Chanaka Welegedara is in doubt for the Champions Trophy after sustaining a foot injury during Rest of Sri Lanka’s List A match against Sri Lanka A on Friday. Welegedara bowled only 2.4 overs, before leaving the field with pain in his right foot and ankle. Sri Lanka leave for England on May 26, and are scheduled to play their first warm-up match on May 30 against Pakistan.
“Welegedara came off immediately and is currently unable to put any weight on his right foot,” a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) release said. “He is getting scans over the weekend and will have the results by Monday. He will not take part in the final of the SLC President’s trophy, to be played on Monday.”
Welegedara, 32, had been the leader of Sri Lanka’s Test-match pace attack, but has been plagued by injury in the last 12 months, in which he only completed one Test match. He strained his groin playing England in March last year, before tearing a shoulder muscle before the Pakistan series in July. He recovered in time to travel to Australia at year’s end, but tore a hamstring early in the second Test in Melbourne, and has not played any international cricket since. Largely regarded a Test specialist, Welegedara had not played limited-overs international cricket since June 2010.
He is one of four specialist fast bowlers named in the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, with Lasith Malinga, Shaminda Eranga and Nuwan Kulasekara also picked. Farveez Maharoof, who is not in the national squad but may have been a potential replacement, was also injured during the match and will likely be unavailable for two weeks.
