Nuwan Pradeep

Aththachchi Nuwan Pradeep Roshan Fernando (born 19 October 1986), commonly known as Nuwan Pradeep, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who is playing for Tests and ODIs. With the fellow pacer Dhammika Prasad, Pradeep is the opening bowlers in test cricket.

Despite being a national cricketer, he had never actually played the game until he was 20. He shot into prominence after winning a bowling speed contest, earning a national test call up less than 3 years later.

Career

In 2010, Pradeep was called up to the Sri Lankan squad for the second Test against India. In 2011 he was again selected to the national Test squad, in the tournament against Pakistan in the UAE. He made his Test debut against Pakistan in October 2011, but did not take a wicket on debut.

He became a in and out pace bowler for Sri Lanka due to most of injuries. Despite the fact, he is one of the fastest bowlers ever found on current Sri Lanka squad. He took his first international wicket by dismissing Mohammad Ayub of Pakistan on 25 June 2012 at Galle International Stadium.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka (/sriːˈlɑːŋkə, -ˈlæŋkə/ or ⁱ/ʃriː-/;Sinhalese - ශ්‍රී ලංකාව, Tamil Ilaṅkai), officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and known from the beginning of British colonial rule until 1972 as Ceylon (/sᵻˈlɒnˌ seɪ-ˌ siː-/), is an island country in South Asia near south-east India.

Sri Lanka has maritime borders with India to the northwest and the Maldives to the southwest. Its documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidence of pre-historic human settlements dating back to at least 125,000 years. Its geographic location and deep harbours made it of great strategic importance from the time of the ancient Silk Road through to World War II.

A diverse and multicultural country, Sri Lanka is home to many religions, ethnic groups, and languages. In addition to the majority Sinhalese, it is home to large groups of Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils, Moors, Burghers, Malays, Kaffirs and the aboriginal Vedda. Sri Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage, and the first known Buddhist writings of Sri Lanka, the Pāli Canon, dates back to the Fourth Buddhist council in 29 BC. The country's recent history has been marred by a thirty-year civil war which decisively ended when Sri Lankan military defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009.

Kavi Pradeep

Kavi Pradeep (6 February 1915 – 11 December 1998), born Ramchandra Narayanji Dwivedi, was a renowned Indian poet and songwriter who is best known for his patriotic song 'Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo' written as a tribute to the soldiers who had died defending the country during the Sino-Indian War.

His first recognition came for his patriotic lyrics for the film Bandhan (1940). His status as a nationalistic writer got immortalised for writing a daringly patriotic song Door Hato Ae Duniya Walo (Move Away O Outsiders) in India's first golden jubilee hit Kismet (1943) because he was forced to go underground to avoid arrest immediately after the film's release that invited the ire of British government.

In a career span of five decades, Kavi Pradeep wrote about 1,700 songs and nationalistic poems including the lyrics for some 72 films, including hits like Chal Chal Re Naujawan in film Bandhan (1940) and Aao Bachcho Tumhein Dikhayen and De Dee Hame Azaadi Bina Khadag Bina Dhaal in film Jagriti (1954) In 1958, HMV, released an album of 13 songs with his lyrics. He was made the Rashtrakavi, (Poet Laureate), and came to be known as, Kavi Pradeep

Alex Hales

Alexander Daniel "Alex" Hales (born 3 January 1989) is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed opening batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler who currently plays for Nottinghamshire, while also a regular in the England Twenty20 International side. He made his One Day International debut against India in August 2014 and his Test debut against South Africa in December 2015. Hales is the first and up to date only English batsman to score a T20I century. He is also the first batsman to be dismissed for 99 in an ODI and a T20I.

Background

Hales was born in Hillingdon and attended both Westbrook Hay School and Chesham High School (now Chesham Grammar School) in Buckinghamshire.

His father Gary broke several local batting records (including 321 not out for Gerrards Cross versus Chalfont St Peter in a limited overs league match) while his grandfather Dennis was a talented tennis player who once forced Rod Laver to five sets at Wimbledon. His mother is Lisa Hales.

County Cricket

Hales first came to national attention in 2005 when, as a sixteen-year-old, he hit 55 off a single over (three no-balls, eight sixes, one four) in a Cricket Idol T20 tournament at Lords. Ironically, he had been picked for his fast bowling ability.

Rod Tucker

Rodney James Tucker (born 28 August 1964) is an Australian cricket umpire and member of the ICC Elite Umpire Panel and officiates in international Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He was a cricketer who played briefly for New South Wales from 1985/86 to 1987/88, before moving to Tasmania where he played from 1987/88 to 1998/99. He was also vice-captain of Tasmania from 1991/92 until 1995/96. He briefly played as Captain/Coach for the Canberra Comets in the 1999/00 season before retiring from cricket as player.

Playing career

A versatile left-handed batsman, Tucker scored 5076 first class runs at an average of 36.25, and took 123 first class wickets at an average of 41.40, bowling right arm medium. He played in Tasmania's sides that were runners-up in the Sheffield Shield in 1993-94 and 1997-98.

Umpiring career

After his playing career, Tucker turned to umpiring. He was appointed to the ICC International Panel of Umpires in 2008 and was quickly promoted to the ICC Elite Umpire Panel in 2010. He was selected as one of the twenty umpires to stand in matches during the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Tucker stood in the 1st semi-final of the tournament played between South Africa and New Zealand on 24 March 2015 at Auckland.