Rajapaksa dropped as selectors stick to fitness guidelines

by Rex Clementine

The national selection panel headed by former fast bowler Pramodaya Wickramasinghe has come in for high praise after they stuck to strict fitness guidelines and did not make any exceptions for those who had failed to reach minimum fitness standards ahead of Sri Lanka’s tour of India.

Top order batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa is the biggest casualty as he was overlooked for the three match T-20 series starting this week. Rajapaksa was in the Colombo bubble along with seven other players who were training ahead of the Indain series.

Earlier this year Rajapaksa had announced his international retirement but after intervention from a VVIP he had made a u turn pledging his solidarity with Sri Lanka Cricket. It was reported that he will be given certain exceptions when it comes to fitness, but to the selectors’ credit, they have stuck to their guns demanding all players who intend to represent Sri Lanka to meet minimum fitness standards.

The Island learns that while Rajapaksa had completed the two kilometer run under the stipulated time of eight minutes and 35 seconds, his skinfold levels were over 100. Players need to maintain skinfold levels below 80 to be eligible for selection.

With Rajapaksa getting an IPL deal, some expected the selectors to soft peddle, but they have not allowed anyone to take short cuts.

Several players earlier had become ineligible for selections after failing fitness tests.

The strict fitness regime imposed by Mickey Arthur was expected to fall off once the former Head Coach moved on, but the selectors seem to have realized the value of placing a high premium on fitness.

The national selection panel announced the squad for the India series yesterday and Rajapaksa was omitted.

The selectors have named 18 players in the squad for the three match T-20 series in India. Those players who took part in the Australia T-20s reached India yesterday evening straight from Melbourne via Singapore. They stayed in Delhi overnight and are expected to reach Lucknow today. The first game gets underway in the north Indian city on Thursday. Avishka Fernando, Nuwan Thushara and Ramesh Mendis who were part of for Australian T20s have returned home with injuries.

Meanwhile the team’s Test players Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Thirimanne, Suranga Lakmal and Lasith Embuldeniya are training in Colombo and they are expected to leave for India on the 24th. There was a Covid scare yesterday when one of the net bowlers tested positive. But all seven Test players returned negative PCR tests.

Sri Lanka T20 Squad for India: Dasun Shanaka (Captain) Charith Asalanka (Vice-Captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis,Dinesh Chandimal, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kamil Mishara, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Binura Fernando, Shiran Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama and Ashian Daniel.