Maharoof picked for Pakistan tour opener
Sri Lanka Cricket has named a 13-man squad to face Pakistan in a three-day warm-up game in Colombo starting June 29
Sa'adi Thawfeeq
26-Jun-2009
Farveez Maharoof gets a chance to impress before the series against Pakistan kicks off on July 4 • AFP
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has named a 13-man squad to face Pakistan in a three-day warm-up game in Colombo starting June 29. The squad includes ICC World Twenty20 discards Farveez Maharoof, Chamara Kapugedera, Upul Tharanga and Dilhara Fernando.
Maharoof was a part of the Twenty20 squad in England but did not get a game. Kapugedera, Tharanga and Fernando have been in Sri Lanka's ODI squad over the past few years but were overlooked for the Twenty20.
Sri Lanka A captain Thilina Kandamby has been entrusted with the task of leading the side which also comprises new Test opener Tharanga Paranavitana, who made his debut in the aborted Test series in Pakistan when the Sri Lankan team was attacked by terrorists during their tour in March.
Pakistan are due to arrive in Sri Lanka on Sunday and commence a series of three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20. The first Test will be played in Galle from July 4.
SLC XI: Thilina Kandamby (capt), Chamara Kapugedera, Upul Tharanga, Tharanga Paranavitana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Gihan Rupasinghe, Kaushal Silva, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Suraj Mohamed, Nuwan Pradeep, Milinda Siriwardene.