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Dasun Shanaka says pitch conditions will change batting trends at T20 World Cup

7Feb

By Ceylon IndependentNo Comments

Editorial

Dasun Shanaka says pitch conditions will change batting trends at T20 World Cup

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka believes pitch conditions at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup could significantly alter strike rates and wicket patterns, potentially benefiting batters during the global tournament. Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of Sri Lanka’s opening fixture, Shanaka said the International Cricket Council has instructed curators to maintain slightly higher grass levels on pitches for the tournament. “In this World Cup, the ICC has instructed that the grass level should be kept up by a few millimetres. Because of that, I think the strike rates and wicket patterns will change,” Shanaka said. The Sri Lanka skipper linked the team’s recent middle-order struggles to the nature of pitches they have played on, noting that slow, turning surfaces often make i...

5Feb

By Ceylon IndependentNo Comments

ECONOMY, Main Story

“Crisis Outsourcing vs State Capacity”

Outsourcing Sovereignty: When a Country Needs Consultants to Save It Sri Lanka did not just default in 2022. It revealed something more uncomfortable: when the crisis arrived, the State could not negotiate its own survival without renting global expertise. So the Government hired Lazard as financial adviser and Clifford Chance as legal adviser for external debt restructuring — via a Cabinet-approved procurement process, reportedly selecting from dozens of proposals. The reported fees: about US$6.9 million to Lazard and US$4.6 million to Clifford Chance — roughly US$11.5 million in all. To some, this is scandalous: “Why should a poor country pay millions to foreign firms?” To others, it is obvious: “If you’re bleeding out, you don’t haggle with the surgeon.” Both instincts are und...