Four World Cup Under performers Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardena, Jeffrey Vandersay and Suranga Lakmal all have been dropped from Sri Lanka’s 22 members preliminary squad for three match ODI series against touring Bangladesh starting later this month, Cricket Age reliably learns.
Sri Lanka won three, lost four matches at the World Cup, with two abandoned due to rain and were knocked out from the first round.
It turned out Sri Lanka’s worst performance in the World Cups in the last 20 years and performance of these four players, particularly, were complete disaster!
Especially Milinda Siriwardena and Jeevan Mendis, selected by outsiders not by the selection committee, proved passengers for the team, as both they failed miserably to deliver with bat or ball. Considered as allrounder, Jeevan Mendis played three World Cup matches – against South Africa, England and New Zealand – but, could not take a single wicket with his leg spin. With bat, he could manage only 19 runs in three innings, with a highest score of 18.
Milinda, another allrounder, played against mighty Australia and failed with both bat and ball (3, 0/17).
Suranga Lakmal also turned ineffective in English conditions as he could not take a single wicket in his three outings – against South Africa, Afghanistan and New Zealand.
Vandersay, meanwhile, could get only a single game – against West Indies and managed a solitary wicket.
The preliminary squad to begin practice from July 19 after the approval from Sports Ministry.
Bangladesh will become the first team to tour Sri Lanka since the deadly Easter attacks in which 258 people were killed.
The teams will play three one-day internationals on July 26, 28 and 31 at the Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo.
