Sri Lanka name squad for Australia Tests ? Cricket News Update ...

Sri Lanka name squad for Australia Tests ? Cricket News Update

Sri Lanka Cricket, on Wednesday named its 16-member squad for next month?s Test series against Australia. Considering the pace friendly conditions Down Under, the Lankan selectors have picked up five seamers in their touring party, which will leave for Australia in the second week of December.

Experienced pacer Nuwan Kulasekara and Shaminda Eranga, who helped Sri Lanka script a 10-wicket win over New Zealand in the first Test at Galle, on Monday, comprise the five-man pace arsenal, which also includes Chanaka Welegedara, Nuwan Pradeep and Dhammika Prasad.

SLC chairman of selectors, Ashantha De Mel said that studding the touring party with pace bowlers was a precautionary measure, owing to their fast bowlers' recent history of breaking down on crucial trips.

"At the rate our fast bowlers are getting injured, we have picked five of them to be on the safe side," explained De Mel during a media interaction after naming the 16-man squad on Wednesday. "On Australian surfaces, we will need to play at least three fast bowlers. It is very unlikely we will get any spin-oriented tracks," he added further.

The selectors have also picked up three openers in the squad, including left-hander Dimuth Karunaratne, who made his Test debut at Galle last week. De Mel said that the rookie Colombo batsman was included in the squad on the basis of his impressive performance in the first Test, where he scored a valiant 60 in the second innings, against a potent New Zealand pace attack.

"Karunaratne impressed everyone with his positive style of batting which is what is required to win test matches," De Mel told reporters.

"We have named three openers so that the team management can have the option of choosing either Karunaratne or Tharanga Paranavitana as a partner to (Tillakaratne) Dilshan," the SLC selection committee chairman explained.

The Islanders are scheduled to play three Tests, five One Day Internationals and two T20 internationals against the Kangaroos in December-January. Separate squad for the limited-overs leg of the itinerary will be named at a later date.

Sri Lanka squad: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Angelo Mathews, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Tharanga Paranavitana, Thilan Samaraweera, Prasanna Jayawardene, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekara, Shaminda Eranga, Suraj Randiv, Dinesh Chandimal, Chanaka Welagedera, Nuwan Pradeep, Dhammika Prasad, Dimuth Karunaratne.

Source: http://blogs.bettor.com/Sri-Lanka-name-squad-for-Australia-Tests-Cricket-News-Update-a202976

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