Sports Minister appoints new five-member selection committee for cricket

Upul Tharanga (Chairman)

Ajantha Mendis

Dilruwan Perera

•  Recently retired international cricketers form youngest committee

Tharanga Paranavithana

Indika de Saram

Sports Minister Harin Fernando has officially appointed a five-member selection committee for Sri Lanka Cricket headed by former Captain Upul Tharanga.

The National Sports Selection Committee which met yesterday had approved seven names out of the 10 names submitted by Sri Lanka Cricket.

Accordingly, the Sports Minister has decided to appoint the following five members to the selection committee from the approved names: Upul Tharanga (Chairman), Ajantha Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Tharanga Paranavithana and Indika de Saram.

The new selection committee replaces the six-member selection committee appointed in April 2021 by the then Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa comprising Pramodya Wickramasinghe (Chairman), Romesh Kaluwitharana, Hemantha Wickramaratne, Varuna Waragoda, Uvaisul Karnain and Thilaka Nilmini Gunaratne.

A left-handed opening batsman, Tharanga (38) appeared for Sri Lanka in 31 Tests, 235 ODIs and 26 T20Is before retiring from international cricket in March 2019 with 9,112 runs in all formats with 18 centuries.

Off-spinner Ajantha Mendis (38) represented Sri Lanka in 19 Tests, 87 ODIs and 39 T20Is and ended his international career in December 2015 with a total of 288 wickets in all formats.

Dilruwan Perera (41), another off-spinner quit international cricket in January 2021 playing his last Test match against England in Galle. Essentially a Test player, he ended his international career with 161 wickets and 1303 runs (7 fifties) in 43 Tests. He also appeared briefly in white ball format in 13 ODIs and 3 T20Is.

Tharanga Paranavithana (41), another left-handed opener like Dilruwan was more of a Test player appearing in 32 Tests and scoring 1792 runs with 2 centuries before quitting international cricket in November 2012.Indika de Saram (50), a right-hand batsman had limited opportunities and played 4 Tests and 15 ODIs in a short international career span of two years (1999-2001).

The selection committee is by far the youngest to serve and with the most recently retired players from international cricket. – (ST)