Daily Times

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s designated ODI captain, Angelo Mathews, will lead them against South Africa in the five-match ODI series scheduled to begin from July 29. Mathews was reinstated as Sri Lanka’s limited-overs captain in January this year, but was hit by injury less than two weeks into his new leadership stint. He had since been out of both ODIs and T20Is for Sri Lanka. Dinesh Chandimal, who led Sri Lanka in Mathews’ absence, and who will serve a four-match ODI ban, has not been included in the squad.

Also selected is left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who has been a steady performer in domestic cricket over the past few years, and has been singled out by spin coach Piyal Wijetunge as an excellent prospect. He is the only uncapped member of the squad, which features two other frontline spinners in Akila Dananjaya and Lakshan Sandakan.

Six players who had been in the last Sri Lanka ODI squad have not made it to this one. Most notable among the omissions are fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera and allrounder Asela Gunaratne. Also missing out are Nuwan Pradeep, as well as Danushka Gunathilaka, who was banned from all international formats by SLC earlier this week. Rookie pacer Shehan Madhushanka, who took 3 for 26 in his only ODI, Sri Lanka’s last, does not find a place and neither does legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga.

Seam bowler Kasun Rajitha, who made his Test debut in the West Indies last month, could be in line for an ODI debut. Allrounders Shehan Jayasuriya and Dasun Shanaka complete the squad. The first ODI of the five-match series will be played in Dambulla, on July 29.

Sri Lanka squad:

1 Angelo Mathews (capt.) , 2 Dasun Shanaka, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Dhananjaya De Silva, 5 Upul Tharanga, 6 Kusal Mendis, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Niroshan Dickwella, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lahiru Kumara, 11 Kasun Rajitha, 12 Akila Dananjaya, 13 Prabath Jayasuriya, 14 Lakshan Sandakan, 15 Shehan Jayasuriya

Stand-bys: Dimuth Karunaratne, Isuru Udana, Nishan Peiris, Jeffrey Vandersay.

Published in Daily Times, July 25^th 2018.