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Thursday, 12 September 2019 01:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Madushka Balasuriya
Lahiru Thirimanne and Dasun Shanaka have been confirmed as Sri Lanka’s ODI and T20I Captains for Sri Lanka’s upcoming tour of Pakistan set to start later this month. The pair take over from Dimuth Karunaratne and Lasith Malinga, who were among 10 senior players to opt out of the tour citing security concerns.
Others not travelling are Niroshan Dickwella, Thisara Perera, Dinesh Chandima, Angelo Mathews Dhananjaya De Silva, Kusal Janith Perera, Suranga Lakmal, and Akila Dananjaya. Kusal Mendis meanwhile will miss out due to injury.
As such fringe players Sadeera Samarawickrama, Oshada Fernando, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera and Bhanuka Rajapaksa have emerged as the key beneficiaries from the mass withdrawal, as Sri Lanka Cricket announced their finalised 15-man ODI and T20I touring squads.
Of the five, four – Rajapaksa aside – have been named in both squads. 27 year-old batsman Rajapaksa has been named in the T20I squad, and is in line for his debut in the format alongside Bhanuka and Fernando. 24 year-old batsman Bhanuka is the only uncapped player in the ODI squad.
The batting trio of Samarawickrama, Perera, and Fernando, meanwhile, have been in and out of the national setup in recent times, and will be keen to make their mark.
Samarawickrama last played for Sri Lanka in a T20I against New Zealand in Auckland earlier this year, where he was dismissed for a first ball duck. However his last ODI saw him notch a half century at home in a win against England in 2018. He also impressed, scoring 80 in a warm-up Test against New Zealand last month.
Perera has been on SLC’s radar for a while, but only really came onto the public conscience earlier this year when he became just the second player ever to score two double-centuries in the same first-class match. His seven cumulative international limited overs innings have seen him score a total of just 85 runs. Of the three, Fernando is likely to feel the most hard done in finding himself out of the national team fold following an impressive entry into international cricket earlier this year. Debuting on Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa at the start of 2019, Fernando initially caught the eye with four resolute Test innings against a difficult South African attack, the highlight of which was an unbeaten 75 in a winning chase to seal a historic 2-0 series win. 
In the ODI series, Fernando again stood firm where, despite Sri Lanka losing the series 5-0, he was among the few Sri Lankan batsmen to come out with his reputation enhanced. Nevertheless, he has been out of the national side ever since.
The rest of Sri Lanka’s batting consists of familiar faces in Thirimanne, Shanaka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, and Shehan Jayasuriya, all of whom have been named in both squads.
Elsewhere in the squad, Nuwan Pradeep has been included in both squads and will now be the most senior bowler, heading up a fast-bowling unit, which includes himself, Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha, as well as fast-bowling all-rounders Lahiru Madushanka and Isuru Udana.
Lakshan Sandakan also finds his way back into both squads, and will take up a brunt of the spin-bowling burden as the sole specialist spinner. Spin-bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, and batting all-rounders Jayasuriya and Gunathilaka, are the other spin options.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan are scheduled to play three ODIs in Karachi on 27 and 29 September and 3 October before they move to Lahore for the T20I leg that concludes on 9 October.
