Mahanama, Tillekeratne dropped for World Cup

March 4: Stand-in skipper Hashan Tillekeratne and seasoned bat Roshan Mahanama have been omitted from the pruned Sri Lankan World Cup squ...

March 4: Stand-in skipper Hashan Tillekeratne and seasoned bat Roshan Mahanama have been omitted from the pruned Sri Lankan World Cup squad of 18 while former England all-rounder Ian Botham has been hired to train their bowlers ahead of their title defence in England this summer.

Arjuna Ranatunga has been named captain with Aravinda de Silva, who aggravated a groin injury to be ruled out of the Lahore trip, as his deputy. Opener Sanath Jayasuriya and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who are out of action with injuries have been retained.

Off-spinner Kumara Dharmasena, whose action was reported to the ICC, is also part of the list which has to be pruned to 15 by March 31. Tempers frayed as selectors, with Ranatunga and de Silva as invitees, grappled to finalise the list, the report said, but gave no further details.

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Botham has been appointed to guide the medium-pacers and will takeover on the team reaching England three weeks ahead of the opening tie against the hosts at the Lord’s on May 14.

LankanBoard president Thilanga Sumathipala confirmed the report but said Botham’s brief was restricted to training the bowlers and Roy Dias would continue as overall coach. The Sri Lankan list contains six fast bowlers, including seasoned left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas.

The list:

Arjuna Ranatunga (capt), Aravinda de Silva (vice capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Avishka Gunawardene, Maravan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Chandana, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Promodya Wickramasinghe, Kumara Dharmasena, Nuwan Zoyza, Chandika Hathurasinghe, Eric Upashantha, Suresh Perera, Ruwan Kalpage and Hemantha Boteju.