chanaka tagged posts

January 23, 2012 / Posted in  Sri Lanka

The Sri Lanka captaincy is back with Mahela Jayawardene

Hours after Tillakaratne Dilshan resigned as Sri Lanka captain from all three formats, the country’s new selection panel appointed former captain Mahela Jayawardene in his place to lead the ODI squad to Australia for the tri-series in February involving the hosts and India. Angelo Mathews remains the vice-captain of the 15-member squad which also includes Dilshan.

Jayawardene was ODI captain from 2004 till 2009 (he took over as Test captain in 2006). He resigned in 2009, saying he wanted his successor to have sufficient time to build the team for the 2011 World Cup. Kumar Sangakkara took over from Jayawardene but stepped down after leading Sri Lanka to the final of the World Cup. Dilshan led Sri Lanka for nine months after the World Cup, but resigned on Monday following series defeats in both Tests and ODIs in all his four assignments.

Jayawardene has led Sri Lanka in 97 ODIs, winning 57 and losing 35...

November 30, 2011 / Posted in  Sri Lanka

Seasoned batsman Thilan Samaraweera was on Tuesday added to Sri Lanka’s squad for next month’s Test series in South Africa.

The 35-year-old middle-order batsman was included as the 17th member of the touring squad after sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage accepted a request by the selectors.

“I had a meeting with the national selectors and I have approved their request,” the minister, whose approval in necessary for all selections, told reporters.

Samaraweera, who has scored 4,683 runs in 68 Tests at an average of 52.61 with 12 centuries, had been overlooked since the third Test against Australia in Colombo in September.

He was a surprise omission for the recent tour of the United Arab Emirates where Sri Lanka lost to Pakistan in all three formats of the game.

Sri Lanka play a practice match in Benoni from December 9-11 before the first Test starts at the Centurion on December 15. The remaining Tests will be held in Durban and Cape Town.

Sri Lanka’s revised Test squad:

Tillaka...