Angelo, Kusal and Asela fit for India tour

Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday announced that former Captain Angelo Mathews, Kusal Janith Perera and Asela Gunaratne would be fit for the tour of India this month.

“Angelo, Kusal and Asela have recovered from their injuries and are fit to go. All three of them will be considered for selection for the India series.” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) CEO Ashley de Silva said yesterday.

Mathews has been in and out of the team due to injuries and has not played for Sri Lanka since he picked up a calf injury before the commencement of the Pakistan series. In addition Gunaratne has been out of the team since July when he broke his finger during the first day of the opening Test against India. Perera last played for Sri Lanka during the ICC Champions Trophy in June when he hurt his hamstring during the match against India.

Sri Lanka’s tour of India which includes three Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is will commence on November 16.

Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan Team could return to Pakistan next June for an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Emerging Tournament, with a possibility that Sri Lanka ‘A’ and Under-19 Teams also travel to Pakistan.

“The ACC Development Committee has decided to play the ACC Emerging Tournament in Pakistan next year,” de Silva said yesterday. “That’s an indication alone where all the countries who participated at the meeting [stand]. They have given their consent to have the tournament in Pakistan and that [is an indication that] it is safe for the teams to travel to Lahore in future,” he said, though adding that he could not confirm if India would send a team.

“The decision has been taken and I’m sure all the countries will participate. If any country pulls out, the ACC will go ahead with the tournament, because the decision has been taken.”

De Silva also said that SLC would look at the possibility of sending ‘A’ and Under-19 teams to Pakistan in future.

“We haven’t got anything scheduled [for the National Team] in the Future Tours Programme. But we intend to consider sending our ‘A’ teams and Under-19s in time to come,” he said.(Shehan Daniel)