COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC – Under-19 World Cup skipper Kusal Mendis is one of two uncapped players named by selectors in a 15-man squad to face West Indies for the two-Test series starting next week in Galle.
The 20-year-old top order batsman and wicketkeeper will join 29-year-old all-rounder Milinda Siriwardana, as the new faces, with Upul Tharanga and Jehan Mubarak dropped after featuring in the recent series against India.
Mendis led Sri Lanka at last year’s Youth World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and convenor of selectors, Kapila Wijegunawardana, said the player had been under watch for some time.
“Kusal Mendis has been on our radar for a while. We felt that he earned a spot in the Test squad with the way he has been batting, and the way he batted on the recent tour to India,” Wijegunawardana said in reference to the Moin-ud-Dowlah tournament where Mendis stroked a hundred and a half-century as he captained Sri Lanka’s Development XI.
“All the selectors have assessed his skill levels to be quite good and are backing him.”
Siriwardana, meanwhile, is a left-handed batsman and left-arm spinner, who made has already played five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20s.
He made his debut last July in the series against Pakistan.
As expected, Angelo Mathews will lead the side with batsman Lahiru Thirimanne as his deputy. The 26-year-old Thirimanne is currently captaining the Sri Lanka Cricket Board President’s XI in the three-day tour match against West Indies.
The opening Test bowls off next Wednesday with the second Test scheduled to start October 22 here.
West Indies have never won a Test on Sri Lankan soil.
SQUAD – Angelo Mathews (captain), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-captain), Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Janith Perera, Milinda Siriwardene, Kusal Mendis, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, P.H.T. Kaushal, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera.
