Saram, Udana called for England tour

The national selectors yesterday named uncapped left arm fast bowler Isuru Udana and recalled veteran batsman Indika de Saram for the 15 member Sri Lanka squad for the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 tournament in England.

Udana impressed the selectors by winning the Man of the Match and the Man of the Series awards at the recent SLC Inter Provincial Twenty20 tournament where he bagged a total of 16 wickets while representing the champion Wayamba Province team.

Isuru Udana has been a consistent wicket taker for his club Tamil Union in the SLC Premier League tournament and also toured South Africa with the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team. Indika de Saram also impressed in the Inter Provincial Twenty20 tournament where he was the highest run getter with a total of 254 including two half centuries. He is of course making a comeback after a lapse of more than five years although he was selected to play in the only Twenty20 International against India in February.

However two players who have been performing consistently in the domestic scene Malinga Bandara and Chinthaka Jayasinghe have been left out from the final squad.

The Sri Lanka Twenty20 squad approved by the Minister of Sports:

Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Muttiah Muralitharan (vice captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardena, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thilan Thushara, Lasith Malinga, Isuru Udana, Farveez Maharoof, Jehan Mubarak, Indika de Saram.

Stand byes:

Malinga Bandara, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal.

Officials on tour:

Brendon Kuruppu (Manager), Trevor Bayliss (coach), Paul Farbrace (Assistant Coach), Tommey Simsek (Physiotherapist), Jade Roberts (Trainer), Nalin de Alwis (Computer analyst), Lal Thamel (Masseur), Chandika Hathurusinghe (Shadow Coach), Manoj Abeywickrema (Fielding coach).

C.D.