Sri Lanka to start training for Bangladesh series

23-member training squad will start group practices from 9th September

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The Sri Lanka Test squad is set to start training in preparation for the upcoming three-match Test series against Bangladesh next month, from the 9th of September.

The series schedule has not been finalized yet but the Bangladesh team is due to arrive in the island later this month. They will need to follow a mandatory 14-day quarantine and will enter a bio-bubble afterwards. The venues for the matches are understood to be in Colombo and Pallekelle.

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With Sri Lanka’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic largely successful, Bangladesh agreed to reschedule the tour which was postponed in July. BCB’s high-performance squad will also travel with the senior team to help them with training sessions and practice matches since SLC has reportedly informed the BCB that they cannot provide net bowlers or a team for tour games. 

This Test series, if it goes ahead, will be Bangladesh’s first three-match Test series in six years. It will also be Bangladesh and Sri Lanka’s first international series since the pandemic-forced break. All three matches are a part of the World Test Championship.  

The national selectors have reportedly named several new faces in a preliminary 23-member training squad following the SLC Major Club League Tournament – Super Eight which was successfully conducted last month, ThePapare learns.

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Accordingly, the highest run-scorer and wicket-taker in the domestic competition, Lahiru Udara and Duvindu Tillakaratne have reportedly received maiden call-ups to the national setup. Right-handed opening batsman Udara struck 1039 runs in 9 matches with an impressive average of 86.58 for NCC. Former Sri Lanka Test captain, Hashan Tillakaratne’s son, Duvindu picked up 61 wickets in 9 matches with an average below 20 for BRC. 

Apart from Udara and Tillakaratne, uncapped batting all-rounder Santhush Gunathilake of Colts CC has also reportedly been named in the training squad. The 20-year old former Peterite skipper, Gunathilake, playing his maiden first-class season, scored 679 runs in 8 matches. He has reportedly impressed the selectors with his maturity and patience in the middle. 

Former Sri Lanka U19 skipper, Kamindu Mendis, who took the spotlight as an ambidextrous spinner last year is also believed to be included in the squad for his all-round ability with both bat and ball along with wicket-keeper batsman Minod Bhanuka from CCC.

Right-arm seamer Asitha Fernando, who was brilliant during the recently concluded domestic competition, becoming the highest wicket-taker amongst the fast bowlers, with 47 scalps in 9 matches is also believed to be a part of the training squad.

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Test captain, Dimuth Karunaratne, who picked up a slight calf niggle days before the resumption of the domestic competition will also return to training along with Kusal Perera, who also missed the inter-club three-day matches due to an injury. 

Several Test regulars in the likes of Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal and Dhananjaya De Silva, who had fruitful outings in the middle during the domestic matches will now switch to national team training under the watchful eyes of head coach Mickey Arthur.

Probable Training Squad – Dimuth Karunaratne, Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella, Minod Bhanuka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Santhush Gunathilake, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya De Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Lasith Embuldeniya, Duvindu Tillakaratne, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Asitha Fernando