Technical Committee of ICC approves Dilruwan as a replacement

CRICKET: The International Cricket Council has confirmed the Technical Committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2007 has approved Dilruwan Perera as a replacement player for Muttiah Muralitharan in Sri Lanka’s squad for the tournament, which will be worked off from September 11 to 24 in South Africa.

The confirmation was conveyed to Sri Lanka Cricket through an email sent on behalf of the tournament Technical Committee yesterday. Perera replaces Muralitharan after medical reports were received indicating that the star off spinner had sustained an injury to his right distal bicep and would not be fit in time to take part in the event.

Perera, the 25-year-old uncapped off-spinner, is the second replacement player to be called up for the tournament so far after Ben Hilfenhaus was approved to replace Shaun Tait in the Australia squad.

The process required for approving any player involves that player’s home board making an application in writing to the tournament Technical Committee for permission.

In this case the application was supported by medical reports confirming Muralitharan’s injury and certifying that the player was not fit for the event. Sri Lanka’s first match of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa will take place against Kenya at Johannesburg on September 14.

The Technical Committee of the ICC World Twenty20 consists of David Richardson (International Cricket Council), Campbell Jamieson (IDI, the ICC’s commercial arm), Steve Elworthy (tournament director), Brian Basson (Cricket South Africa), Ravi Shastri (independent) and Ian Bishop (independent).