Sri Lanka cricket board on Friday named a 15-member squad for its World Cup qualifying matches in Zimbabwe, leaving out former skipper Angelo Mathews.
The 36-year-old Mathews scored 12 runs from 21 balls in his last ODI at home earlier this month, when Sri Lanka lost to Afghanistan by six wickets at Hambantota in the first game of a three-match series.
The right-handed batter was dropped from the subsequent games, both won by the hosts.
However, the young exciting talent in Matheesha Pathirana found himself in the 15-member squad.
Pathirana took 19 wickets in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL), helping Chennai Super Kings to the title.
And the slingy 20-year-old quick has been included in the travelling squad after making his ODI debut just this month against Afghanistan.
Pathirana’s style of bowling has seen comparisons drawn with the legendary Lasith Malinga, and he will be part of a Sri Lankan squad who are the favourites to take one of two qualification places from the tournament.
Pathirana isn’t the only newbie in Sri Lanka’s squad, with 29-year-old Dushan Hemantha also selected after making just one ODI appearance in his career – a week ago against Afghanistan.
Sri Lanka’s first qualifying match for the 2023 ODI World Cup is on June 19 against the United Arab Emirates at Bulawayo, followed by matches against Oman, Ireland and Scotland.
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