Injured Karunaratne out, uncapped quartet for Windies series
EXPERIENCED OPENER Dimuth Karunaratne has been left out of a 17-man Sri Lanka touring party for the Caribbean after failing to recover from a finger injury.
The 30-year-old, who has scored 3,186 runs from 49 Tests, fractured a finger during a net session recently while preparing for a domestic tournament and will not feature in the three-Test series.
Selectors have, meanwhile, named four uncapped players with Kasun Rajitha, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando, and Mahela Udawatte all included for the June 6-27 tour.
Despite not having played in the longer form, the quartet already possess international experience. Rajitha is a seamer who has played three Twenty20 Internationals, leg-spinner Vandersay has turned out in 11 One-Day Internationals while 20-year-old fast bowler Fernando has a single ODI under his belt. Udawatte has played nine ODIs and eight T20Is.
Former captain Angelo Matthews and Suranga Lakmal have both been included, but a final decision will be made on their match fitness before the squad leaves for the Caribbean.
The squad, led by Dinesh Chandimal, is currently training in Pallekele.
Sri Lanka open the tour with a three-day match, starting June 30, at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Trinidad before facing West Indies in Tests at Queen’s Park Oval, the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, and Kensington Oval.
SQUAD: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Mahela Udawatte, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Gamage, Kasun Rajitha, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.