12 players of 20-member squad on first tour to Australia

Sri Lanka white ball captain Dasun Shanaka

• Adjusting to conditions and performing is the challenge for us – Shanaka

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq  

The biggest challenge facing Sri Lanka on its tour to Australia for five T20 Internationals is that the majority of the 20 players picked haven’t been there before and familiarising them with the conditions would be the key.

“To adjust to those conditions and perform is the challenge for us. Most of the players are not familiar with Australian conditions and they are going there for the first time,” Shanaka told the Daily FT prior to the team’s departure to Australia last night.

Twelve of the 20 members are travelling to Australia for the first time the exceptions being Shanaka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara.  

Sri Lanka are scheduled to play their five T20I matches at Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne with the first match scheduled for 11 February.

Sri Lanka don’t have any practice matches ahead of the series and the only practice they can have is amongst themselves playing intra-squad matches. “Because of COVID-19 and some members of the team being tested positive it was difficult for us to go to Australia early and train there.”

Shanaka said the tour was important to Sri Lanka because the next T20 World Cup will be hosted by Australia in October-November.

“To adjust to their conditions and to perform well is what we are looking forward to in the World Cup. On this tour I hope the players will perform and prepare themselves for the World Cup ahead,” said Shanaka.

Asked what Sri Lanka should do to beat the reigning T20 World Cup champions, Shanaka said, “Australia are a top side, they will dominate in their conditions. From our side we can challenge them with spin Wanindu (Hasaranga) and (Maheesh) Theekshana and pace Dushmantha (Chameera) and Binura (Fernando) all skilful bowlers. We have to challenge them with our skill.”

The last T20I series Sri Lanka played in Australia in 2019 they were wiped out 3-0 losing matches played at Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. The survivors of that team are Shanaka, Avishka Fernando, Gunathilaka, Hasaranga, Kusal Mendis, and Lahiru Kumara.

Since then Sri Lanka’s T20I side has improved vastly with several new players being drafted into the side as they displayed during the T20 World Cup in the UAE.  

“The selectors and I, we had a discussion and decided that we will go with the same combination as we went for the T20 World Cup. Although the conditions will be different we are planning to go with the same combination of two genuine fast bowlers, two fast bowling all-rounders and two spinners,” said Shanaka.

Sri Lanka’s batting will be strengthened by the return of top order batsmen Danushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis both of whom missed out on the T20 World Cup undergoing international suspensions for breaking COVID-19 health protocols during the tour of England.

Mendis opened the batting with Pathum Nissanka in the recently concluded ODI series against Zimbabwe, but Shanaka said that with the return of Gunathilaka into the squad the openers slot has yet to be decided. “Pathum will definitely open but the other slot has to be decided by the selectors who will talk to the players individually and make a decision.”

Sri Lanka’s batting will revolve around Nissanka, Mendis, Gunathilaka, Charith Asalanka, Dinesh Chandimal and newcomer Janith Liyanage.

In the absence of interim head coach Rumesh Ratnayake who is currently in self-isolation after having tested COVID-19 positive, the squad has been practicing under the watchful eyes of Ruwin Peiris (batting coach), Manoj Abeywickrama (fielding coach), Piyal Wijetunga (spin bowling coach) and Lasith Malinga (bowling strategy coach for Australia).

Ratnayake is expected to join the team before the first T20I on 11 February.

Fast bowler Nuwan Thushara who was also tested COVID-19 positive will most probably leave for Australia on 10 February.

Professor Arjuna de Silva, head of Sri Lanka Cricket’s medical unit said, “If Thushara’s PCR is negative he can travel. After ten days we do a fitness test and then if he is cleared he can go. We assess the lungs and the heart both. He is due to undergo a PCR test Thursday.”

Dilshan Fonseka, the team’s trainer who was also tested positive is also due to undergo a PCR test and expected to join the team on 10 February.

SRI LANKA T20I SQUAD FOR AUSTRALIA:

Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Charith Asalanka (Vice-Captain), Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamika Karunaratne, Janith Liyanage, Kamil Mishara, Ramesh Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Shiran Fernando.