Dinesh Chandimal to meet selectors today

By BIPIN DANI

Sri Lanka’s former captain Dinesh Chandimal is scheduled to meet the chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe today at the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) office, it is reliably learnt. 
The 31-year-old right-hand batsman had written to Aravinda de Silva, Chairman, Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), and sought clarification about his future. The letter has been forwarded to the selectors and a meeting has been arranged by the SLC. However, de Silva may not be present at the meeting. 

This will be the second time when the chairman of the National Selection Panel (NSP) will meet him and listen to his grievances. 

“Chandimal is a former captain and the selectors need to respect him, listen to him and explain their decision to leave him out,” an SLC source, who has facilitated the meeting, said exclusively over the telephone yesterday 

In the meantime, the team management have reduced the squad strength to 17 from the 25 announced. “As per the ICC guidelines, only 17 players can be in the team,” the source added. 

The eight players who did not board the bus off to the ground for the first ODI are Kusal Perera (who has left for home on Saturday and will be out for all six limited over matches to rehabilitate with the local physio), Binura Fernando (unfit), Lahiru Kumara, Lahiru Udara, Ishan Jayaratne, Praveen Jayawickrema, Kasun Rajitha and Dhananjaya Lakshan.