* First KJP, then Dhananjaya de Silva?
* If ‘unity is strength’, Sri Lanka is very weak
* Is new Capt. Shanaka cold-shouldered by seniors?
* Undue influence by ‘manager mafia’ felt again?
* ‘Sunday Morning’ revealed the exact squad one week before official announcement
* Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha return from injuries
* Uncapped bat Lahiru Udara, bowling all-rounder Ishan Jayaratne named in squad
[caption id="attachment_150295" align="alignnone" width="452"]
The Sunday Morning Sports revealed the exact Sri Lanka in our last week’s (11 July) publication[/caption]
Sri Lanka Squad (24 players)
The following 24-member squad was selected by the Cricket Selection Committee to take part in the ODI and T20I series against India. The squad was approved by the Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa, said Sri Lanka Cricket in a media release on Friday (16).
Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Dhananjaya De Silva (Vice Captain), Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ashen Bandara, Minod Bhanuka, Lahiru Udara, Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Lakshan Sandakan, Akila Dananjaya, Shiran Fernando, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ishan Jayaratne, Praveen Jayawickrama, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Isuru Udana, and Sadeera Samarawickrama
Notes:
I. Previous Captain and top-order batsman Kusal Perera will not take part in the whole series due to shoulder injury
II. Fast bowler Binura Fernando will not take part in the ODI series due to ankle strain
III. Sadeera Samarawickrama joins squad as replacement for Kusal Perera
IV. Binura Fernando is not replaced for the ODI series
V. Dhanajaya de Silva too sent for CT scan due to a back injury complaint on Friday (16)
India Squad (20 members)
Shikhar Dhawan (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Vice Captain), Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Krishnappa Gowtham, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Nitish Rana, Navdeep Saini, Chetan Sakariya, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Prithvi Shaw, Kuldeep Yadav, and Suryakumar Yadav
Net Bowlers: Ishan Porel, Sandeep Warrier, Arshdeep Singh, Sai Kishore, and Simarjeet Singh
India’s tour of Sri Lanka - Schedule
(All matches are held at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
* ODI series (starting time 3 p.m.)
Sunday, 18 July - 1st ODI
Tuesday, 20 July - 2nd ODI
Friday, 23 July - 3rd ODI
* T20I series (starting time 8 p.m.)
Sunday, 25 July - 1st T20I
Tuesday, 27 July - 2nd T20I
Thursday, 29 July - 3rd T20I
Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who was fined by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) earlier this month for a breach of contract, has been named in the 24-member Sri Lanka squad for the rescheduled ODI and T20I series against India starting today (18).
Uncapped batter Lahiru Udara and seam-bowling all-rounder Ishan Jayaratne received national call-ups in the absence of several big players. The Sunday Morning Sports published (see inset photo) the squad in our last week’s (11 July) publication.
Returning from injury, Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha also featured in the squad, which was without four of the side’s first-choice batters --Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Perera - who are unavailable owing to suspension or injury.
New leadership of Shanaka
Dasun Shanaka will lead the side in place of Perera, who was ruled out because of a shoulder injury. Dhananjaya de Silva was named the Vice Captain.
Binura Fernando is not expected to be fit for the ODI series, but could play the T20Is. Minod Bhanuka is likely to be Perera's replacement as wicketkeeper.
The first ODI will be played today (18) at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium starting at 3 p.m.
Strange injury bug
They say professional national players always played “with” injuries. They “manage” injuries through their careers as professional cricket in the present era where bilateral series, competitions, as well as various national franchise leagues round the globe are held round the year, playing with pain, managing pain is part and parcel of every cricket player’s career.
But strangely two seniors were evidently quick to apparently aggravate their injuries during the last week. Both of them were key elements of the national white-ball team and are hard to replace.
Insiders said last week that after white-ball leadership role was bestowed on Dasun Shanaka, the new appointment had not gone well with certain individuals, unfortunately those individuals are from within the players.
If unity is strength
In the present context where teams have to be 100% ready in all aspects, unity and team-work is a must. If unity is considered strength, Sri Lanka team lacks it at present.
Their disunity has apparently spilled over to the matches in the middle. That is a new decease in Sri Lanka’s cricket. Imagine, if the seniors are not willing to give their 100% when somebody outside their ‘group’ or ‘faction’ is given the captaincy role, that is an unbelievably low level our cricket can fall to.