Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena has questioned Asantha De Mel led selection committee’s decision to drop dynamic left hander Kusal Perera for the upcoming Two match test series against Zimbabwe.
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka announced 15-member squad, as fast bowler Suranga Lakmal was included after recovering from dengue. The surprise move, however, was to drop Kusal Perera, who just one year ago had played the greatest innings of all time in test cricket history, against South Africa in Durban.
“Wasn’t he the same player who won the test match in Durban single handedly 12 months ago? He has only played 3 test matches (5 Innings) since then” a surprised Mahela Jayawardana posted on his twitter handle.
A proven failure as chief selector, who himself has landed at Maitland Place by going behind politicians and begging for the post, Asantha De Mel has indeed redefined the ‘biased selection policy’ by dropping Sri Lanka’s biggest match winner Kusal Perera, while persisting with epic disasters like Lahiru Thirimane and Niroshan Dickwela.
Thirimane in particular, who is playing since ages, has been gifted 35 tests, in which he has managed an embarrassing average of 22.64, with a lone hundred in one decade long career. Cricket Age understands that Asantha De Mel has a personal liking for Thirimane, that makes him determine to keep playing the useless left hander as long as he remains chief selector.
Dickwela’s case is no different. A miss and hit player, Dickwela has not scored a century, even after playing 35 tests as a wicket keeper batsman. Despite the mediocre return in test cricket, Asantha, for some mysterious reasons, is giving countless chances to him as well, by discarding Kusal Perera!
