Colombo, Oct 11 - Citing strong economic growth, Sri Lanka's Central Bank has decided to leave its monetary policy and repo rates for October unchanged, the bank said in a statement Tuesday.

The Monetary Board at its monthly meeting decided to maintain the policy interest rates of the Central Bank at their current levels. Accordingly, the bank's Repurchase rate remains at 7 percent while the Reverse Repurchase rate remains at 8.50 percent, reported Xinhua.

Colombo, Oct 1 : Indian origin billionaire investor Raj Rajaratnam, founder of Galleon Group who was arrested over an alleged 20 million dollars insider trading scheme, openly gave chunks of money to the Tamil Tigers terror group in his native Sri Lanka, it has emerged.

According to Vanity Fair magazine, in 2002, the hedge fund manager urged a crowd gathered to raise money for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to support the terror group’s struggle.

Colombo, Sep 14: Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has said he is prepared to shift down the batting order if his increased bowling demands put a strain on his ability to compile big scores as an opening batsman.

Watson has been used extensively as a fourth fast bowling option in the ongoing three-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

Kandy (Sri Lanka), Sep. 12 : Australia sees the use of the new ball as the key to winning the second Test against Sri Lanka on the fifth day here on Monday.

Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said the new ball would be crucial in determining whether Australia can win the game or have to settle for a draw.

Kandy, Sep 10: Shaun Marsh became the 19th Australian to score a Test century on debut during the second Test against Sri Lanka being played at Kandy's Pallekele Stadium.

Marsh scored 141 of 315 balls, which included 18 fours.

The 28-year-old is also the first Australian to make a ton on debut since Marcus North made 117 against South Africa in 2009, the Age reports.

Other Australians to achieve the feat include Michael Clarke, Greg Chappell, Mark Waugh, Doug Walters and Greg Blewett.

Colombo, Sept 6: Australia's vice-captain Shane Watson has cautioned his teammates about the `second Test syndrome' as they prepare to meet Sri Lanka in Kandy on Thursday.

Australia put on an efficient and confident display despite a poor pitch to post a 125-run victory in Galle, taking a one-nil lead in the three-match series, Fox Sports reports.

Kandy, Sep 6: Australian batsman Shaun Marsh, who will make his Test debut in Kandy on Thursday, credits his Western Australia coach, Tom Moody, for turning his cricketing life around.

"I remember when he took the reins as coach. I had a meeting with him and we sort of sat down and he panned out things for me. He pretty much said, `You can stay with me and work hard and do things my way, and I'll make you a better cricketer, or you can walk out the door'," Fox Sports quoted Marsh, as saying.

Galle, Sep 5: Australian batting coach Justin Langer believes that it is only a matter of time before captain Michael Clarke's 18-month wait for a Test century comes to an end.

Clarke has not reached three figures since his career-best 168 against New Zealand in Wellington in March last year.

However, Langer said he was impressed by Clarke's time in the middle during the second innings in the Galle Test against Sri Lanka when he scored 60.

Colombo, Aug 31: Ricky Ponting will become the first cricketer to play in 100 winning Test matches if Australia wins the ongoing Galle Test against Sri Lanka.

Ponting already has the records of more Test and one-day victories as captain.

Not surprisingly, the top eight players on the list of Test victories are Australians, the Courier Mail reports.

The 36-year-old is followed by Shane Warne (92), Steve Waugh (86), Glenn McGrath (84), Adam Gilchrist (73), Mark Waugh (72), Matthew Hayden (71) and Justin Langer (70). (ANI)

Colombo, Aug 30: Australian batsman Ricky Ponting has a simple piece of advice to his teammates preparing to bat in the first Test against Sri Lanka - get your starts right and you'll be fine.

Ponting reckons that if batsmen can get through their first 20 deliveries they can succeed in the island nation.

Colombo, Aug 28: Australian captain Michael Clarke has shown more good signs that he is emerging from an extended barren stretch by scoring an elegantly constructed century in the practice match against the Sri Lankan Board XI in Colombo.

Clarke scored 104 from 127 balls, which included 12 fours and a six.

The 30-year-old has gone without a hundred in his past 19 Test innings, a rough period in which he has reached 50 only three times, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Colombo, Aug 27: Australian opening batsman Shane Watson has revealed that he has been seeking Indian star batsman Rahul Dravid's advice to turn good starts into `bigger scores'.

"To get bigger scores is a burning ambition for me. It's something that I really want to be able to get right before the end of my career and being able to capitalize on the good days," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Watson, as saying.

Colombo, Aug 25: Australian opening batsman Phillip Hughes has said that he feels desperately sorry for `dumped' Simon Katich, but admitted that he wants to do the best he can to be the experienced batsman's replacement.

Hughes will open for Australia in the three-day tour match against a Sri Lankan board selection, which started today in Colombo, and he is also expected to do the same in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

Colombo, Aug 24 : Sri Lanka would soon set up committees led by Members of Parliament to investigate series of vigilante violence, sparked by a fear of night-time prowlers known as "grease devils".

The BBC quoted President Mahinda Rajapaksa as saying that committees led by government MPs will work with police to tackle the problem plaguing rural areas in Sri Lanka.

The "grease devils" have been accused of assaulting women at night in recent weeks, and residents have accused the security forces of involvement in the attacks.

Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Aug. 12 : Australian opener Shane Watson feels that he is hitting the ball really well again.

In an article for Fox Sports, Watson writes that all facets of Australia’s one-day game clicked very nicely into gear to get the momentum of the tour of Sri Lanka back in their favour.

Colombo, Aug 6: Australian batsman Ricky Ponting believes that claims of batsmen fading in their mid-to-late 30s are overrated, and said that 38-year-old Indian batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are inspirations for every cricketer.

Tendulkar scored 1562 runs at an average of 78 with seven centuries last year, while Dravid has scored back-to-back centuries in the ongoing Test series against England.

Colombo, Aug 6: India's tour of Australia will be the toughest for the Michael Clarke-led team this year, according to Ricky Ponting.

Australia have tours of Sri Lanka, South Africa and New Zealand before they face India in December, but the former captain said that Australia-India series have always been one of cricket's biggest and most volatile clashes.

The $7.1 billion Mahindra Group, one of India's leading business houses has now set its eyes on the Sri Lankan market and the company is now eying to launch a slew of automobile products in the Sri Lankan market soon. Group's Vice Chairman and Managing Director Anand Mahindra said that the company is taking the Sri Lankan market very seriously and it will soon be launching products like Maximmo and a host of other models in the market.

Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga will not be a part of the second Test at Colombo against India because of an injury.

Malinga led the Lankan pace attack during the first Test at Galle and took seven wickets.

Lasith was also announced man of the match.

Lankan physiotherapist Tommy Simsek advised the bowler to take complete rest as the player complained of a stiff right knee.

Fast bowler Dilhara Fernando would replace Malinga.

One of the largest banks in the world- Citibank has appointed Pankaj Vaish as Head of Markets for Citi in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Vaish will shoulder the responsibilities for the fixed income, currencies, credit, commodities and equities businesses of the bank.