Lasith Malinga is set to return to action for Sri Lanka next month after his lay-off following surgery on his left ankle in September.
The 31-year-old paceman, who spearheads the Sri Lanka attack, is recovering well from the operation that ruled him out of the one-day series against India and England.
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Join us for a feast of cricket on Sky Sports this Christmas!
The action comes thick and fast this festive time – not least on Christmas Day when we’ll bring you coverage of the opening day of the first Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka live on Sky Sports 2 from 9.30pm.
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Eoin Morgan’s first act as England captain should be to push himself back up the ODI order, says Bob Willis.
Morgan was the regular incumbent at No 5 prior to the recent tour of Sri Lanka but dropped below Ravi Bopara during the 5-2 series loss Angelo Mathews’ side.
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England’s selectors will meet on Friday to decide whether Alastair Cook leads the one-day side at next year’s World Cup.
Defeat over seven games in Sri Lanka took Cook’s record as captain to five defeats in seven series, and it was a lean tour with the bat as the opener scored 119 runs in six innings.
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England captain Alastair Cook has reflected on a tumultuous 12 months for himself and his team, describing 2014 as a “hell of a year”.
Cook is under intense pressure as England’s one-day captain after the team’s latest series defeat by Sri Lanka, having come through a similar period of scrutiny as Test skipper in the summer.
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England legend Sir Ian Botham says the time has come for under-fire captain Alastair Cook to stand down from the one-day side.
Cook has come under increasing pressure over his role in England’s 50-over team, with the 5-2 series defeat by Sri Lanka representing their fifth in a row under his leadership.
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Alastair Cook says he has no intention of walking away from the England captaincy despite a 5-2 series defeat to Sri Lanka.
Cook, who hasn’t scored an international hundred in his last 59 ODI and Test innings combined, scored 32 as England slumped to an 87-run defeat in the seventh and final one-day international, in Colombo.
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Russel Arnold told Sky Sports that Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will be a “massive loss” for Sri Lanka when they retire.
Sangakkara and Jayawardene played their final one-day internationals on home turf on Tuesday as Sri Lanka defeated England by 87 runs to win the seven-match series 5-2.
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After falling to a 5-2 series defeat in Sri Lanka, we asked our team of pundits to pick apart what is going wrong for England in ODI cricket and if any positives could be taken from the series ahead of the World Cup in February.
Sir Ian Botham
“I don’t think he should be nailed down as captain and from his interview it seems that if he doesn’t score runs in the warm-up games he probably won’t be considered for the World Cup. He is a lovely lad but is he one of our best one-day players? I don’t think he is. So the selectors have to start thinking.”
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Alastair Cook is not guaranteed to be England’s captain for the World Cup, says ECB managing director Paul Downton.
Cook has scored just 87 runs from five innings as England slipped to a series defeat in Sri Lanka, with one ODI left to play.
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Sir Ian Botham is tipping Kumar Sangakkara to maintain his brilliant form for Sri Lanka against England in Tuesday’s final one-day international in Colombo.
The Sri Lanka batsman, who is due to retire after the World Cup, signed off in his final ODI on his home ground at Pallekele on Saturday with a match-winning century to seal the series against England.
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Sir Ian Botham is tipping Kumar Sangakkara to maintain his brilliant form for Sri Lanka against England in Tuesday’s final one-day international in Colombo.
The Sri Lanka batsman, who is due to retire after the World Cup, signed off in his final ODI on his home ground at Pallekele on Saturday with a match-winning century to seal the series against England.
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Mahela Jayawardene plans to play with style and a smile in Tuesday’s one-day international against England – his final game on home soil before he retires.
The legendary Sri Lanka batsman will be retiring after next year’s World Cup and wants to enjoy his final international match in his native city Colombo, at the Premadasa Stadium.
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Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara is interested in joining Surrey next season.
The 37-year-old is set to retire from one-day internationals after this February’s World Cup, although he has indicated he intends to carry on playing Test cricket.
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England head coach Peter Moores has repeated his support for captain Alastair Cook but admits he is not unsackable.
Cook is under increasing pressure after making another low score as England lost the sixth one-day international and the series to Sri Lanka.
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Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee from their victory over England on Saturday.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed the penalty after deciding Sangakkara was “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision”.
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Alastair Cook fell lbw for one as England were all out for 202 in a 90-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the sixth ODI in Pallekele.
Kumar Sangakkara had earlier scored 112 – his 20th international ODI century and third against England – as his side set a challenging target of 292-7.
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Sky Sports News HQ’s Tim Abraham is back on the road in Sri Lanka after illness and a run-in with the local wildlife…
The long and windy road to Kandy from Colombo is a spectacular four-hour drive heading north through the hills of Sri Lanka but I’m afraid it all passed me by as I was slumped on the back seat of our van, not feeling the best.
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Ian Botham considers Alastair Cook isn’t a “nailed down” conviction to captain England in the World Cup after head coach Peter Moores said the tourists’ series defeat to Sri Lanka will be subject to a complete review.
Cook is averaging under 18 in the series after scoring only one in the 90-run sixth ODI defeat which leaves England 4-2 down with only Tuesday’s final match of the series in the future.
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Sir Ian Botham is backing England to level the ODI series with Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Saturday.
The tourists kept the series alive using a critical five-wicket triumph in Pallekele in a rain-delayed match on Thursday and now trail 3-2 with two matches to play.
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