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Serving up a tasty dish even to rivals

September 27, 2012
srilankan_serve

Sri Lanka’s star batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are renowned for dishing out great knocks in cricket.

Now the pair are also being celebrated for serving up some really tasty culinary dishes. The two icons of Sri Lankan cricket have joined forces to start a restaurant called Ministry of Crab in Colombo.

A T20 World Cup volunteer guided me to the restaurant, declaring while giving me directions to it: “If you are a seafood lover, do not miss Jayawardene and Sangakkara’s restaurant.”

The restaurant was created at an old Dutch hospital, which was built in 1677.

And anyone I asked about directions to the restaurant proudly informed me that it is owned by Sangakkara and Jayawardene. When I arrived there, I was greeted by Dharshan Munidasa, who is the co-owner and partner of the restaurant. Munidasa gave me his card that had an imposing picture of a crab stating: “A Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Dharshan Munidasa Restaurant.”

Why is it called Ministry of Crab, I wondered? Munidasa, who is one of the finest chefs in the country and also owns Nihonbashi, a Japanese restaurant, said: “The name had to be powerful. Jayawardene and Sangakkara are great lovers of seafood and I have known them for a long time. Sri Lanka is one of the leading exporters of crab and we thought that a restaurant based on crab would be ideal.”

Today Ministry of Crab is a popular haunt for all cricketers around the world. India’s star batsman Virender Sehwag, who loves the sweet and succulent crabs from the restaurant, told Munidasa on his recent visit: “Many Indian cricketers have started restaurants and almost all of them have closed down. They focused on the owners and partners instead of the food. It is the food that plays a vital role in getting customers to come back again and not the name and fame of the owners.”

Indeed, Munidasa strongly believes in quality. The restaurant has been designed by architect Dr Carlo Andrenelli, who was also present at the restaurant when I visited. He said: “This is a 16th-century building, and so I made minimum changes. With a beautiful courtyard I made sure that, even without air conditioning, one can enjoy the food through natural cross-ventilation.”

Though chicken dishes are also available at the restaurant, seafood lovers flock there for the restaurant’s popular chilli crab and baked crab. Jayawardene and Sangakkara make sure they visit the restaurant whenever they are in the city. In fact, Jayawardene addresses Munidasa as his new coach, and tells everyone: “Try out this restaurant and you will be bowled over.”

On the restaurant’s website, www.ministryofcrab.com, Sangakkara says: “It is realisation of my dream to be part of a culinary experience that I hope will enthrall your taste buds and leave you happy and wanting more.”



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News Network
May 5,2020

May 5: Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar says he is interested in becoming India's bowling coach if there is an offer, asserting that he is capable of grooming "more aggressive, fast and talkative" pacers.

Akhtar expressed his willingness in an interview on social networking app 'Helo'.

Asked if he would like to be associated with the Indian bowling unit in future, he responded in the positive. India's current bowling is Bharat Arun.

"I will definitely. My job is to spread knowledge. What I have learned is knowledge and I will spread it," Akhtar said.

One of the fastest bowlers to have played the game, he added, "I will produce more aggressive, fast and more talkative bowlers than the current ones who will tell-off the batsmen in a way that you will enjoy a lot."

He said he has always wanted to share his knowledge among budding cricketers and that he is looking to produce more aggressive bowlers.

He also added that he would like to "coach" IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, for whom he has played in the cash-rich T20 league's inaugural edition.

The former pacer also spoke about his early interactions with Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar in the 1998 series.

"I had seen him but didn't know how big a name he was in India. In Chennai, I got to know that he was known as a god in India.

"Mind you, he is a very good friend of mine. In 1998, when I bowled as fast as I could, Indian public celebrated with me. I have a big fan following in India," Akhtar said.

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Agencies
August 9,2020

Manchester, Aug 9: Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler played knocks of 84 and 75 respectively as England gained an improbable three-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test of the three-match series here at the Emirates Old Trafford.

England chased down a total of 277 on the fourth day of the first Test.

Chasing 277, England openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley put on 22 runs for the first wicket, but Mohammad Abbas finally provided the breakthrough to Pakistan as he had Burns (10) adjudged leg-before wicket in the 12th over.

Skipper Joe Root came to the crease next, and he along with Sibley ensured that the side does not lose any more wickets before the lunch break, and England went into the lunch break at 55/1.

Sibley and Root eventually put up a 64-run stand, but their partnership was finally brought to an end by Yasir Shah as he dismissed Sibley (36) in the 36th over. Soon after, skipper Root (42) was also sent back to the pavilion by Naseem Shah, reducing England to 96/3 in the 39th over.

All eyes were on all-rounder Ben Stokes (9), but Pakistan's Yasir Shah sent him back to the pavilion in the 42nd over, and England was left in a spot of bother. Shaheen Shah Afridi, then also got among the wicket-taking charts as he scalped the wicket of Ollie Pope (7), reducing England to 117/5 in the 45th over.

Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler then got together at the crease, and the duo played in an aggressive manner to retrieve the innings for England. The hosts went into the tea break at 167/5, still, 110 runs away from the target with five wickets in hand.

Buttler and Woakes continued their march to frustrate the Pakistan bowling attack and the duo brought the target within the grasp of England. Both batsmen put up a stand of 139 runs, however, with just 21 runs away from the target, England lost the key wicket of Buttler (75) as Yasir Shah had him trapped in front of the wicket.

With England just needing four more runs for the win, Yasir Shah dismissed Stuart Broad (4), but in the end, Woakes and Dom Bess ensured England's win by three wickets.

For Pakistan, Yasir Shah was the pick of the bowlers as he scalped four wickets.

Earlier, resuming day four at 137/8, Yasir Shah (33) along with Mohammad Abbas (3*) and Naseem Shah (4) added 32 more runs to the overnight score to give England a target of 277 to win the first Test.

Stuart Broad was the pick of England bowlers as he scalped three wickets.

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News Network
January 18,2020

Hobart, Jan 18: In a dream start to her second innings after a two-year break, Sania Mirza lifted the WTA Hobart International trophy with partner Nadiia Kichenok after edging out Shaui Peng and Shuai Zhang in the final, here on Saturday.

The unseeded Indo-Ukrainian pair pipped the second seed Chinese team 6-4, 6-4 in one hour 21 minutes.

Playing her first tournament after giving birth to son Izhaan, the 33-year-old Sania has begun well in the Olympic year as she warmed up for the Australian Open in style.

It is Sania's 42nd WTA doubles title and first since Brisbane International trophy in 2007 with American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Sania did not compete on the WTA circuit in the entire 2018 and 2019 seasons to start a family with Pakistani cricketer husband Shoaib Malik.

Sania and Nadiia began by breaking the Chinese players in the very first game of the match but only to drop serve in the next.

The two pairs played close games towards the end and at 4-4, 40-all, Sania and Nadiia got the crucial break, earning the opportunity to serve out the set.

There was no twist in 10th game with Sania and Nadiia comfortably pocketing the first set.

The second set could not have started better for them as they broke the Chinese rivals to take early lead and consolidated the break with an easy hold.

The game of the Chinese was falling apart as they dropped serve again in the third but broke back immediately to repair some damage.

Sania and Nadiia were now feeling the heat at 0-30 in the sixth game but Peng and Zhang let them hold serve for a 4-2 lead. The Chinese though kept fighting and made it 4-4 with another break in the eighth game.

The Indo-Ukraine team raised its game when it mattered as it broke Peng and Zhang for one final time in the ninth and served out the match in the next game.

Sania and Nadiia split USD 13580 as prize money and eared 280 ranking points each for their winning effort.

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