Sri Lanka on Tuesday retained out-of-form captain Dasun Shanaka in its 15-man squad for next month’s World Cup in India, despite pressure from fans and the media to drop him. The island nation is still reeling from an ignominious defeat to India in this month’s Asia Cup final, in which they all missed out by just 50 runs. The drubbing on home soil led to scathing social media attacks on the board and its players, and demands for Shanaka’s dismissal.
“Maybe it’s time for Sri Lanka to move on from Shanaka before they end up being an absolute joke at the World Cup,” the Daily Mirror said in a scathing editorial last week.
But after much internal debate, the board decided to stick with him and the rest of the team, a Sri Lanka Cricket source told AFP.
Bowling all-rounder Wanidu Hasaranga is still recovering from an injury and was not included in the squad but could still play in the tournament if his condition improves, the board said.
The board said in a statement on Friday that selectors and officials “agreed that the national team is on the right track to make further progress”.
They were said to be “optimistic that the upcoming World Cup will bring glory to the nation”.
Sri Lanka won the 1996 title and reached the final twice, in 2007 and 2011.
Sri Lanka squad: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara , Dilshan Madushanka.
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