Sri Lanka were tonight sweating on the fitness of Ajantha Mendis, their most destructive bowler in the World Twenty20, ahead of their opening Super Eights match against New Zealand in Pallekele tomorrow.
The 25-year-old spinner took six for eight against Zimbabwe – the best figures in all Twenty20 cricket – before a side strain ruled him out of his team's second outing, against South Africa.
Graham Ford, the Sri Lanka coach, said it would be an upset if Mendis fails to recover.
"With the way he bowled and the X factor he brings, it would be a big blow," Ford said today. "In T20 cricket you want guys who can win matches on their own and he's one of those guys."
Mendis only returned to international cricket during this World Twenty20 after an eight month injury lay-off.
Ford said Sri Lanka have other bowlers to make up for Mendis's absence.
"We have a number of quality spinners, fortunately, so if Ajantha can't play we have very capable backup," said Ford of a squad which also includes the spinners Rangana Herath and the uncapped Akila Dananjaya. Ford hinted Dananjaya might play in case Mendis does not recover in time.
Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, expects the slower bowlers to play a big part in the Super Eights as all matches will be double-headers.
"Spin has been very successful in this form of the game," said Taylor today.
"With two games tomorrow, the wicket could deteriorate and take a bit of turn for the second game and not the first game. The main message is to be aggressive and not let them settle."
Darren Sammy expects his off-spinner Sunil Narine will be his secret weapon as West Indies hope to exploit England's weakness against slow bowlers in tomorrow's second match.
England crashed to a 90-run defeat against India, with the off-spinner Harbhajan Singh grabbing four for 12. And that prompted the West Indian captain to raise more hopes with Narine.
"Sunil is our trump card, he's done well for us in that format, hopefully he could have a big impact on the English batting line-up," Sammy said.
The England captain Stuart Broad acknowledged the West Indies posed a challenge.
"We've played against the West Indies this summer [in England], we know they are a dangerous side and they had success in the Twenty20 format with some players who have done well but we are focused for the match," said Broad.
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
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