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Sri Lanka Cricket, formerly the Board for Cricket Control in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), is the controlling body for cricket in Sri Lanka. It operates the Sri Lankan cricket team and first-class cricket within Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Cricket is driven by a single, all encompassing vision: to make Sri Lanka the best cricket playing nation in the world in both forms of the game. Great progress has been made since Sri Lanka’s inaugural Test against England in 1982, including a World Cup win in 1996, but the fulfillment of our ambition will require dynamic leadership and much hard work over the coming years.

The achievement of excellence at the international level demands that Sri Lanka Cricket employs the best possible support staff and trainers for our players and offers them international standard training facilities.

To this end, Sri Lanka Cricket secured the services of former Australia batsman John Dyson in Sept 2003 as national team coach on an initial 20-month contract. John, a highly qualified assistant coach at New South Wales for two years from 1996 to 1998, brings with him considerable experience of the latest coaching techniques and technological aids.

World cricket has changed dramatically during the past decade. The physical demands on the players are now immense. Sri Lanka Cricket therefore also decided to appoint a team physiotherapist, Paul Klarenaar, and a separate full-time fitness trainer, Shane Duff. Paul was based at the New South Wales Institute of Sport from 1995 to 2003. Shane, a Grade I cricketer and former professional rugby league player, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Movement Studies from the Australian Catholic University, Sydney. The international team will also be offered support and guidance from Champika Ramanayake, a full-time fast bowling coach, and Oshadee Weerasinghe, a full-time spin bowling coach.

Sri Lanka Cricket is also taking steps to ensure that our players can benefit from world-class training facilities. Five international venues – Premadasa, SSC, Galle, Pallakelle (under construction) and Dambulla – have been identified for special development work over the coming years. A cricket academy and training facility has been developed at Premadasa International Stadium. A special High Performance Training Centre, called The Cricket Campus, is also in the pipeline.

To help bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket, and to speed up the development of our upcoming players, a new intensive program for the A team and Under-19 has been agreed. The A team will undertake a total of 15 tours or series over the coming 5 years, an unprecedented level of international exposure that we hope will better prepare our young players for the highest level.

Muttiah Muralitharan; Marvan Atapattu; Chaminda Vaas; Mahela Jayawordana; Sanath Jayasuriya; Kumar Sangakkara; Tillakaratne Dilshan; Russel Arnold; Avishka Gunawardene; Thilan Samaraweera; Upul Tharanga; Farveez Maharoof; Dilhara Fernando; Lasith Malinga; Malinga Bandara.

Muttiah Muralitharan Born : April 17, 1972, Kandy Current age : 33 years Major teams : Sri Lanka, ACC Asian XI, ICC World XI, Kent, Lancashire, Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club Batting style : Right-hand bat Bowling style : Right-arm offbreak

Averaging nearly six wickets per Test, Muttiah Muralitharan is one of the most successful bowlers in the game, the greatest player in Sri Lanka's history, and without doubt the most controversial cricketer of the modern age. Muralitharan's rise from humble beginnings, being the Tamil son of a hill-country confectioner, to the top of the wicket-takers' list in Test cricket has divided the cricket world in the past decade because of his weird bent-arm bowling action.

He bowls marathon spells, yet is forever on the attack. From a loose-limbed, open-chested action, his chief weapons are the big-spinning offbreak and two versions of the top-spinner, one of which goes straight on and the other, which has now been labelled his doosra, which spins in the opposite direction to his stock ball. His newest variation is a version of Shane Warne's slider, which is flicked out the side of his hand and rushes onto batsmen like a flipper. His super-flexible wrist makes him especially potent and guarantees him turn on any surface.

His career has been beset with controversy from the start. Suspicions about his action were whispered soon after his debut against the Australians in 1993 and then aired freely after he was called for throwing while touring Australia in 1995-96, first in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne by Darrel Hair and later in the one-day series that followed. He was cleared by the ICC after biomechanical analysis at the University of Western Australia and at the University of Hong Kong in 1996. They concluded that his action created the `optical illusion of throwing'.

But the controversy did not die away. He was called again on the 1998-99 tour to Australia, this time by Ross Emerson. Muralitharan was sent for further tests in Perth and England and was cleared again. However, the perfection of his doosra prompted further suspicion and at the end of a prolific three-match home series against Australia in March 2004 he was reported by ICC match referee Chris Broad. More high-tech tests followed, and ultimately forced the ICC to seriously look into the entire issue of throwing in international cricket, which revealed that many bowlers bend their arms during delivery, and that Murali might have been made an unfair victim. On the field, Murali continued to pile on the wickets, overtaking Courtney Walsh's 519-wicket world record to become the highest wicket-taker in Test history in May 2004.

It is unlikely that Muralitharan's career will ever be controversy-free, a fact that he now accepts. But the rapid progress of technology and sports science in the past decade has undoubtedly salvaged his reputation. Many previous high-profile doubters are now admitting that Muralitharan has been unjustly persecuted for having an abnormal action. Having recovered from the shoulder surgery kept him out of the game for the last part of 2004, Murali is ready to add to his already imposing tally. At the rate he is accumulating wickets, a Test tally in excess of 650 seems eminently achievable.

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Marvan Samson Atapattu Born : November 22, 1970, Kalutara Current age : 35 years 52 days Major teams : Sri Lanka, Sinhalese Sports Club Batting style : Right-hand bat Bowling style : Legbreak

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Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas Born : January 27, 1974, Mattumagala Current age : 31 years Major teams : Sri Lanka, ACC Colts Cricket Club, Hampshire, Worcestershire Batting style : Left-hand bat

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Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene Born : May 27, 1977, Colombo Current age : 28 years Major teams : Sri Lanka, ACC Asian XI, Sinhalese Sports Club Batting style : Right-hand bat Bowling style : Right-arm medium

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Sanath Teran Jayasuriya Born June 30, 1969, Matara Current age 36 years 197 days Major teams Sri Lanka, ACC Asian XI, Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club, Colombo Cricket Club, Somerset Batting style Left-hand bat Bowling style Slow left-arm orthodox

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Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara Born : October 27, 1977, Matale Current age : 28 years Major teams : Sri Lanka, ACC Asian XI, ICC World XI, Nondescripts Cricket Club Batting style : Left-hand bat Bowling style : Right-arm offbreak Fielding position : Wicketkeeper

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Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan Born : October 14, 1976, Kalutara Current age : 29 years Major : teams Sri Lanka, Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club, Kalutara Town, Sebastianites Cricket and Athletic Club, Singha Sports Club Also known as : Tuwan Mohamad Dilshan Batting style : Right-hand bat Bowling style : Right-arm offbreak

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Russel Premakumaran Arnold Born : October 25, 1973, Colombo Current age : 32 years Major teams : Sri Lanka, Nondescripts Cricket Club Batting style Left-hand bat Batting style : Right-hand bat Bowling style : Right-arm offbreak

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Warushavithana Upul Tharanga Born : February 2, 1985, Balapitiya Current age : 20 years Major teams : Sri Lanka, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Singha Sports Club Batting style : Left-hand bat Fielding position : Wicketkeeper

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Mohamed Farveez Maharoof Born : September 7, 1984, Colombo Current age : 21 years Major teams : Sri Lanka, Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club, Colombo Cricket Club Batting style : Right-hand bat Bowling style : Right-arm fast-medium

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Congenige Randhi Dilhara Fernando Born : July 19, 1979, Colombo Current : age 27 years Major teams : Sri Lanka, Sinhalese Sports Club Batting style : Right-hand bat Bowling style : Right-arm fast-medium

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Separamadu Lasith Malinga Born : August 28, 1983, Galle Current age : 22 years Major teams : Sri Lanka, BCCSL Academy XI, Galle Cricket Club Batting style : Right-hand bat Bowling style : Right-arm fast-medium

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Charitha Malinga Bandara Born : December 31, 1979, Kalutara Current age : 26 years Major teams : Sri Lanka, Galle Cricket Club, Gloucestershire, Kalutara Town, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Ragama Cricket Club, Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club Batting style : Left-hand bat Fielding position : Legbreak

Last updated 27-Mar-2007 by athma