Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Janith Perera, Dhananjaya De Silva, Thisara Perera, Akila Dhananjaya, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Suranga Lakmal, Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne
Pakistan Cricket Board who has changed the Scheduled ICC Test Championship series with Sri Lanka for the sake of international test cricket back in Pakistan from September to December 2019 is really shocked after the official statement of Sri Lanka Cricket Board which confirmed that 10 top players are not ready to visit Pakistan for the three ODI and Three T20 matches series at the end of September 2019.
PCB Director International Cricket Zakir Khan who is doing his best for the restoration of test cricket in Pakistan still has hope to be December test series on the soil after successful completion of the altered ODI and T20 Series.
PCB has resent talks with the top officials of Australia, England Cricket Boards and MCC in England for touring Pakistan in 2020.
PCB is in negotiation with one of the new test nation (not Afghanistan) to play test series in Pakistan and to finalize it, the officials are working for establishing suitable window, well informed sources revealed to scriber.
Sri Lankan Cricket Board was released on 9th of September the following
Sri Lanka Cricket today held a meeting with players, who were chosen as part of a preliminary squad to select the team, which will be touring Pakistan to play 03 ODIs and 03 T20i matches, starting from 27th September to 09th October, 2019.
The meeting was aimed at informing the players about the security arrangements, during the forthcoming tour and also to find out their ‘decision’ (either taking part or not), before selectors sit for the selection of squads for the ODI and T20i series.
Former Sri Lanka Air Force Commander, Marshal Air Roshan Goonetileke, who is the Chief Security Advisor of the SLC, briefed the players about the security situation in Pakistan and the security arrangements PCB plans on implementing during Sri Lanka team’s tour of that country, whilst Chairman of the National Selection Panel Mr. Asantha De Mel, explained about the selection policy for future tours.
He said, players will be given the freedom to decide on either taking part or not in the forthcoming Pakistan tour.
Accordingly, the following players chose to stay away from the upcoming Pakistan series.
- Niroshan Dickwella
- Kusal Janith Perera
- Dhananjaya De Silva
- Thisara Perera
- Akila Dhananjaya
- Lasith Malinga
- Angelo Mathews
- Suranga Lakmal
- Dinesh Chandimal
- Dimuth Karunaratne
Whilst Kusal Mendis, is not available for selection due to an injury he suffered during the New Zealand Series. Following the meeting with the players, the National Selectors, selected a T20I and ODI squad to tour Pakistan, and the respective squads will be sent to the approval of the Minister of Telecommunication, Foreign Employment and Sports Honorable Harin Fernando in due course.
