COLOMBO, March 19: Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya will have a new opening partner for the one-day tournament against Pakistan and New Zealand in Sharjah after Avishka Gunawardena was dropped from the squad announced Tuesday.

Kumar Sangakkara, the team’s regular wicket-keeper in Test cricket, looks set to open with Jayasuriya.

Batting lower in the order, Sangakkara has averaged 22 runs after 40 One-day Internationals but his recent Test performances, including 230 scored against Pakistan earlier in March, have boosted his chances of moving up the order.

The Sharjah Cup opens on April 8, with the final on April 17. After Sharjah, Sri Lanka will head to Britain to play three Tests and take part in a one-day series against England and India.

Squad: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Russel Arnold, T.M. Dilshan, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Charitha B. Fernando (subject to fitness test), Kumar Dharmasena, Pulasthi Gunaratne, Eric Upashantha (standby for Fernando)—Reuters