India Vs Sri Lanka: No Place For Dinesh Chandimal In Sri Lanka’s Limited-Overs Squad
When Dinesh Chandimal reached his hotel after a resolute unbeaten hundred on Day Three, he was greeted to unpleasant news of him being dropped from the limited-over squad for the India series. While it might be based on his recent unproductive streak — the last 17 innings have yielded him only 261 runs at a measly average of 16.31 — the selectors discounted the fact that he was Sri Lanka’s most consistent batsman in the Test series.
Chandimal, the Test skipper, has in five innings so far scored 330 runs at 66 including his career best of 164, while the next best has been Angelo Mathews, his tally of 195 runs significantly bolstered by 111 in the first innings here. None of the fellow batsman have crossed even 100 runs in this series. Bafflingly, some of the non-performers in the series, such as Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Dhananajaya de Silva will remain for the limited-over leg, apart from Suranga Lakmal, and Angelo Mathews
Even more surprising was the fact that the cricket board kept the names of the selected players under the wraps until Monday evening- and even now there hasn’t yet been an official statement regarding the squad for the India series.
The only official confirmation has been that all-rounder Thisara Perera has displaced with the struggling Upul Tharanga as skipper, under whom Sri Lanka have won only four out of 26 ODIs.
Adding to the drama, the nine players who were scheduled to board the flight to Delhi, were summoned back from the airport, as they didn’t have the formal approval of the Sports Ministry, which is the norm. The story goes that during the informal tour to India in 1964, before they gained Test status, some of the selectors selected themselves into the team. Ever since, the ministry made it mandatory that any team touring abroad should have its approval.
“It was due to delay in submitting the list of selected players to the ratification of the honourable minister as per regulations of the Sports Law owing to a long weekend, the selected players were unable to travel to India yesterday as was originally scheduled, and will depart today instead,” stated an SLC press release.
There also were fitness concerns regarding several players such as left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana, who had failed the Yo-Yo Test. However, coach Nic Pothas stated that the spinner has considerably improved his fitness. “In the T20s in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Sachith made huge leaps and bounds in his fitness and in his fielding he’s put in a huge effort you can’t place everyone in the Jonty Rhodes category of fielding every team in the world is going to carry one or two guys not in that category and Sachi’s done a heap of good work and he certainly got great character. He is a fighting individual. I would presume that was taken into account,” he said.
The nine players are expected to reach Delhi as soon as they get the clearance.
ODI squad: Thisara Perera (capt), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Chaturanga de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachith Pathirana, Kusal Perera
Courtesy : indianexpress
