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Uncapped players Praveen Jayawickrama and Dilshan Madushanka
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Sri Lanka selectors have kept faith with the Test squad that drew the two-match series against the West Indies in the Caribbean last month by retaining the majority of the players for the upcoming two Tests against Bangladesh at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium starting 21 April.
This means that there is no place for the two Kusals – Mendis and Perera, who missed the West Indies series through injury and since returning to competitive cricket has played only 50-over club cricket for their respective clubs CCC and Colts in the recently concluded SLC Major Limited-Over tournament.
While naming a squad of 18 for the Bangladesh series the new selection committee under former fast bowler Pramodya Wickramasinghe has retained 14 of the 17 players who went on the West Indies tour.
Angelo Mathews and Wanindu Hasaranga who were picked for West Indies but returned home for different reasons before the Test series have been recalled for the Bangladesh Tests, so has fast bowler Lahiru Kumara who missed the West Indies tour after being tested positive for COVID-19. Missing from the West Indies tour squad are fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera who is not available for personal reasons and left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya who has a thigh injury sustained during the second Test against West Indies.
Embuldeniya has been replaced by uncapped 22-year-old left-arm spinner from Moors SC Praveen Jayawickrama whom it is learnt got the nod ahead of two other left-arm spinners Duvindu Tillakaratne (BRC) and Prabath Jayasuriya (SSC) – both of whom failed the fitness test. Jayawickrama has taken 40 wickets in 10 first-class games with three five-fours. The only other uncapped player in the squad is 20-year-old left-arm fast bowler from Colts, Dilshan Madushanka who toured West Indies and has played in three first-class matches and taken 10 wickets. The two Tests against Bangladesh will be played in Pallekele from 21-25 April and from 29 April-3 May.
Sri Lanka Test Squad for Bangladesh Series
Subject to Sports Ministry ratification: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshane Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Praveen Jayawickrama.
