All-rounder Thisara Perera will lead a 16-man Sri Lankan squad for the three-match Twenty20
series against Pakistan announced yesterday, the last of which will be
played in Lahore. Th Sri Lankan team will return to Pakistan for the
first time since gunmen attacked their bus in Lahore in March 2009,
forcing international teams to shun tours of Pakistan over security
fears.
The first two matches will be played in Abu Dhabi on October 26 and 27
before the Sri Lankan team tours Pakistan in a fly-in, fly-out
arrangement of 24 hours. The last match will be played in Lahore on
October 29.
Sri Lankan limited overs captain Upul Tharanga, fast bowler Lasith
Malinga, current team spearhead Suranga Lakmal, and batsmen Niroshan
Dickwella and Chamara Kapugedara reportedly withdrew from the tour of
Pakistan over security fears.
Malinga was not selected for the ongoing one-day series in UAE but had
reportedly requested the Sri Lankan ministry to chose a different team
for Lahore, which was rejected.
Lakmal and Kapugedara were part of the squad which was attacked during
the second Test in Lahore eight years ago, which left eight people
killed and seven visiting team members and support staff were injured.
The 28-year-old Perera, appointed captain for the first time, toured
Pakistan as member of a World XI for a three-match Twenty20
international series played in Lahore last month.
The World XI series was part of Pakistan Cricket Board’s effort to
revive international cricket in the country, which also included the
staging of the Pakistan Super League final in March this year.
Pakistan also hosted Zimbabwe for a five-match limited overs series in 2015 but bigger teams have refused to tour there.
That forced Pakistan to play their home matches in neutral venues in UAE.
Sri Lanka T20I squad: Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera,
Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela
Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru
Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey
Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva, Minod Bhanuka.
Thisara Perera