Kapugedera recalled for Australian tour
Ishara replaces injured Dilhara:
CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
The national cricket selectors yesterday recalled hard hitting middle
order batsman Chamara Kapugedera and also named six fast bowlers in
their fifteen member squad for the Tri Nations limited overs Series in
Australia next month.
Kapugedera has forced himself into recognition following some
outstanding contributions during the recently concluded SLT 'Five
Elevens' Inter Provincial limited overs tournament where he averaged
exactly 50.00 and also maintained a strike rate of one hundred runs.
The 22 year old who played his last one day international against
Bangladesh in July this year at the R. Premadasa Stadium is likely to
bat at number seven in the line up.
The national selectors also strengthened the teams pace attack by
recalling right arm fast bowlers Ishara Amerasinghe and Nuwan Kulasekera
who will join the season campaigner Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga,
Farveez Maharoof and Chanaka Welagedera.
Chairman national selectors Ashantha de Mel said that the squad was
picked on the base of experience and also considering their present
form. The former Sri Lanka opening bowler stressed the importance of
having some good fast bowlers because the conditions in Australia will
be more suited for the seamers.
De Mel said that Ishara Amerasinghe is the ideal replacement for the
injured Dilhara Fernando who is still recovering after undergoing an
ankle operation. He said that Amerasinghe could play an important role
in this tour as the paceman is capable of bowling at 140 kilo metres per
hour as he performed during Sunday's Inter Provincial limited overs
tournament final.
De Mel said that the reason to pick only one spinner in the team was
because the Indians and the Australians are very good at playing the
slow bowlers. He also said that if required Tillekeratne Dilshan, Sanath
Jayasuriya, Dilruwan Perera and Chamara Kapugedera all could wheel their
arm for a couple of overs to fill the void of a fifth bowler.
De Mel commenting on the non selection of Malinga Bandara said that
skipper Mahela Jayawardena would have found it difficult to balance the
team with two spinners in the line up.
Bandara of course played a vital role during Sri Lanka's previous one
day tour to Australia in 2005/06 where he picked up a total of 14
wickets in the Tri Series. However De Mel said that Bandara was not
considered because he played all his matches of that tournament only as
a super sub and was not part of the final eleven.
De Mel also said that they cannot experiment with new players during
a tour of this nature because all 15 players need to be in good form
until the end of the tournament.
Meanwhile Dilruwan Perera was picked as the third opener while
Chanaka Welagedera who made an excellent Test debut against England at
the Galle International Stadium was also named in the squad.
The Sri Lanka team will leave for Australia on January 24 and will
play two warm up matches against the Prime Minister's XI at the Manuka
Oval on January 30 and against Tasmania in Hobart on February 2 before
meeting India in their opening match of the Tri Series in Brisbane on
February 5.
Stand byes: Mahela Udawatte (Chilaw Marians SC), Malinga Bandara
(Ragama CC) and Thilina Thushara (Colts CC)
Officials: Shriyan Samararatne - Manager, Trevor Bayliss - Coach,
Paul Farbrace - Assistant Coach, Tommy Simsek - Physiotherapist, Jade
Roberts - Trainer, Nalin de Alwis - Computer Analyst, Lal Thamel -
Masseur and Don Arunasiri (selector on tour).
The Sri Lanka team for the Tri Series in Australia
PLAYER AGE CLUB ODI
Mahela Jayawardena (captain) 30 SSC 261
Kumar Sangakkara (vice captain) 30 NCC 208
Sanath Jayasuriya 38 Bloomfield 403
Chaminda Vaas 33 Colts CC 305
Upul Tharanga 22 NCC 65
Chamara Silva 28 Sebastianites SC 35
Muttiah Muralitharan 35 Tamil Union 297
Lasith Malinga 24 NCC 45
Tillekeratne Dilshan 31 Bloomfield 131
Farveez Maharoof 22 NCC 75
Nuwan Kulasekera 25 Colts CC 20
Chanaka Welagedera 26 Moors SC -
Ishara Amarasinghe 29 Colts CC 1
Dilruwan Perera 25 Panadura SC 1
Chamara Kapugedera 20 CCC 22 |
