Having failed to qualify directly to the 10-team 2023 Cricket World Cup, a 15-man Sri Lanka squad left the island yesterday for Zimbabwe to feature in what is being called the last ditch qualifiers.
Among the members of the tour party is express fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera who made a successful comeback in the concluded home ODI series against Afghanistan that Sri Lanka won 2-1.
He is expected to play a key role in Sri Lanka’s qualification process after being out of action for nearly a year.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers also struggled and suffered series defeats to New Zealand, India, England, Bangladesh and the West Indies that prevented the team from qualifying directly.
Axed from the tour party was the 36-year old Angelo Mathews who made scores of 18, 0 and 12 in his last three ODIs while experts argue the former captain could be on his way out of the white ball game as Sri Lanka looks to groom a future team.
Interestingly Sadeera Samarawickrema who was Mathews’ replacement for the second match against Afghanistan showed just why it is important to look beyond when he smashed 44 runs in the match that Sri Lanka won to draw level 1-1 and subsequently win the series 2-1.
But unlike Mathews, the recalled Dimuth Karunaratne who was reintroduced into ODI cricket for the series against Afghanistan justified his return as a mainstay batter when he struck half centuries in the second and third games.
Eight teams, New Zealand, England, India, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have qualified directly for the World Cup scheduled to take place in India in October/November.
Along with Sri Lanka, the West Indies, Ireland, the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, the UAE and Oman compete for the remaining two slots.
Sri Lanka squad:
Dasun Shanaka (captain), Kusal Mendis (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushan Hemantha, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana