Perera to lead Twenty20 squad against Pakistan

Tharanga, Malinga among Lankan players pulling out of Lahore tie

All-rounder Thisara Perera will lead a 15-man Sri Lankan squad for the three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan announced yesterday, the last of which will be played in Lahore.

The Sri Lankan team will return to Pakistan for the first time since gunmen attacked their bus in Lahore in March 2009. The first two matches will be played in Abu Dhabi on October 26 and 27 before the Sri Lankan team tours Pakistan in a fly-in, flyout arrangement

Sri Lanka:

Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva. of 24 hours. The last match will be played in Lahore on October 29.

Upul Tharanga, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, and batsmen Niroshan Dickwella and Chamara Kapugedara reportedly withdrew from the tour of Pakistan over security fears.