Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa has initiated an inquiry into the incident that led to Sri Lanka T20I Captain Dasun Shanaka failing to make the tour to the West Indies, Cricket Age reliably learns.
Shanaka was newly appointed the captain for the series but was unable to travel with the team to Caribbean. His visa issue has still not been sorted out by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), as allrounder Angelo Mathews has been asked to lead the side in the three-match T20I series beginning on 3 March in Antigua. He will hope to make the ODI leg of the tour at least, which starts on March 9.
“The Ministry Secretary has been tasked with investigating the matter and submitting a report on the incident, after which necessary action will be taken” a Sports Ministry official told Cricket Age.
“Shanaka confronted this issue pursuant to the loss of his passport, which had a valid visa for the USA stamped on it,” the board had said in a release earlier this week.
Beginning on Thursday, Sri Lanka will play three Twenty20 matches, an equal number of one-day internationals, plus two tests – all behind closed doors in Antigua.
It’s already been a tumultuous start to the tour for Sri Lanka. They will be without Lahiru Kumara who returned a positive COVID-19 test before departure and had to be replaced by Suranga Lakmal.
