Sri Lanka announces ODI squad after sports minister’s ratification

Test captain Dinesh Chandimal has been left out of the 16-man squad for the three-match series.

Asela Gunaratne (top) finds a place in the squad after having been omitted from the ODI series at home against India.

Dinesh Chandimal was left out of Sri Lanka’s 16-member One-Day International squad for the three-match series against India despite his face-saving century in the ongoing third Test here.

The team, to be led by Thisara Perera, has been ratified by Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera after an initial confusion that led to nine players being stopped from departing for India. As per a particular law in Sri Lanka, a team has to get sanction from the sports minister.

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“The team has been ratified by the Sports Minister Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekera. The team is scheduled to leave the island at 00.30 hours on the 6th of December 2017 (Tuesday night/Wednesday morning),” the Sri Lankan Board said in a statement.

Change in plan

“SLC also wishes to state that due to a delay in submitting the list of selected players to the ratification of the Honourable Minister as per the regulations of the Sport Law owing to the long weekend, the selected players were unable to travel to India yesterday as was originally scheduled, and will depart today instead,” the SLC said.

All-rounder Asela Gunaratne and opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka return to the Sri Lankan side that has lost 21 ODIs this year and won just four. The three ODIs will be played in Dharamsala (December 10), Mohali (December 13) and Visakhapatnam (December 17).

• Thisara Perera (c), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Chaturanga de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya De Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachith Pathirana, Kusal Janith Perera.