Sri Lanka name depleted squads for Pakistan tour

Published
Sri Lanka will return to Pakistan after a nearly two-year absence for short-form cricket games. — AP/File
Sri Lanka will return to Pakistan after a nearly two-year absence for short-form cricket games. — AP/File

Sri Lanka on Wednesday named depleted squads for a six-match tour of Pakistan, after 10 top players opted out citing security concerns.

Lahiru Thirimanne has replaced one-day international skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who refused to join the tour along with Twenty20 skipper Lasith Malinga.

Thirimanne will lead a 15-member ODI squad, while the 16-member T20 squad will be led by Dasun Shanaka.

The other eight players who opted out of the Pakistan tour are Thisara Perera, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal and Dinesh Chandimal.

Sri Lanka will return to Pakistan after a nearly two-year absence for short-form cricket games. In October 2017, Sri Lanka played a Twenty20 International in Lahore for the first time since a terror attack near the same venue in March 2009.

That attack left eight people dead and seven Sri Lanka players and staff injured.

ODI squad: Lahiru Thirimanne (Captain), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, and Lahiru Kumara.

T20 squad: Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Perera, Bhanuka Rajapaksha, Minod Bhanuka, Lahiru Madushanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, and Lahiru Kumara.

Series schedule:

  • 1st ODI — Karachi, September 27
  • 2nd ODI — Karachi, September 29
  • 3rd ODI — Karachi, October 2
  • 1st T20 — Lahore, October 5
  • 2nd T20 — Lahore, October 7
  • 3rd T20 — Lahore, October 9

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