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Wednesday, 25 January 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
ESPNCricinfo: With an injured Angelo Mathews returning home, Upul Tharanga has been named stand-in captain for the five-match ODI series against South Africa, ahead of Dinesh Chandimal, who will lead the side in the series-deciding third T20I on Wednesday.
Seam-bowling allrounder Lahiru Madushanka and wicketkeeper-batsman Sandun Weerakkody received their maiden call-ups in ODIs and are due to join the squad already in South Africa along with left-arm spinning all-rounder Chaturanga de Silva, who has played six ODIs.
They will act as cover for fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep and opener Danushka Gunathilaka who have returned home with hand and back problems respectively.
In November, when both Mathews and Chandimal were injured, Tharanga became Sri Lanka’s 19th captain in ODIs, and led them to a tri-series win in Zimbabwe. This came after Tharanga was dropped for the home series against Australia, only playing in the fifth ODI after the series was lost.
Chaturanga last played for Sri Lanka in 2014, but he has worked his way back into contention with strong performances in first-class cricket. He picked up 35 wickets in six matches at 21.71, including two five-wicket hauls, in addition to 560 runs at 50.90, including six fifties, for Nondescripts Cricket Club in the Premier League tournament.
Madushanka hit 346 runs and took 15 wickets in seven matches in the same tournament, while Weerakoddy, opening the batting, scored 530 runs in six matches. He is the third wicketkeeper-batsman in the squad behind Nondescripts Cricket Club team-mates Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella.
Sri Lanka will play five ODI matches on January 28 at Port Elizabeth, February 1 at Durban, February 4 at Johannesburg, February 7 at Cape Town and on February 10 at Centurion.
Upul Tharanga (Captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thikshila de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Madushanka, Asela Gunaratne, Sandun Weerakkody, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Kusal Mendis, Chaturanga de Silva,Sachith Pathirana, Seekkuge Prasanna, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana.
AFP: AB de Villiers will captain South Africa in a five-match one-day international series against Sri Lanka, starting in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Batting star De Villiers, who has recovered from an elbow injury which prevented him from playing for six months, regains the captaincy after Faf du Plessis led South Africa to a 5-0 clean sweep in a one-day series against Australia last October.
Du Plessis has subsequently been named South Africa’s long-term Test captain.
De Villiers will make his international comeback in the third and final Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka in Cape Town on Wednesday before resuming his one-day international career.
Also back in the one-day squad after a long injury lay-off is all-rounder Chris Morris. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi is the only newcomer to one-day internationals after taking six wickets in the first two Twenty20 internationals. Fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were not considered because of injury.
South Africa’s squad for the first three one-day internationals: AB de Villiers (Captain), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wkt), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi.
