Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been banned from the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle that starts on Friday as punishment for his team's slow over-rate in the final match of the one-day series.

In-form allrounder Thisara Perera has been drafted into the 15-man squad that would take on Pakistan in the three-Test series starting on Friday in Galle while opener Lahiru Thirimanne who played at the expense of Tharanga Paranavithana during the two match home series against England has been axed.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been suspended from this week's Galle Test after his side was found guilty of a serious over-rate offence during the fifth and last ODI against Sri Lanka at R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday.

The following squad has been approved by the Hon. Minister of Sports …

Royal skipper and fly half Arshad Jamaldeen will be out of action for the rest of the inter-school rugby season due to a ligament injury.

Angelo Mathews produced a masterpiece of batting brilliance as he single-handedly hauled Sri Lanka to victory over Pakistan out of nowhere in the fifth and deciding ODI at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday.

All-rounder Angelo Mathews struck an unbeaten 80 off 76 balls to lead Sri Lanka to a thrilling two wickets win over Pakistan with two balls to spare in the fifth and the final One-Day International played at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Monday.

Defending champions Kandy secured their second victory in the ongoing andldquo;Aandrdquo; division inter club league rugby tournament beating CH and FC by 18 points to 10 in their second fixture at Maitland Crescent last evening.

Army rider Sameera Chathuranga won the140-kilo metre two-stage cycling event at the National Sports Festival 2012 held here in Anuradhapura yesterday.

Ajith Bandara clinched the menandrsquo;s Marathon title for the 11th successive year at the National Sports Festival (NSF) Marathon 2012. Shamali Anusha baged the womenandrsquo;s title for the first time.

Niluka Shymali emerged the womenandrsquo;s cycling champion at the 38th National Sports Festival cycling event held at Anuradhapura on Saturday.

Thisara Pereraandrsquo;s individual brilliance with the ball helped Sri Lankaandrsquo;s turn around and take the series lead 2-1 in the ODI against Pakistan at the end of the fourth match played at the Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.

Sri Lanka Cricket has netted TotalSportsAsia (TSA) as the new team sponsor for the ICC World T-20 for a hefty US$ 500,000, approximately Rs. 65 million which was almost double the base price.

It was a shame that the third ODI was a wash out without the game being extended beyond the seventh over. In a series which is beautifully poised where both teams have a lot to play for it is imperative that the remaining games be played to a finish without a hindrance.

Pakistan were strongly placed at 166-2 in the 38th over before they collapsed to 199 all out chasing a 244-run target in the day-night contest, with man-of-the-match Perera finishing with 4-42.

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has ordered officials of one of the countryandrsquo;s top motor racing organizations, Air Force officers assigned to it and staff of Sri Lankan Airlines for a one-to-one thrash-out on how and why an under-privileged rider was not given his prize after he won the overall championships at an event in March this year.

After its failed bid to play hosts for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Hambantota, the Olympic Council of Asia yesterday selected the Southern Port City to host the 2017 Asian Youth Games.

Air Force will come out for the first time in the new inter-club league rugby season when they take on CR and FC at Longden Place today.

Navy have just one target this year and that is to make sure they donandrsquo;t end as runners-up for a third successive year.

Sri Lanka yesterday pulled out a bowler, Sajeewa Weerakoon, from near obscurity to line up for the third ODI against Pakistan at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo implying that its stables were depleted following the retirement of Muttiah Muralideran and an injury to Rangana Herath.

After the start they had at Hambantota in the first T 20 the next two outings for Sri Lanka has naturally been disappointing. While nothing can be taken away from the bowling skills of Pakistan much of the blame is with the Sri Lankan team too.

If the batting in the Sri Lankan camp was below par the bowling and the fielding amply made up for it. To win by 37 runs after scoring just 132 for 7 in 20 overs has to be ranked as a wonderful effort under any circumstances. And that was exactly what Sri Lanka did at Hambantota in the 1st T 20 game against Pakistan to come from behind and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Nearly everyone stood to attention as the village damsel from Kegalle, Shivanthi Ratnayake climbed the podium to accept her gold medal she won at the Asian Junior Athletic Championships.

After losing their momentum in rugby over the past few seasons, Police are aiming to make an impact in the current season.

Two medal-winning athletic coaches yesterday slammed sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamageandrsquo;s plan to select the best athletes in the provinces and base them in Colombo for training.

Sri Lankan hurdler Supun Randeniya from Ranabima Royal College bagged the countryandrsquo;s fourth medal at the on-going Asian Junior Athletics championships when he won the Bronze at the 110 metres hurdles at the Sugathadasa stadium yesterday.

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene yesterday said that the game of cricket has greatly evolved with the introduction of T20 cricket onto the world stage.

Coach Graham Ford yesterday said that all rounder Thisara Perera would be the biggest factor in Sri Lanka cricket in the future, just hours after the former St. Josephandrsquo;s College cricketer put up a magnificent all-round performance to set up a comfortable 76 runs win for Sri Lanka.

Kandy kicked off the inter-club rugby league with a 26 points (4 tries, 2 penalties) to 11 (1 try, 2 penalties) win over the newly formed Upcountry Lions in their very first game for the season played at Nittawela yesterday.

Yesterday marked a golden day for Sri Lanka athletics as two gold medals were won at the Asian Junior Athletic Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo.