SL name 24-member squad for England series, Kusal Perera to lead
Jun 08, 2021
Colombo [Sri Lanka], June 8 : The Selection Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Tuesday selected the national squad for the upcoming limited-overs series against England.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Namal Rajapaksa gave his approval for the chosen Sri Lanka squad. Sri Lanka Team will depart in the early hours of June 9, 2021, to take part in the T20i and ODI series.
Sri Lanka and England are slated to lock horns in three T20Is and three ODIs, beginning June 23.
Earlier, amid the tussle between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the national players, the cricketers agreed to tour England uncontracted. This came after the governing body promised players to make their evaluation marks public when they return to Sri Lanka after the England tour.
The cricketers had been showing resistance towards the contracts, which they felt lacked transparency and did not adequately compensate senior players.
"This is the transparency the players had been requesting from the outset," ESPNcricinfo quoted the players' lawyer Nishan Premathiratne as saying.
"They will play this tour without signing any contract. They have signed a voluntary declaration, but there is nothing there about player remuneration. They have always been committed to playing for Sri Lanka," he added.
Earlier, thirty-eight Sri Lanka cricketers had signed a statement refusing to sign the tour contracts and it is an increase from 24 players who had previously made their resistance to the new scheme.
Sri Lanka will leave for England on Tuesday evening and will lock horns in three T20Is and three ODIs, beginning June 23. Kusal Perera-led side had suffered a 1-2 series defeat against Bangladesh in the three-match ODI series last month.
Sri Lanka squad for the series against England: Kusal Perera (c), Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ishan Jayaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Isuru Udana, Asitha Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep, Shiran Fernando, Lakshan Sandakan, Akila Dananjaya, Praveen Jayawickrama.
