Thirimanne named in Sri Lanka squad for England Tests
Lahiru Thirimanne, the left-handed batsman, has been included in the Sri Lanka Test squad for next month's tour of England. This selection, announced on Wednesday (April 27), served as the Aravinda de Silva-led committee's last act. The selection body will hand over the reins to Sanath Jayasuriya & Co., who will subsequently pick the One-Day International and Twenty20 International (T20I) squads. Besides Thirimanne, the national selectors also recalled Niroshan d*ckwella, while Dasun Shanaka and Dhananjaya Silva earned their maiden call-ups.
Thirimanne, 26, was left out of the Test team's previous assignment in New Zealand owing to poor form but earns his recall following strong performances in the AIA Premier League, in which he scored two centuries and a fifty in five innings playing for the Ragama Cricket Club.
Dhananjaya, too, enjoyed a prolific run in the first class season, playing for the Tamil Union, where he amassed 868 runs at an average of 54.25. The selectors, however, overlooked the season's top-scorer Tharanga Paranavithana in favour of the multi-dimensional Shanaka.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's relatively inexperienced bowling attack received a shot in the arm with the return of experienced fast bowler, Dhammika Prasad. Prasad joins a five-prong pace attack also includes Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal and Shaminda Eranga. Veteran tweaker Rangana Herath will head the spin department while Kaushal Silva, who was passed fit after suffering a'mild concussion after an accident during a practice session, finds a place in the 17-man-squad.
Sri Lanka are scheduled to leave for England on May 4 and will take on county sides Essex and Leicestershire in warm-up games before playing three Tests at Headingley, Chester-le-Street and Lord's, starting May 19.
Sri Lanka Test squad:
http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/79597/lahiru-thirimanne-named-in-sri-lanka-cricket-team-squad-for-england-tests
Lahiru Thirimanne, the left-handed batsman, has been included in the Sri Lanka Test squad for next month's tour of England. This selection, announced on Wednesday (April 27), served as the Aravinda de Silva-led committee's last act. The selection body will hand over the reins to Sanath Jayasuriya & Co., who will subsequently pick the One-Day International and Twenty20 International (T20I) squads. Besides Thirimanne, the national selectors also recalled Niroshan d*ckwella, while Dasun Shanaka and Dhananjaya Silva earned their maiden call-ups.
Thirimanne, 26, was left out of the Test team's previous assignment in New Zealand owing to poor form but earns his recall following strong performances in the AIA Premier League, in which he scored two centuries and a fifty in five innings playing for the Ragama Cricket Club.
Dhananjaya, too, enjoyed a prolific run in the first class season, playing for the Tamil Union, where he amassed 868 runs at an average of 54.25. The selectors, however, overlooked the season's top-scorer Tharanga Paranavithana in favour of the multi-dimensional Shanaka.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's relatively inexperienced bowling attack received a shot in the arm with the return of experienced fast bowler, Dhammika Prasad. Prasad joins a five-prong pace attack also includes Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal and Shaminda Eranga. Veteran tweaker Rangana Herath will head the spin department while Kaushal Silva, who was passed fit after suffering a'mild concussion after an accident during a practice session, finds a place in the 17-man-squad.
Sri Lanka are scheduled to leave for England on May 4 and will take on county sides Essex and Leicestershire in warm-up games before playing three Tests at Headingley, Chester-le-Street and Lord's, starting May 19.
Sri Lanka Test squad:
- Angelo Matthews (c),
- Dhananjaya Silva,
- Dasun Shanaka,
- Dhammika Prasad,
- Dilruwan Perera,
- Dimuth Karunaratne,
- Dinesh Chandimal (vice-capt),
- Dushmantha Chameera,
- Kaushal Silva,
- Kusal Mendis,
- Lahiru Thirimanne,
- Milinda Siriwardana,
- Niroshan d*ckwella,
- Nuwan Pradeep,
- Rangana Herath,
- Shaminda Eranga,
- Suranga Lakmal
http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/79597/lahiru-thirimanne-named-in-sri-lanka-cricket-team-squad-for-england-tests
