Twenty-four member rugby squad picked

Sri Lanka is due to compete in the HSBC Asian - 5 nations division 1 tournament to be staged in Chinese Taipei from November 12-15.

An SLRFU press release stated that the national selection panel have chosen a contingent of 24 players with Dushanth Lewke as captain of the team for the first game against host nation Chinese Taipei on November 12.

For the second game blind-side flanker Dilanka Wijesekera has been selected as skipper in a move which rugby critics here termed as simply unprecedented in the annals of both local and world sports. It is unheard of a team, a national one, chosen to tour overseas sporting two different captains and rugby critics are of the view that only time will tell whether the decision to have split captains will be successful for Sri Lanka.

The SLRFU press statement further stated that the final 15 for both Sri Lanka games in the knock-out tournament will be selected by Chaminda Rupasinghe who is to accompany the team as tour selector. The press release also added that the above decisions have been taken in consultation with the Minister of Sports and Public Recreation, Gamini Lokuge for this tour only, keeping the best interests of the game in mind.

The final 24-member Sri Lanka national squad has been forwarded for the approval of the Minister of Sports.

The match schedule for the HSBC Asian - 5 nations division 1 in Chinese Taipei.

Seeded teams - 1. China, 2. Chinese Taipei, 3. Sri Lanka, 4. Singapore.

First match - Seed 1 vs Seed 4

Second match - Seed 2 vs Seed 3 (November 12)

November 15 - Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2. Final: Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 2.

The Sri Lanka squad to be ratified by the Minister is as follows: Shashika Cooray, Anuranga Walpola, Henry Terrence, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Ashen Karthelis, Dilanka Wijesekera (capt), Imran Bisthamin, Dushanth Lewke (capt), Saliya Kumara, Ashan de Costa, Chula Susantha, Gayan Weeraratne, Pradeep Liyanage, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, Mohammed Sheriff, Shamil Mohamed, Nushal Meepage, Achala Perera, Sean Wijesinghe, Dhanushka Perera, Kasun de Silva, Amjad Buksh, Lasintha de Costa, Radhika Hettiarachchi.

Standbyes: Kishore Jehan, Sumedha Jayasinghe, B. D. N. Fernando, Tuan Shamrock, Shane Dissanayake, Reza Mubarak.

(JK)