Chathura retained as skipper for Junior WC
Chris DHAMBARAGE
Opening bowler Chatura Peiris of St. Peter’s College has been
retained as the captain of the Sri Lanka under 19 team for the up-coming
ICC Youth World Cup in New Zealand and for the Triangular Series in
South Africa.
The ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup is the leading development level
tournament for international cricket’s stars of the future and takes
place every two years.
This 16-team tournament, which is seen as an important breeding
ground for the next generation of senior international cricketers,
will take place in New Zealand from January 15 to 30 next year.
The Sri Lankan squad for both these tournaments are the same except
for Samitha de Mel of St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa who have been
picked only for the tour of South Africa.
Sri Lanka have been drawn in group ‘C’ along with the hosts New
Zealand, Zimbabwe and Canada with all their preliminary round matches to
be worked off in Christchurch.
The previous winners of the Under 19 World Cup have been Australia
(1988 and 2002), England (1998), India (2000 and 2008) and Pakistan
(2004 and 2006).
Leading senior players that have appeared at the ICC U-19 Cricket
World Cup include Inzamam-ul-Haq, Brian Lara, Graeme Smith, Sanath
Jayasuriya, Yuvraj Singh and many others.
From the 2008 event in Malaysia several players have already made the
breakthrough to senior international cricket including Wayne Parnell
of
South Africa, Philip Hughes of Australia, Virat Kholi and Ravindra
Jadeja of India and New Zealand’s Tim Southee among others.
The 16 teams are split into four groups with Groups ‘A’ and ‘C’ being
based in and around Christchurch, Group ‘B’ teams playing their matches
in Queenstown and Group ‘D’ games taking place in Napier and Palmerston
North.
In addition to the 10 Full Members, there are six Associate and
Affiliate teams taking part, having won through their respective
regional qualifying tournaments as well as the global qualifier, which
was held in Canada in September.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals
with the remainder of the teams taking part in the plate competition.
The groups are as follows: Group A: India, England, Afghanistan, Hong
Kong. Group B: South Africa, Australia, Ireland, USA.
Group C: New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada. Group D: Pakistan,
Bangladesh, West Indies, Papua New Guinea.
Defending champions India will open its campaign against qualifier
Afghanistan in front of the ESPN Star Sports (ESS) cameras at Bert
Sutcliffe Oval, near Christchurch on the opening day of the competition
with Pakistan facing the West Indies in Palmerston North and 2008 beaten
finalist South Africa taking on Ireland in Queenstown.
In total, the ICC’s broadcast partner ESS will televise 10 matches,
including both semifinals and the final, and beam the action live
around
the world.
Meanwhile the Sri Lankan under 19 team will leave for South Africa on
December 19 with confidence having already clinched a historic one day
youth series 3-2 in Australia and also having won the recent Tri Nation
series at home.
The Sri Lanka team will compete along with the hosts South Africa and
India from December 27 to January 5. The three teams will play each
other twice and the two top teams will meet in the final.
The Sri Lanka under 19 team for the Triangular Series in South Africa
and for the ICC World Cup in New Zealand:
Chathura Peiris (St. Peter’s College - captain), Kithruwan Vithanage
(Royal - vice captain), Danushka Gunathilaka (Mahanama), Udara
Jayasundara (Ananda), Andy Berenger (St. Peter’s), Rumesh Buddhika (Mahinda),
Yasodha Lanka (Richmond), Denuwan Rajakaruna (Mahinda), Charith
Jayampathi (D. S. Senanayake College), Lahiru Jayarathne (St. Peter’s),
Kasun Madushanka (St. Servatius Matara), Samitha De Mel (St. Sebastian’s
Moratuwa), Banuka Rajapakshe (Royal), Rushan Jaleel (Trinity), Maduka
Liyanapathirana (Lumbini MV), Saranga Rajaguru (Nugawela Central
Katugasthota).
Stand Byes: Adeesha Nanayakkara (Nalanda), Angelo Jayasinghe (Maris
Stella College, Negombo), Nipun Karunanayake (Nalanda), Akshu Fernando
(St. Peter’s).
The triangular series schedule:
December 27 - Sri Lanka v South Africa
December 28 - South Africa v India
December 30 - Sri Lanka v India
December 31 - Sri Lanka v South Africa
January 2 - Sri Lanka v India
January 3 - South Africa v India
January 5 - Final
|
