Colombo [Sri Lanka], July 13 : Sri Lanka Cricket on Thursday named a strong 16-member squad for the two-match Test series against Pakistan that begins from Sunday.
The series begins on July 16 in Galle before the second Test starts on July 24 in Colombo.
Despite recently declaring his desire to stand down as captain ahead of the 2019 ICC World Test Championship cycle, Dimuth Karunaratne remains captain.
Off-spinner Lakshitha Manasinghe is the team's other newcomer. The off-spinner was called up to the Test team last year as a replacement for Maheesh Theekshana, but he did not make his debut.
There are a lot of spinners vying for spots in the XI. Prabath Jayasiruya, Praveen Jayawickrama, Ramesh Mendis, and Kamindu Mendis join Manasinghe. Aside from his function as a middle-order hitter, Dhananjaya de Silva provides lots of overs as a spinner.
After a strong start to his white-ball career, left-arm bowler Dilshan Madushanka has been picked to Sri Lanka's team for the two Tests against Pakistan.
The 22-year-old has played 6 ODIs and 11 T20Is so far and was chosen for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 fixture before suffering an injury.
He was named Player of the Match in the final of the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier against the Netherlands, taking 3/18 in a superb new-ball session.
Sri Lanka squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Nishan Madushka (wk), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Kamindu Mendis, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Praveen Jayawickrama, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Vishwa Fernando and Lakshitha Manasinghe.
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