Two bowling all rounders Dhananjaya Lakshan and Dunith Wellalage have been recalled for the Sri Lanka one-day squad for the forthcoming Afghanistan three ODI series which will commence on November 25 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Bowling all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne has been axed from the ODI team while also missing from the side is Danushka Gunathilaka, who is embroiled in a court case in Sydney over allegations of sexual intercourse without consent with a woman he found on Tinder.
However, the 16-member National one-day squad has not been officially released by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the team is subject to approval by the Sports Minister.
According to a senior official of the SLC, the ODI squad already have been named by the National Selection Committee headed by Pramodya Wickramasinghe while only two players from the World Cup T20 squad have been omitted and the two replacements are leg-spinning all-rounder Dunith Wellalage and right arm medium paceman and middle order left-hand batsman Dhananjaya Lakshan both from Colts CC. Wellalage and Lakshan both performed well as all-rounders at the recent Major Clubs Three-day cricket tournament and the selectors were keen to strengthen the middle order with these two players.
Chamika Karunaratne and Dhanushka Gunatilaka both did not perform up to expectations during the last T20 Asia Cup and T20 World Cup and selectors have given a chance to these all rounders. Especially the 19-year-old Dunith Wellalage who made his debut against Australia last March once again gets an opportunity to show his class while Dhananjaya Lakshan the 24-year-old former Richmond skipper played his solitary ODI against England in June last year at Chester le Street in England. Lakshan has franchise cricket experience having played in the Abu Dhabi T-10, and LPL in the last two editions Also he was adjudged the most promising player at the inaugural LPL. The former St Joseph’s Colombo and National under 19 skipper Dunith Wellalage really performed well at the Under 19 World Cup in West Indies and a got chance to make his Test debut at Galle against Australia and now for the ODI squad as a backup leggie for experienced Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana.
The selectors never overlooked Chamika Karunaratne and wanted to test Dhananjaya Lakshan in this Afghanistan series to make as a backup player to strengthen the middle order.
The squad for the Afghanistan ODI series: (subjected to approval from the Sports Minister)
Dasun Shanaka (Capt.), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dinesh Chandimal, Ashen Bandara, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dananjaya Lakshan, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Pramod Madushan and Asitha Fernando.
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