Mendis, Vandersay, Jayasuriya picked for WI ODIs

Saturday, 24 October 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

ESPNCricinfo: Sri Lanka have returned Ajantha Mendis and Nuwan Kulasekara to the ODI squad, and named three uncapped players - Shehan Jayasuriya, Jeffrey Vandersay and Danushka Gunathilaka - to play against West Indies. Also in the squad are ODI rookies Dushmantha Chameera and Milinda Siriwardana.

Kulasekara had been overlooked for the July series against Pakistan, after he had had a modest World Cup. Mendis had not made the World Cup side, and then was unavailable due to injury through the middle of the year. He last played an ODI in December 2014 against England. Untitled-2

Fast bowler Chameera also played in the World Cup, and had also been unavailable for the Pakistan series due to injury. Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who played in the T20s of that Pakistan tour, earned his place through good outings for the A team and development sides. He claimed a five-wicket haul against New Zealand A in Christchurch in the past week, and had also taken eight wickets against a South Africa emerging team in August.

Opening batsman Gunathilaka’s selection had also been aided by solid performances against New Zealand A. He hit back-to-back half-centuries in Christchurch earlier this month, and had also made a hundred in a previous practice match. Offspin-bowling top-order batsman Jayasuriya had not been in excellent form with the bat, but had taken six wickets in the four List A games in New Zealand.

Opening batsman Upul Tharanga and allrounder Thisara Perera were among the notable absentees from this side. Both had had modest series against Pakistan. Sachith Pathirana, Seekkuge Prasanna and Ashan Priyanjan, who had also been picked for that Pakistan series, did not find places here.

Elsewhere, Lahiru Thirimanne, who was dropped from the second Test, retained his ODI place, having had a good run in that format. Lasith Malinga also found a place in the squad, after having been dropped in the series against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka play West Indies in three ODIs, the first of which is set to be played in Colombo on November 1.

ODI squad Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Milinda Siriwardana, Shehan Jayasuriya, Sachithra Senanayake, Jeffrey Vandersay, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Danushka Gunathileka