Lankan Indoor Cricket team for World Cup

Yasaratne Gamage

The Sri Lanka National Indoor Cricket team will leave for South Africa to participate in the ‘Indoor Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held from October 8 to 15, 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The team was selected after an Open tournament organized by Action Sports with 40 players held in August where the squad was further trimmed to a final 12. The team has been practicing together with absolute commitment and enthusiasm.

The National Indoor Cricket Team which consisted of an influx of fresh blood (five new players) together with the veterans of the game had an opportunity to participate in the ‘Invitational International Indoor Cricket Tournament held in Bangalore in September.

The world cup team will be led by Captain, Chrishantha Pieris, who has been playing for Sri Lanka since 2002 and is a proud member (and Vice

Captain) of the team that made it to the Indoor Cricket World Cup final in 2004.

Chrishantha will be supported by his Deputy Dilshan Vitharana who also has a similar number of years under his belt of experience and holds the

additional responsibility as the gloveman of the Team.

Dilshan’s keeping skills are among the best in the world and is expected to better his previous personal ranking of No. 2 during this World Cup.

Sachindra Gonaduwa, Kamal Kuruppu, Niranjan Rajapakse and Sanjaya Gangodawila support the team as senior members and will certainly have a significant value to add apart from their on-field talents in their respective departments.

Asela Pathirana, the coach is another legend in Indoor Cricket in Sri Lanka, who has gathered a mass of experience both as a player and as a coach.

Pathirana was the Captain who took the National Indoor Cricket team to

the countries best achievement in 2004 and has since been continuing to add value in evolving this sport from strength to strength.

Asela will be supported by Assistant Coach Sajith Rupasinghe. Hiran De Mel, an International Indoor Cricket umpire will be heading the Tour Party as the manager.

The National Team for the World Cup

Chrishantha Pieris (Captain), Dilshan Vitharana (Vice Captain), Shachindra Gonaduwa, Kamal Kuruppu, Kolitha Nayananda, Niranjan Rajapakse, Madhawa Warnapura, Ruwan Chandrakumar, Amila Ratnayake, Iranka Liyanage, Sanjaya Gangodawila, Prabath Buddika Perera, Asela Pathirana (Coach), Sajith Rupasinghe (Ast. Coach), Hiran De Mel (Manager), Shohrab Salman (Official), Dennis Hewaga (Official).