged at Jansen first ball and edged a lifting delivery.

The field sets against Abhishek Sharma, who got on the board in World Cup with a four off Markram and then a six and four off Rabada, but South Africa tied him down with clever fields and bowling. In his 12-ball stay, Abhishek played seven false shots. When he connected, there was a deep point and a deep cover in place. The final false shot was a product of that field set and a knuckle ball from Jansen. Abhishek must have thought even half a hit would be good enough with no one out on the leg side, but the knuckle ball stood up off his bat, and Bosch took a sensational catch despite a collision with Maharaj.

Bosch can do now wrong

India promoted Washington Sundar, who played ahead of Axar Patel because of South Africa’s left-hand batters but bowled only two overs for 17. He found himself stuck before edging the first ball he faced from Borch through to the keeper. Soon a length ball down the leg side took the cue end of Suryakumar’s bat for a catch to short midwicket. Surya scored 18 off 22. The asking rate had gone past two a ball four balls he was dismissed.

Strange last quarter

A perplexing sixth-wicket stand followed when Pandya and Dube seemed happy with 30 off 23 balls leading into the drinks break, suggesting they might be taking the MS Dhoni route of narrowing the gap and salvaging the net run rate. However, immediately after drinks everybody wanted to hit a six off every ball, and we had three c Stubbs b Maharaj dismissals in the 15th over.

With no batting left, Dube could do only so much although Miller did drop Dube once to impart the only little blemish on South Africa’s night. It didn’t hurt them much.

Brief scores:
South Africa 187 for 7 in 20 overs (David Miller 63, Dewald Brevis 45, Tristan Stubbs 44; Arshdeep Singh 2-28, Jasprit  Bumrah 3-15, Varun Chakravarthy 1-47, Shivam Dube 1-32) beat India 111 in 18.5 overs  (Abhishek Sharma 15, Suryakumar Yadav 18, Washington Sundar 11, Shivam Dube 42, Hrdik Pandya 18; Aiden Markram 1-05, Marco Jansen 4-22, Keshav Maharaj 3-24, Corbin Bosch 2-12) by 76 runs

[Cricinfo]

from The Island https://ift.tt/Q6GsRkl

Will Jacks stars again as England dismantle Sri Lanka

England have jumped to the top of Group 2 of the Super Eight with a dominant, Net Run Rate-boosting 51-run win over Sri Lanka in Pallekele.

In pursuit of what should have been a manageable target of 147, the hosts were snuffed out for 95 in an error-strewn innings that continued a grim 12-match losing streak to England, who lead Pakistan and New Zealand by a point after their washout on Saturday.

Yet again, Will Jacks  came to the fore – only this time with the ball. After England had posted what looked an under-par 146 for 9  PhilSalt’s 62 the lone score of note in response to Dunith Wellalage’s 3 for 26 – Jacks bowled four of the first eight overs of the run chase, pocketing 3 for 22 without breaking a sweat.

Just as Wellalage had done in taking out three big English names – Jos Buttler, Harry Brook and Salt – Jacks’ trio capped Sri Lanka’s ambition. Kusal Mendis’s push back to the off-spinner was quickly followed by Pavan Rathnayake launching high to Jacob Bethell at cover, before Wellalage failed to clear Jamie Overton at mid on.

Coupled with Jofra Archer’s 2 for 20, which included star man Pathum Nissanka flicking to Overton at deep midwicket, Sri Lanka exited the powerplay on 34 for 5 and devoid of any real hope.

It made England’s 37 for 2 in their first six overs look far more measured, when in fact it was a patchy start typified by a labored 7 off 14 from Buttler, before he was trapped lbw to Wellalage.

Sri Lanka’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss – predicated on their comprehensive take down of Australia at this venue in the Group Stages – looked vindicated, even as Salt battled humid conditions to reach his first half-century of this World Cup – and second in all T20I editions – from 36 deliveries. That Jacks’ 21 was England’s second-highest score spoke to the awkwardness of the innings.

Dasun Shanaka marshaled his attack well, helped by the consistent threat of Dilshan Madushanka (2 for 25) and Maheesh Theekshana (2 for 21). But Sri Lanka’s captain was brought back down to earth when he found himself in the middle with a ball left of the sixth over.

Having thumped two sixes on his way to 30, an attempt at a third was brilliantly relayed on the midwicket fence to leave Sri Lanka 82 for 8, with all their full-time batters now back in the hutch. Naturally, Jacks was a key figure in that dismissal, taking the catch before casually lobbing it back into play, straight to Tom Banton.

Dushan Hemantha had already trimmed his own bails with his bat in comical fashion, before Dushmantha Chameera and Madushanka, the final two batters, were both bowled slogging, in keeping with a cavalier approach when sensible heads were required. Even with the all out attack, Sri Lanka could only muster 95 in 100 legal deliveries.

You should never travel without insurance, and in Jacks England have the ideal safety blanket for a subcontinental T20 World Cup. And like insurance – in principle at least – Jacks has saved the team when they’ve least expected it.

For all the admiration for Jacks’ talents, as evidenced by his selection for the Ashes at the start of this winter, few would have predicted this emergence as a talismanic figure for England’s World Cup hopes.

You could argue the opportunities Jacks has taken should not have presented themselves in the first place. Nevertheless, the team have leaned on him against Nepal (39*), Scotland (16*) and Italy (53*), all unbeaten knocks from the defacto No.7 that pulled them out of sticky situations.

Now an established threat, he loomed in the background as England’s top order stumbled to 68 for 4 after 10 overs, before Sam Curran’s dismissal brought Jacks to the crease at 94 for 5 at the start of the 14th.

His 21 off 17 was the slowest of his four double-figure scores at this tournament, and Sri Lanka did well to cap his work, removing him with seven balls to go. Unfortunately for them, Jacks took that personally.

“He always tells me he bowls better when he’s angry,” said Brook after the match. Jacks channelled that rage into a good length from around the wicket, both to right- and left-handers. A leading edge from Mendis and a horrid hack from Rathnayake got him back-to-back rewards, before Wellalage’s gifted him a third in his final over.

That he bowled the first four from one end speaks to the amount of trust now placed on Jacks and how well he is responding to it. He now has three player-of-the-match awards at this World Cup.

Buttler said he would not curb his attacking intent in search for better form at this T20 World Cup, and he was true to his word. A length delivery from Wellalage was met with an attempted reverse sweep, Buttler upright looking to access behind point, where there was empty (patchy) green to exploit.

Unfortunately, Buttler’s bat could not have been further from the ball as it clattered into his knee, in front of middle stump. That he even had the conversation with Salt about reviewing was galling; surely he knew he was plumb? The desperation for reassurance from his opening partner was misguided, and Salt had little to offer. Buttler turned on his heels and marched off as quickly as he could.

That, arguably, was the soundest judgement he showed on Sunday. Taking a review back to the dressing room would have made the innings worse.

The four dot balls in the previous over off Madushanka were painful to watch. England’s greatest white-ball batter is clearly out of sync with his movements, even his trigger, turned inside out by the left-arm quick’s movement across him, which almost cost him his off stump.

Buttler is now averaging 12 in this World Cup. This innings – his third single-figure score in succession – is his 12th without a half-century. How far off are England from having a conversation about the former captain?

A long way given how much credit Buttler has in the bank and Brendon McCullum’s ethos of backing your headline acts to the hilt. “He’s a powerhouse of world cricket,” said Brook defiantly. “He’s arguably the greatest white-ball player to ever play the game”

But 35-year-old Buttler is struggling badly. Badly enough that his dismissal was, ultimately, a good thing for the team.

At the halfway stage, Wellalage was probably sitting back, admiring the part he had played in another Sri Lanka win. Until he was rudely jolted out of his chair by the start of a terminal top-order collapse.

The left-arm spinner found himself back out there 3.4 overs into the second innings, the pressure he had put on England now being shoved right back at him, his exceptional 3 for 26 split across three phases of the game on its way to being deemed obsolete.

Despite the result, Wellagage’s ability to knit together not just his own overs, but those of the bowlers around him, was a silver lining. And a reminder of the maturity he possesses at the age of just 23.

The injuries Sri Lanka have suffered in their bowling stocks means he has been tasked with being that much more consistent. And he did right by his captain, first showing immense control during his two powerplay overs (1 for 16) before bravery in overs 10 and 15 brought him the wickets of Brook and Salt.

With the limits of the outfield sodden after heavy overnight rains, the sponge was brought in, reducing the size of the boundaries. With an enticing hit back over his head, Wellagage was unperturbed when slowing the pace down, which allowed him to sneak one into the pad of Brook. A bit of loop then did for Salt, whose tired thump down the ground fell into the hands of Dushan Hemantha at long off.

Wellagage’s spell would have been the jumping off point for a celebration of a well-rounded attack. In the end, it is nothing more than a footnote in a catastrophic defeat that already has Sri Lanka up against it to qualify for the semi-finals.

Brief scores:
England 146 for 9 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 62, Harry Brook 14, Sam Curran 11, Will Jacks 21, Jamie Overton 10*; Dilshan Madushanka 2-25, Dunith Wellalage 3-26, Maheesh Theekshana 2-21, Dushmantha Chameera 1-34) beat Sri Lanka 95 in 16.4 overs  (Dunith Wellalage 10, Kamindu Mendis 13, Dasun Shanaka 30, Maheesh Theekshana 10*; Jofra Archer 2-20, Will Jacks 3-22, Liam Dawson 2-27, Adil Rashid 2-13, Jamie Overton 1-13 ) by 51 runs

[Cricinfo]

from The Island https://ift.tt/FuPTqbw