COLOMBO: Sri Lanka sacked their selectors on Sunday as the national team headed toward a whitewash defeat in their Test series against England.

The home side was reeling at 53-4 at the close of the third day of the third and final Test here at the SSC Ground, chasing an unlikely 327 to avoid another crushing defeat.

The selection panel headed by former Test bowler Graeme Labrooy and also including Gamini Wickremasinghe, Eric Upashantha, Chandika Hathurusingha and Jeryl Woutersz were only appointed in June.

Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Faiszer Musthapa summoned the panel on Sunday and ‘thanked them for their services’, said a national cricket board statement.

Sri Lanka Cricket said a four-member panel headed by former Test player Asantha De Mel, 59, will choose the squad to play two Tests, three One-day Internationals and a T20 game in New Zealand starting next month.

De Mel will be backed up by former players Brendon Kuruppu, Hemantha Wickramaratne and Chaminda Mendis.

India, whose position as number one Test nation is now at risk from England, whitewashed Sri Lanka in their three Test tour last year. Before that only Australia managed the feat in 2004.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2018