Andrew Fidel Fernando
Colombo, August 20 (ESPN Cricinfo): A starring turn in the recent Sri Lanka Under-19 team’s tour of England has earned top-order batsman Avishka Fernando a call-up to Sri Lanka’s squad for the first two ODIs against Australia. Left-arm spinner Amila Aponso has also been named in a national squad for the first time, following good outings in South Africa with the Sri Lanka emerging team.
Allrounders Milinda Siriwardana and Thisara Perera returned to the ODI squad, having been dropped for the series against England. Batsman Upul Tharanga and allrounder Dasun Shanaka was omitted, as were Farveez Maharoof, Suraj Randiv and Chaminda Bandara. Tharanga’s omission is despite his having had moderate success in the lower middle order, in England. Tillakaratne Dilshan returned to the side after having missed the England tour due to personal reasons.
Fernando, 18, has not yet played any senior cricket, but recently hit consecutive hundreds – at Chelmsford and Caterbury – to help lead Sri Lanka Under-19 to an unprecedented whitewash over England Under-19. A bruising right-hand batsman, who had played for St. Sebastian’s College in Moratuwa, Fernando hit 285 runs in that three-match Youth ODI series, at an average of 95 and a strike rate of 103. He had also struck 97 in a Youth ODI against South Africa Under- 19 in July.
A starring turn in the recent Sri Lanka Under-19 team’s tour of England has earned top-order batsman Avishka Fernando a call-up to Sri Lanka’s squad for the first two ODIs against Australia. Left-arm spinner Amila Aponso has also been named in a national squad for the first time, following good outings in South Africa with the Sri Lanka emerging team.
Allrounders Milinda Siriwardana and Thisara Perera returned to the ODI squad, having been dropped for the series against England. Batsman Upul Tharanga and allrounder Dasun Shanaka was omitted, as were Farveez Maharoof, Suraj Randiv and Chaminda Bandara. Tharanga’s omission is despite his having had moderate success in the lower middle order, in England. Tillakaratne Dilshan returned to the side after having missed the England tour due to personal reasons.
Sri Lanka ODI squad for first two ODIs: Angelo Mathews (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Milinda Siriwardana, Seekkuge Prasanna, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Thisara Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Avishka Fernando, Amila Aponso
