Sanath Jayasuriya omitted from Sri Lanka Asia Cup squad
Sri Lanka have announced their squad for the Asia Cup and the big name to miss out is Sanath Jayasuriya.
The team does, however, welcome back a cluster of stars who were rested from the squad that emerged victorious in the recently concluded ODI tri-series against Zimbabwe and India.
Captain Kumar Sangakkara, vice captain Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, and Lasith Malinga all missed that series, but the quartet will be back for the Asia Cup, which kicks off with a match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan on June 15th.
Along with Jayasuriya (who also didn’t make the trip to Zimbabwe), spinner Ajantha Mendis misses out, with the omission of the former inevitably raising questions over his playing future.
At 40 years old, there was no doubt Jayasuriya was already in the twilight of his career but with Sri Lanka’s new selection panel now electing to leave the veteran out of the squad, could this be curtains for an ODI career that has spanned 444 matches?
"We left Jayasuriya out on form. We have selected the team on current form," new selection committee head Aravinda De Silva told the media.
Jaysuriya, who opened for Sri Lanka in the majority of their six World Twenty20 matches, but averaged just 3.75 runs across the duration, could not compete with the form of Sri Lanka’s opening combination of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga in Zimbabwe, with the duo almost single-handedly batting the side to victory in the final against the African side.
The full Sri Lankan squad for the Asia Cup is: Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Farveez Maharoof, Chamara Kapugedara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chanaka Welegedara, Lasith Malinga, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Thilina Kandamby.
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