Andrew Fidel Fernando
@afidelf
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Award-winning author of Upon a Sleepless Isle. Journalist. Senior writer at ESPNcricinfo. (Unkempt, wandering.)
Sri Lanka
Joined March 2012
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Jasprit Bumrah bowls the retiring Suranga Lakmal, then runs right up to him puts an arm around him and shakes his hand. The rest of the India team get around him and do the same.
Heart full.
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Insane that their most consistent player is none of these guys.
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Just a reminder that when what "spirit of cricket" is was decided, brown and black people were not really at that table.
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Barshim, btw, had helped Tamberi come back from a career-threatening ankle injury since the last Olympics.
Sports ❤️.
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Bumrah is playing his 12th Test. None ave been at home. He’s:
- Won India a Test at Wanderers
- Averaged 17 in Aus
- Helped win a Test in Nottingham
- Has a five-for in all four countries he’s played in
- Now has a hat-trick
There’s just no more exciting player in the game.
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Not only have India produced a doctored surface unfit for batting, they’ve gone as far as producing batsmen who can score runs against the ragging ball the cheats
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That may be THE GREATEST Test innings by a Sri Lankan ever.
Rockstar attack to face down. Impossible odds. Fourth innings. Away from home. Batting with the tail.
Belief. Determination. Skill. Smarts. Those ridiculous sixes.
It ticks every single box.
Kusal Perera.
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SL essentially out of the tournament, but for the first time in years, it feels like a team that could build to something.
Hasaranga is 24. Nissanka + Avishka 23. Chameera 29. Theekshana 21. Kumara 24.
Enough to get something going.
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If you’re in media, weighing up whether this mind-blowing Ben Stokes innings was the greatest ever and you don’t even mention Kusal Perera’s 153* in Durban that literally happened six months ago, you are profoundly ignorant.
There's just no way around that.
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The Chinnaswamy erupts for Dimuth Karunaratne.
On this pitch, against this attack, that's a fourth-innings hundred of the very highest quality.
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We're all agreeing to call the two Pakistan v Sri Lanka games to come the "debt trap derbies" right?
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Man, I'm wondering what I must have covered in late 2019 since only today marks the return of Test cricket in Pakistan 😜
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Babar Azam. Pretty good at cricket.
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Chameera bowled four slower balls in a row in that over - something I've never seen him do before. Suspect the SL players in this IPL will come out so much more battle-hardened.
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Dear India, enough is enough, this is no longer funny, please stop
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Very Sri Lanka to bring a crippling economic crisis and a terrifying political crisis upon itself, then produce a response to all of that that makes you tear up with pride.
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Outstanding hundred by Babar Azam, on a track so unlike the ones they played Australia on a few months back.
Now averages more than 80 against Sri Lanka (had also hit two hundreds against them in 2019).
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Malinga speeds (in KPH) in that final IPL over:
142, 143, 142, 141, 140, 112.
The courage to deliver that slower ball with a tournament on the line. Incredible.
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R Ashwin. What a guy.
Special Mumbai connect 👍
Secret behind 10-wicket haul 😎
A memorable
#TeamIndia
souvenir ☺️
🎤
@ashwinravi99
interviews Mr Perfect 10
@AjazP
at the Wankhede 🎤
#INDvNZ
@Paytm
Watch this special by
@28anand
🎥 🔽
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My favourite placard of them all recently:
"Their weapon is racism"
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Let a guy retire without reminding him of one of his worst moments ffs.
His inswingers were a joy to watch, and he was instrumental in SL's 2014 WT20 triumph.
Nuwan Kulasekara retires ! At one stage, the number one ODI bowler in the world,
but for every Indian, favourite Kulasekara moment is-
"Dhoni finishes off in style.. India lift the world cup after 28 years"
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Genuinely wonderful that Avishka Fernando could speak in Sinhala at the post-match presentation, because Kumar Sangakkara was around to translate.
And that Russel Arnold is giving commentary in Tamil.
SL-ex players repping in both our languages. Up with this kind of thing.
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Honestly the biggest kick in the nads about India hitting boundaries every ball is that this is a team supposedly coached by Rahul Dravid
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Huge fan of this India pace attack in particular, but they were beaten by New Zealand in the contest that quite literally decides who the best Test team in the world is.
Big Three mentality. What a trip.
Congratulations .
@imVkohli
& the entire Indian team on another terrific win. What you guys have all achieved together over the last 12 months is absolutely magnificent ! Clearly the best test team in the world & that title is thoroughly deserved too ! Long live test cricket ❤️❤️
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So after winning three IPL titles in four years, Mahela Jayawardene’s team has also won the first Hundred.
Reminder that in 2015, he came up with a provincial domestic structure for Sri Lanka.
Those plans scrapped by many of the same SLC board members who still run cricket.
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Hearing that the South Africa team spoke to the Sri Lanka team about the BLM gesture they were going to make, but the Sri Lankan board has asked players to stay out of it because they are “apolitical”!
If I die from this fit of laughter please tell my family I love them.
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Angelo Mathews had pretty much given up bowling. I’m not sure if he’s bowled a single over in training at the World Cup. Gets dropped into a pressure 48th over and nicks out the opposition centurion.
Never tell me that Pakistan is the craziest team in cricket.
@OsmanSamiuddin
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This is elite wholesomeness.
SL fans at a tour match north of Colombo get Kane Williamson a cake for his 29th birthday. He runs off and takes a bite between overs.
How not to love?
Kane Williamson - The most loved cricketer in the world celebrating his 29th birthday in an unusual way.
#Champion
#SLvNZ
@BLACKCAPS
@ThePapareSports
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I'm having my ninth zinger burger since late December and I completely blame the nation of Pakistan.
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Feel so sorry for the ECB and Cricket Australia 💔
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Matheesha Pathirana, a Sinhalese man from Central Sri Lanka, developing his skills in Chennai and winning matches for a Tamil Nadu-based franchise, is a beautiful South Asian story.
May we see many more like it.
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Been working from home for almost eight years, so I thought I’d share some wisdom for those just starting out.
- If you’re wearing pants, you are doing it wrong.
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Getting into Pindi ground today: 5 pat-downs, 3 bag searches, 2 scans.
Way more memorably, many cries of “Oh Sri Lankan! Comecomecome”, countless handshakes and shukriyas, 2 dinner invites from strangers, a selfie, and cops who basically chaired me, grinning, through the queues.
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NZ might have won hearts but they already have a fuckton of those. MFs want trophies.
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Who knew a picture of a bunch of tents opposite Galle Face Green would make me feel so proud to be Sri Lankan?
The message is clear: We aren't going home until you do.
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Ten years ago, India were probably the team that SL fans wanted their team to beat the most. There were some genuine hard feelings.
Fair to say that relationship has changed drastically since (the turning point was probably those Nidahas Trophy sixes by Dinesh Karthik.)
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Sections of Indian and international media ploughing ahead with incredibly irresponsible reporting of names when none have been given by authorities. We see you. We think you're trash.
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Watched many Sanga-Mahela stands, Rangana Herath routs, a Dale Steyn spectacular, and a Chris Gayle triple-hundred at Galle, my favourite cricket venue of all.
I've had 24 hours to think about it now, and I'm sure. Yesterday was the best day I ever had there.
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If Ranil is allowed to be PM for a few months, the Rajapaksas and their entire cohort will be back by year's end. What a slap in the face.
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Sri Lanka, a team without not a lot of stars, scrapping like mad for every run. Electric.
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Very naive of me obviously, but the sheer volume of Lankan men defending rape and sexual assault over the last few days has been mind-blowing in the saddest way.
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The protest has made it on to the fort overlooking the cricket. The cops can't stop numbers like this
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If you saw that at a bar, you'd just assume from the body language that the trophy is into Kane, but Kane's just chilling and is happy to see where this conversation goes.
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Crazy amazing leopard encounter at Yala National Park today. Thread here.
We were on our way out of the park on the main trunk road when we saw this adult male (known as Julius), chilling in this tree. Watched him for a good 20mins as he rested.
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Waqar Younis calling Samarawickrama (already a long name) "Samarawickramasinghe" is an early candidate for favourite bit of commentary from this World Cup.
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Babar Azam comes home.
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Thanks to all who made my two weeks in Pakistan such a joy. The food was delicious (Waheed nihari a standout), the conversations enlightening, and the hospitality unparalleled. So many took care of me, from longtime colleagues to auto drivers who went out of their way to be kind.
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All T20 World Cup previews are garbage compared to this one.
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Across formats, Babar batting becoming an unparalleled cricketing pleasure.
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Ishan Kishan charging the bowler to hit his first ball in ODI cricket for six is the kind of confidence I want to have in life.
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Very happy to see Mahesh Theekshana bought in the IPL, but especially pleased he's going to CSK.
Glad we're past the no Sinhalese in Chennai thing.
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By the letter of the law Mathews should be out, and Bangladesh very within their rights to appeal. There doesn't need to be a moral element to it.
But a batter being given out because their equipment malfunctions as they are about to take strike seems mad. Rules need changing.
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Kusal Mendis drives Boult beautifully through the covers to become the second batsman (after Virat Kohli) to make 1000 Test runs in 2018.
Incredible achievement at 23 years old. Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson were all 25-28 when they had their first 1k-run year
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That is the cruelest way to lose a World Cup final and I don’t know how as a losing player you would even process that.
No consolation now, but New Zealand have had probably the greatest World Cup campaign ever. So many thrillers.
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25 years ago a team largely consisting of semi professionals completed one of cricket’s greatest heists.
I had the privilege of telling this story - one of sports’ greatest - a few years ago.
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This is now my favourite cricket revenge story ever.
It will never be topped.
What a win for Zimbabwe! Congratulations to the Chevrons.
Next time, send the real Mr Bean…
#PakvsZim
🇿🇼
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Wealthy Sri Lankans cheered on the aragala types who took the brunt of the state's force when they were trying to get rid of Gota. The moment someone who they felt could represent their class interests took the throne, they vanished.
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Hope Sri Lanka Cricket does not in any way look to interfere with the official process re: Danushka Gunathilaka.
The charges are very serious and SLC is way out of its depth.
Their own disciplinary processes over the years - including with DG - has also verged on farce.
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In this series, Dravid was seen talking to Dasun Shanaka, Shikhar Dhawan chatting to the whole SL team, while Hardik Pandya giving his bat to Chamika Karunaratne (and singing the SL anthem!) has gone viral.
That India even stayed despite several substantial setbacks was huge.
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You crazy Sri Lanka.
Not sure I’ve watched a year of SL cricket in which there have been wins quite this unexpected.
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A 38yo from Sialkot using his experience to complete a tough catch and give an 18yo from Jaffna his first wicket. Can’t help but love.
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So I couldn't watch Wanindu Hasaranga's excellent IPL spell because my neighbourhood is in a long power cut.
The Rajapakses are so bad at their jobs they're making us all worse at ours.
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Right outside the Mahinda Rajapaksa Pavilion of Galle International Stadium.
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Karachi you old charmer.
(Says "we warmly welcome you" in Sinhala)
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That Charith Asalanka 20 off 9 is the kind of innings Sri Lanka desperately need more of this year.
Unselfish, impactful runs.
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This is such an honour. I’m overjoyed. I loved the travel for Upon a Sleepless Isle. I met so many who have become friends.
There are countless incredible, outrageous, dizzying, gut-busting, heart-rending stories in Sri Lanka.
It’s been a privilege to tell just a few.
The Gratiaen Trust congratulates Andrew Fidel Fernando, winner of the
#GratiaenAward2019
for his work, 'Upon a Sleepless Isle'! Well done
@afidelf
!🎉👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
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Out of all the people who deserve better, this person seems very high on the list
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Wanindu Hasaranga just such a ridiculous asset to have in a T20 team.
A legspinner that bowls cheap overs at any stage AND gets wickets AND lifts the fielding performance AND can produce match-changing innings.
It's like he's been designed in a lab.
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Hard to put into words how iconic this photo is in SL.
So iconic that Mahela's parents have a photo in their home of Mahela doing a similar thing with an umpire, 13 years later.
Just look at Arjuna. Popped collar. Unkempt locks. Murali and Sanath hanging on every word. Oof.
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Whenever people try to tell me Test cricket is boring I yell at them, loud as I can “Have you SEEN Niroshan Dickwella play?"
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The fielding today has been spectacular beyond imagination for anyone who watched SL field from circa 2015-2020.
Pakistan not a bad fielding side, but Sri Lanka have made the difference between them seem like a gulf.
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There’s a great story about Murali once telling Flintoff the exact ball he was going to bowl in Galle, so his Lancashire teammate could get a single in the midst of a terrible run of batting form.
Repay these debts, England.
#KusalMendis
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An economic crisis, a political mess, and a huge batting collapse.
But a full house at Khettarama, and the usual party.
Big "Nava gilunath baan choon" vibes.
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The first day of Test cricket in ten years here was great for Pakistan.
Almost as good for me.
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One day Sri Lankan cricket will deserve Mahela Jayawardene in a coaching position. We live in hope.
Meanwhile, congratulations on 3 out of 4 IPL titles
@MahelaJay
. What a team.
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Malinga prowling on that boundary like he’s absolutely livid at the universe it’s not him with the ball in hand.
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So what's going on with Sri Lankan cricket?
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Congrats to Pakistan for winning the less important of the two South Asian derbies today
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Bowling partnerships > batting partnerships, this connection between two epic death bowlers transcends language and highlights so much of what’s good about this era of cricket.
Lasith Malinga + Jasprit Bumrah.
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Fundraiser to buy Mickey Arthur some longer shorts.
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After the most thrilling IPL finish ever, a peak Lasith Malinga quote:
"Last ball, I thought that if they get one run, it would be a Super Over, but I wanted us to win. So I went for my wicket ball."
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Mohali crowd arriving in numbers to watch Sri Lanka play their 300th Test and for no other reason
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People very pressed about this, but you can't expect people who grew up in different cricket cultures to attach the same moral weight to a legal act.
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As a Pakistani friend pointed out, Imran continues to frame perpetrators as a "vigilante mob" - which suggests he's trying to look like he's condemning the mob's actions, while implying their cause was just.
I live in hope we get better leaders than this, across our region.
On behalf of the nation I want to salute moral courage & bravery of Malik Adnan who tried his utmost to shelter & save Priyantha Diyawadana from the vigilante mob in Sialkot incl endangering his own life by physically trying to shield victim. We will award him Tamgha i Shujaat
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