Samaraweera retained as the captain

All rounder Thilan Samaraweera has been retained as the captain of Sri Lanka A team to take on Pakistan A in the three match One Day series, which starts at De Soyza Park Stadium, Moratuwa on Saturday.

Samaraweera performed remarkable well in the three Match Test series where he claimed 21 wickets at 14.09 apiece. Apart from his impressive bowling the captain scored 94 runs in five innings, averaging 23.

Other than the captain, Avishka Gunawardene, Chamara Silva, Tillakarathne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Suresh Perera, Akalanka Ganegama, and Niroshan Bandarathillake all have played in the senior side.

With the triangular series against India and New Zealand close at hand, the selectors will be keen to pick up few players who could move up the ladder.

Suresh Perera, back after a long period of injury, will be keen to press his claims for the national team while Avishka Gunawardene is a strong contender to get back to the side after his powerful batting in the three-Test A series. He is though not even in the 24-man training squad for the triangular series.

Jehan Mubarak, who was not selected to play in the three unofficial Test Matches, gets a chance while Muthumudalige Pushpakumara who was the 12th man in the first and the last Test Matches gets an overdue chance.

The full squad:

Thilan Samaraweera, Avishka Gunawardene, Shantha Kalavitigoda, Jehan Mubarak, Chamara Silva, T.M.Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Suresh Perera, Sajeeva Weerakoon, Akalanka Ganegama, Dinusha Fernando, Upeka Fernando, Gayan Wijekoon, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Niroshan Bandarathillake.