NEWS NOW | COLOMBO – Thirty-one-year-old opening batsman Mahela Udawatte has broken into the Sri Lanka Test squad more than 10 years after his international debut, along with three other uncapped players, Kasun Rajitha, Jeffrey Vandersay and Asitha Fernando.
The fresh entrants are there partly because a number of injuries have afflicted the Sri Lanka talent pool.
Regular opener Dimuth Karunaratne is out with a fractured finger, and fast bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Pradeep are out with back and hamstring complaints respectively.
Kusal Perera, who last played a Test in December 2016 in South Africa, was also picked ahead of Danushka Gunathilaka, who had only recently returned from injury.
Kusal’s return was somewhat expected given his good returns across formats in both domestic and international cricket this year.
Kusal Mendis, Udawatte, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva and Niroshan Dickwella are likely to form the core of the batting order, with Mathews joining if he proves fit.
Sri Lanka plays three Tests in the West Indies, including the Caribbean’s first ever day-night Test, in Barbados.
The visitors are scheduled to start their tour with a three-day practice match in Trinidad, before the first Test begins on the same island, on June 6.
Sri Lanka has never won a series in the West Indies.
Test squad:
Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Mahela Udawatte, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Angelo Mathews (subject to fitness), Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Gamage, Kasun Rajitha, Suranga Lakmal (subject to fitness), Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando