Time runs out on Shanaka

Shevon Daniel receives his ODI cap from skipper Kusal Mendis

Dasun Shanaka

For Dasun Shanaka who had an extended run in the Sri Lanka ODI team because he was the captain, time finally ran out when he was dropped for the third and final ODI against Zimbabwe played at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Shanaka’s exclusion from the side became imminent after his two failures in the first two ODIs being dismissed for single digit scores of 8 and 7 where he was only a shadow of himself struggling to put bat to ball.

The 32-year-old all-rounder was retained in the ODI team for the Zimbabwe series despite his poor form in the World Cup and in the matches leading to the mega event.

In his last 21 ODI innings, Shanaka had passed the fifty-run mark only once and retained his place in the team because he was the captain. He lost the ODI captaincy to Kusal Mendis from this series but was given an opportunity to retain his place in the team by performing. However, his form seems to have deserted him. In 71 ODIs he has scored 1299 runs and taken 27 wickets.

Shanaka was replaced by another all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga who returned to the side after undergoing surgery for a hamstring injury which he suffered during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) last August.

Sri Lanka also made another change to the side with 19-year-old former Under-19 World Cup captain Shevon Daniel being handed his ODI cap. Daniel had appeared for Sri Lanka in a T20I prior to his debut yesterday. He replaced leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay. – (ST)