A day after Sri Lanka Cricket's existing selectors were sacked in order to revamp the system, the new selectors have added two names to their squad for the ICC World T20 2016.
Aravinda De Silva, who is currently the chairman of selectors, along with the legendary Kumar Sangakkara, Romesh Kaluwitharana and a few others in the panel, have decided to add Lahiru Thirimanne and Suranga Lakmal to their 15-member squad.
Lasith Malinga stepped down as captain of the Sri Lankan side. The selectors have replaced Malinga with Angelo Mathews as captain. Now, Mathews will lead this Sri Lankan team in all three formats of the international game.
"Last night we finalised the new squad and informed the ICC (International Cricket Council). We have appointed Mathews as captain and (Dinesh) Chandimal as vice-captain. Malinga will be the 15th in the squad," Sri Lanka's sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekera was quoted by the official website of Sri Lanka Cricket as saying Tuesday.
Malinga, who has been suffering from a nagging knee injury for quite some time, was about to be dropped from the side as well, but of Sri Lanka cricket board president Thilanga Sumathipala insisted on keeping the veteran in the side as the 15th member.
"He opted to offer to step down as captain. We have kept him in the squad so he can play at least one match in the tournament," said Sumathipala.
"We still believe we have a very good chance of winning the world cup with this combination. I think we still have a good chance of coming back as the champion T20 team."
Sri Lanka's final squad for the ICC World T20 2016: Angelo Mathews (C), Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanna, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milinda Siriwardena, Chamara Kapugedara, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Dushmantha Chameera, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Sachithra Senanayake and Lasith Malinga.
