Suranga Lakmal. (Source: PTI)
Sri Lanka seamer Suranga Lakmal will miss the two-match Test series against Pakistan after contracting dengue. Asitha Fernando will replace Lakmal, but the 22-year-old will only be available the second match, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board announced on Sunday.
Lakmal was initially a part of the 15-man Sri Lanka squad for the tour, which will also see Pakistan hosting their first Test match in 10 years following the militant attack on a touring Sri Lankan team in March 2009.
Fernando is yet to make his debut in Test cricket. He is currently part of Sri Lanka’s squad for the South Asian Games, which is being played in Nepal.
📸 Sri Lanka Test Squad led by Dimuth Karunaratne arrives in Islamabad to take part in a two match Test series. #PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/2uD0hio6Lt
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) December 9, 2019
The team management have given another opportunity to former skipper Dinesh Chandimal to make his way back into the national team, which is now being led by Dimuth Karunaratne. The 30-year-old played his last Test in Australia in February. He was also part of the Sri Lankan squad for the two-match Test series against New Zealand in August, but he did not feature in any of the matches.
The 15-man Test squad left Sri Lanka cricket headquarters in Colombo Sunday after receiving blessings from Buddhist monks.
An inexperienced Sri Lankan unit had earlier traveled to Pakistan in October for the limited-overs expedition, where they lost the ODI series, but dominated the hosts in the shortest format of the game.
The first Test will be played in Rawalpindi from December 11 and the second and the second Test will start on December 19 in Karachi.
Sri Lanka squad:
Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Dilruwan Perera, Lasith Embuldeniya, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, and Lakshan Sandakan.
Substitute player from the end Test: Asitha Fernando.
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