Cricket

The Barbados Royals have bolstered their squad for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season by retaining Sri Lankan mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana, despite his absence from last year's tournament. Theekshana, 23, has yet to make his CPL debut, having been unable to secure a no-objection certificate from Sri Lanka Cricket two years ago and facing a schedule clash with the Asia Cup last year.Despite his unavailability, Theekshana's impressive record in T20 cricket, with 150 wickets in 145 matches at an economy rate of 6.68, has convinced the Royals to retain him for the 2024 edition. The Royals finished second from bottom in the 2023 CPL, winning only three of their ten matches. However, they have strengthened their squad significantly for this year's tournament, which runs from August 30 to October 7.The Royals have welcomed back key players Quinton de Kock and David Miller, who were absent last year. They have also added South African left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who represented the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL earlier this year. West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell provides further strength in the middle order, while Jason Holder offers all-round capabilities.Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq is a new signing for the Royals, returning to the CPL for the first time in three years. He brings a wealth of experience, having taken 220 wickets in T20 cricket. The Royals have confirmed 14 players on their roster, leaving them with three spots to fill at the CPL draft in July.Other notable members of the squad include the highly-rated Alick Athanaze, the hard-hitting Rahkeem Cornwall, and slower-ball specialist Obed McCoy. With a strong mix of experience and emerging talent, the Barbados Royals will be aiming to improve on their disappointing performance last year and challenge for the CPL title in 2024.

Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup campaign has been marred by logistical challenges, with captain Wanindu Hasaranga and spinner Maheesh Theekshana expressing their dissatisfaction over the team's hectic travel schedule.After a disappointing 6-wicket defeat to South Africa in their tournament opener, Sri Lanka faced a grueling post-match routine. They had to rush back to their hotel in Brooklyn, pack, check out, and head to the airport for a 6 pm flight to Dallas for their next game against Bangladesh.Theekshana voiced his frustration, stating, "It's unfair for us. We have to leave every day because we're playing at four different venues. We had to wait eight hours in the airport for our flight from Miami. It's really unfair."Sri Lanka is one of only two teams in the tournament playing their first-round matches at four different venues. Theekshana revealed that the team had to cancel their training session due to travel fatigue and had to wake up at 5 am to reach the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium for their game against South Africa."We had to wake up around 5 am to come here," Theekshana said. "I think everyone will rethink about next year because I know that this year, nothing will change."Hasaranga also acknowledged the impact of the travel schedule, saying, "We had a tough time the last few days. All four games in four venues. It's hard. We didn't know anything about the conditions here."Sri Lanka's logistical challenges have added to their on-field struggles. After being bundled out for 77 against South Africa, they will need to regroup quickly for their crucial match against Bangladesh.