Three Kandy players pull out from squad

Three outstanding ruggerites from Kandy Sports Club have withdrawn from the Sri Lanka Rugby team which will take part in the Asian Five Nations Tournament in Chinese Taipei from November 12 to 15, 2008.

Former Sri Lanka skipper Sanjeeva Jayasinghe and full back Radhika Hettiarachchi have sent a letter to the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union that they are pulling out of the tour as they are not willing to play under Dushanth Lewke while Sri Lanka Sevens skipper Pradeep Liyanage has written to the SLRFU stating that he is unavailable for national duty for one month due to medical reasons which means he will miss the Chinese Taipei tour.

Three other Kandy SC players Anuranga Walpola, Sean Wijesinghe and Saliya Kumara did not attend yesterday’s practice session with centre Gayan Weeraratne being the only player present.

The National Selection Committee of the SLRFU comprising Rohan Abeykoon (Chairman), Nazeem Mohamed, Chaminda Rupasinghe, Hafeel Marso and Rohantha Peiris resigned on Saturday as they were not happy with the decision taken by Sports and Public Recreation Minister Gamini Lokuge to exclude Kandy SC number eight Imran Bisthamin from the 24-member rugby squad chosen by them and replacing him with Police Skipper Nilusha Fernando.

The selectors also picked CH and FC flanker Dilanka Wijesekera as captain from the second match on November 15 while retaining CR and FC number eight Dushanth Lewke as captain for the first match against Chinese Taipei on November 12 which was approved by the Sports Minister.