Preliminary squad for World Cup named

30 players in pool but only 15 will be selected for final team; veterans make an appearance

Sri Lanka announced a preliminary 30-man squad yesterday for the cricket World Cup in February-April. However only half of the players given below will make the final team:

Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal, Tharanga Paranavitana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Jeevan Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Malinga Bandara, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Dammika Prasad, Chaminda Vaas, Chanaka Welegedara, Nuwan Pradeep, Thilan Thushara.

AP reported that Sri Lanka picked veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas in a preliminary squad for next year’s World Cup. Jayasuriya’s 20-year international career looked to be over after a poor World Twenty20 competition earlier this year, in which the left-hander scored 15 runs in six matches.

The setback drew wide criticism from cricket fans but the batsman, who is also a ruling party lawmaker, vowed to return to play at the World Cup.  Jayasuriya, who has scored 13,428, runs in 444 one-day internationals, played his last match nearly a year ago. Vaas, a left-arm seam bowler, has not played an ODI in nearly 30 months.