High profile Ashan Priyanjan, skipper of powerful Colombo Cricket Club (CCC), has expectedly been appointed the captain of the SLC XI squad, which will play the first unofficial 3-day practice game against touring England, starting on the 7th March at the CMCG, Katunayake.
Duvindu Tillakaratne, the left arm leg spinner, has also been fast tracked into the squad after a dominating bowling display in the ongoing 4-day premier tournament, while his father former test player Hashan Tillakratne is set to coach the side. National chief selector Asantha De Mel has also contributed in selecting the squad, by picking one of his favorite Milinda Siriwardana. Another high profile player Angelo Perera, however, has been rested for a change for the first unofficial practice game.
Among non-influence players, promising Priyamal Perera will get a chance to showcase his potential as a middle order batsman, while long time national discarded off spinners Tharindu Kasuhal and Malinda Pushpkumara have also been recalled.
Other players are not as lucky as Duvindu Tillakaratne! Thus, expectedly, domestic run machines like Ramesh Mendis and Pathum Nissanka have been ignored, in order to give chances to influential players. Ramesh in particular, has been in form of his life, having scored a triple hundred in the ongoing 4-day premier tournament. Moreover, against West Indies also, when he got a chance to play in President XI squad, he scored a scintillating half century. Insiders of Sri Lanka cricket says that despite scoring heavily in domestic circuit, Ramesh has been politically victimized. Pathum Nissanka, without any godfather, too found it difficult to get a place in the squad, despite hammering hundred after hundred in given chances.
Squad:
- Lahiru Udara
- Sangeeth Cooray
- Lahiru Milantha
- Ashan Priyanjan – Captain
- Milinda Siriwardana
- Priyamal Perera
- Pramod Maduwantha
- Manoj Sarathchandra
- Chamika Karunaratne
- Nisala Tharaka
- PHT Kaushal
- Kavishka Anjula
- Lahiru Samarakoon
- Duvindu Tillakaratne
- Malinda Pushpakumara
