Kusal Mendis receives visa, leaves for USA with Asitha

Kusal Mendis

Asitha Fernando

Sri Lanka’s top order batsman and wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis left yesterday morning to the USA to join the national T20 World Cup cricket team after a delay in obtaining his visa.

Mendis left for the USA with fast bowler Asitha Fernando who is one of the four travelling reserves.

Mendis and Fernando could not travel with the national team on 14 May due their visas not being issued by the US Embassy in Sri Lanka.

Fernando subsequently received his visa on 15 May, but Mendis had to go through a protocol where he had to submit some reports with regard to a motor accident in which he was involved in September 2020, where a 64-year-old cyclist was killed. The embassy had wanted proof that he had been cleared by the Police of all charges as he had stated in his visa application. That caused the delay in the issuing of Mendis’ visa.

Meanwhile, two other members of the team who were late inclusions, Janith Liyanage, one of the travel reserves and the throw down coach are due to leave for the USA on 24 May.

The 15-member Sri Lanka team left for the USA in advance to train and get acclimatised to the conditions. They arrived in the USA last Wednesday and began training at the Morrisville Facility in North Carolina.

The team will fly to Florida for their two warm-up games against Netherlands on 28 May and Ireland on 31 May.

All expenses for the Sri Lanka team are being met by Sri Lanka Cricket until they are officially assigned to their hotel by the ICC on 25 May.

Sri Lanka commences their T20 World Cup campaign on 3 June against South Africa at New York. 

– (ST)