August 29, 2002	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Saani 19,1423

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COLOMBO, Aug 28: The Sri Lankan cricket selectors Tuesday included opener Avishka Gunawardena as cover up for injured skipper Sanath Jayasuriya in the Sri Lanka squad for next month’s ICC Champions Trophy cricket tournament.

Chairman of selectors Guy de Alwis said that special permission was sought from the International Cricket Council (ICC), the organisers of the tournament, to include Gunawardena in the 14-man squad which had been picked in the middle of this month.

De Alwis said a final assessment on Jayasuriya’s injury will be known in six days when the sling is removed from his injured hand.

“If Sanath is not 100 percent fit we will not force him to play,” he said.

Jayasuriya dislocated his right shoulder when he attempted a catch in the Morocco Cup final against South Africa at Tangiers last week and initial reports said that he had only a 50-50 chance of leading Sri Lanka in the tournament which is due begin Sept 12.

Sri Lanka won the Morocco Cup beating South Africa and Jayasuriya picked up the Man-of-the-Match in the final as well as Man-of-the-series.

Gunawardena, 25, is the nearest replacement for Jayasuriya in the opener’s slot. The hard hitting left-hander has often been compared to Jayasuriya because of his ability to compile runs at a ferocious pace.

Gunawardena has been primarily labelled a one-day player and despite plenty of chances in the development sides he has failed to secure a permanent place in the senior team. He has played in 39 One-day Internationals since making his debut in 1997-98 scoring 1135 runs with one century and seven fifties.

He last played for Sri Lanka in the NatWest Trophy one-day triangular in England last month.