COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Thursday picked fast bowler Dilhara Fernando for the T20 series against India, which begins on February 9.
Dilhara last played for Sri Lanka in mid-2012. Leg-spinnning all-rounder Seekkuge Prasanna also makes a comeback. T20 captain Lasith Malinga misses out due to injury, as does all-rounder Angelo Mathews, seamer Nuwan Kulasekara, and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.
Malinga is still recovering from a knee injury that kept him out of the tour to New Zealand. It is learnt that he will require another fortnight to regain full fitness. Dinesh Chandimal leads the side in Malinga’s stead.
Mathews is nursing a groin strain that prevented him from bowling in New Zealand on Sri Lanka’s previous T20 assignment. His injury is less severe than Malinga’s, though, and Sri Lanka Cricket are hoping he will be available for the Asia Cup at the end of the month.
Sri Lanka lost the T20s to New Zealand, earlier this month, 2-0. Among the others missing out from that squad are batsmen Shehan Jayasuriya and Kithuruwan Vithanage, pacers Suranga Lakmal and Isuru Udana. Of course, batsman Kusal Perera, who was suspended for testing positive for a banned substance, also misses out. Nuwan Pradeep was not considered for selection due to injury. There is no place for Ajantha Mendis, despite good returns in the recently-concluded domestic T20 competition.
Fernando’s inclusion comes as something of a surprise, after the selectors had invested heavily in youth over the past three years. Now 36, he bowled himself into contention in the recent T20 competition, taking 11 wickets in four matches, with an economy rate of 8.40.
Fernando is said to have much of the pace of his younger years, and has been consistently penetrative across formats this season. He had finished third on the Premier T20 Tournament wicket-taker’s list, but there is no place in the squad for Mendis, who finished second, with 12 scalps from six games. Prasanna picked up nine wickets in that tournament, at an economy rate of 6.79.
Elsewhere, quick Dushmantha Chameera and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who played on the recent New Zealand tour, retain their places. Left-arm seamer Binura Fernando, who played in the two T20 series last year, also finds a place. Prasanna, Thisara Perera and Milinda Siriwardana comprise the all-round options, with Tillakaratne Dilshan’s offbreaks also on offer.
Lahiru Thirimanne does not have a place in the team, despite having played well in Sri Lanka’s 2014 World T20 campaign. Opener Danushka Gunathilaka - who dazzled briefly in New Zealand - and Chamara Kapugedara, are in the squad.
Sri Lanka play three T20s in India, beginning in Pune on February 9, followed by games in Delhi on February 12 and Visakhapatnam on February 14.