Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC ) will host the Pakistan ‘A’ team and they are due for a five match cricket tour comprising two four-day unofficial tests in Kandy and three unofficial one-day matches.
The tour will take place in a Bio Bubble Environment and it will commence from October 28 to November 15. The two four day matches already scheduled to played from October 28th to 31 st and November 4th to 7th and both games will be played at Pallekele International stadium in Kandy while three ODI’s on November 10, 12, and 15 and venue for three one day’s are not finalized yet .
According to the Chairman of the National selection Committee Pramodya Wickrmasinghe after laps of two years this will be good opportunity for the Sri Lanka ‘A’ players to get good exposure at the International level. “We wanted to pick replacements for the National side and ‘A” team players are next in line for the National side that’s why giving mush exposure is more important for them,” said Wickramasinghe .
The selection Committee already named 28 players Sri Lanka ‘A’ squad and finally they are expected to make 20 players list for this match series. The practices of this Sri Lanka ‘A team squad will commence from October 7.
Sri Lanka last hosted an ‘A’ side in October 2019 when Bangladesh ‘A’ made a tour. The two unofficial tests played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium Hambantota ended in draws. Bangladesh won the three-match limited-over series 2-1.
Meanwhile Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Rumesh Ratnayake has been appointed as the head coach of the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team for the upcoming home series against Pakistan ‘A’ series.
Ratnayake who already in the SLC coaching staff is presently work as development fast bowling coach at the High Performance Centre at R. Premadasa Stadium, a role he has been in since September 2017. The head coach of Sri Lanka 'A' is nothing new for Ratnayake and he has played the same role of ‘A’ team on two previous occasions on tours to Bangladesh in 1994 and 1996.
The 57 year old right arm paceman began as coach of NCC (1993-2001) and took up positions as head coach of the Sri Lanka team against Australia (July-September 2011), interim head coach of Sri Lanka team (August 2019-January 2020), as fast bowling coach of SLC (1998-2001, 2017 and 2019 World Cups), and a consultant at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. He was also cricket development officer at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) from 2001-2015.
In addition Ruwin Peiris is the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team batting coach, Dharshana Gamage – the fast bowling coach and Sajeewa Weerakoon the spin bowling coach already working as the supporting staff for the Sri Lanka ‘A’ side .
Add new comment