The Lankans recently revealed their picks in preparation for the Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand.
With the goal of reviving the Test format of cricket, the ICC has decided to start a two-year-long Test championship. This is timely since the World Cup has just concluded last year, which saw a rise in fans and views.
There will be nine teams that will participate in this league and will play six series each. Three of these will be played at home while the rest will be played in away venues. Each series is composed of two to five matches and each match will award teams with points, similar to that in the CWC. New Zealand will host Sri Lanka in the first series for both teams.
New Zealand, coming off a successful run in the CWC, is ranked second in Tests. This will make things challenging for Sri Lanka if they want to win. Just recently, they announced their 22-man lineup for the matches. Of them, only 15 will be selected to actually play.
The team will be led by Dimuth Karunaratne. The team is composed of both new and experienced players, including Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera. Batsmen such as Niroshan Dickwella, Dinesh Chandimal, and Danushka Gunathika are also expected to make a comeback after their subpar performance in the CWC. Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando and Suranga Lakmal might be leading the Sri Lankan bowling attack.
Overall, the squad is balanced with skilled players and new players who could bring something new to the table. Here is the list of players:
Dimuth Karunaratne (C)
Angelo Mathews
Dinesh Chandimal
Lahiru Thirimanne
Kusal Mendis
Kusal Perera
Niroshan Dickwella
Dhananjaya de Silva
Angelo Perera
Oshada Fernando
Danushka Gunathilaka
Shehan Jayasuriya
Chamika Karunaratne
Dilruwan Perera
Akila Dananjaya
Lasith Embuldeniya
Lakshan Sandakan
Suranga Lakmal
Lahiru Kumara
Vishwa Fernando
Kasun Rajitha
Asitha Fernando
Sri Lanka will be looking to leave their poor performance in the CWC behind them, and are eyeing to win in the Test championship. To find out more about this and other matches and leagues, visit Betwala’s page.
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