Kumar Sangakkara has been named in the squad for the Emerging XI that will play a three-day warm up match in Matara against Bangladesh, while offspinner Akila Dananjaya misses out due to injury.
I’ve started batting in the nets this week and have had a good week of practice, so the match against Bangladesh is a good opportunity to get some match practice,” Sangakkara said. “As long as I pull through ok, I will play in the Galle Test.”
Sangakkara has not played competitive cricket since fracturing his index finger during the Boxing Day Test. He is the only player above 23 in the side captained by middle-order batsman Angelo Perera.
Offspinner Dananjaya had been named in the preliminary squad for the match, but has been left out after straining his finger while taking a return catch in the latest round of first-class cricket. He will be rested for one to two weeks, but is likely to be available for the limited-overs leg of the Bangladesh tour. Allrounder Ramith Rambukwella takes his place in the Emerging XI squad.
Batsmen Ashen Silva and Kithuruwan Vithanage, who are also in the Test squad, have also been included for the fixture, but 19-year-old offspinner Tharindu Kaushal misses out, and may instead be given a Test debut in the two-Test series. Kaushal is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing first-class tournament, having bagged 31 wickets at 13.22, with four five-wicket hauls in four matches. He had also been named in the Test squad for the home series against New Zealand in November, before he’d played any first-class or List A cricket, but didn’t get a match in the series.
The Emerging XI is coached by former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana.
16-man squad: Angelo Perera (capt), Kithuruwan Vithanage (vice capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Ashen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Udara Jayasundera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Ashan Priyanjana, Ishan Jayaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Madushanka, Chaturanga de Silva, Dulanjana Mendis, Ramith Rambukwella, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage,
