Sri Lanka have named a squad largely unchanged from the one that toured New Zealand in January this year for the two ODIs against Australia at home later this week. The one change is that seam-bowling allrounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe is out as the squad has been trimmed from 17 for that New Zealand series to 16.
From Sri Lanka’s point of view, there is no real context to the series, since they failed to make the cut for the upcoming Champions Trophy. But the two games are important for Australia, who will go straight to Pakistan for the eight-team tournament after these games.
Sri Lanka wear a solid look, keeping in mind the venue for the games, R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
There’s depth in batting, with captain Charith Asalanka right in the middle of the order. Though the form of Pathum Nissanka might be a bit of a worry, there’s the usual lot of Nishan Madushka, Nuwanidu Fernando, Avishka Fernando and, apart from Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, who scored 85 not out and 50 in the second Test against Australia last week.
A lot of spin – and spinners with different skills – headlines the bowling continent: Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage and Jeffrey Vandersay are the frontmen there, with Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Eshan Malinga and Mohamed Shiraz the main fast bowlers, though how many of them will be required to play is anybody’s guess.
Sri Lanka squad for ODIs against Australia
Charith Asalanka (capt), Nishan Madushka, Nuwanidu Fernando, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Eshan Malinga, Mohamed Shiraz, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dunith Wellalage
