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Sri Lanka retain Asia Cup winners for T20 World Cup
Gulf Times
Sri Lanka’s cricket captain Dasun Shanaka speaks to the media ahead of his team’s training camp ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup to be held in Australia next month.
• The new Asian Cup champions are getting ready for training camp in Pallekele
Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara will travel to Australia for the T20 World Cup in a squad largely unchanged from the island nation’s surprise Asia Cup win, selectors said yesterday. Matheesha Pathirana, who debuted last month at the Dubai competition, and Asitha Fernando were dropped from the 15-man squad to make room for the more seasoned duo. Chameera and Kumara will play subject to fitness as both are recovering from injuries, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement. Ashen Bandara and Praveen Jayawickrama will travel to Australia on standby for the tournament, which starts on October 16. Sri Lanka had to abandon plans to host the Asia Cup due to political unrest. They bounced back from an embarrassing opening defeat by Afghanistan to win the tournament on Sunday with a commanding 23-run win over Pakistan. Captain Dasun Shanaka, in his media briefing on Thursday, said preparations for the World Cup will begin on September 25, when the team heads off for a training camp in Pallekele, Kandy – where pitches are as close to those in Australia as one can find in Sri Lanka. “I think our skill level is quite high, while our fitness levels are also really good. The only thing is seeing how well we will be able to adjust to the conditions (in Australia),” Shanaka said. “So the camp in Kandy will help our players in getting used to conditions that are similar to those in Australia, so we will get a better idea of how to bat and bowl. “We also had a tour of Australia earlier this year, which would have given the players a better idea on how to play in those conditions,” Shanaka added. The Sri Lankan captain said his is a young team ready to learn and impress cricket fans. “The average age of the side is just 24-25 years. Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, they are still 23-24 years of age,” Shanaka said. “A player’s best years are usually between the ages of 28 and 33, so to even get to that level, there’s still some five years to go. It’s looking at that that I say our future looks good. In a similar vein, Dilshan Madushanka is just 21 years old, Maheesh Theekshana is 22 – if those cricketers continue to progress well, then our cricket will be well looked after for the next ten years at least,” he added. “When you talk about cricket, there’s always pressure,” he said. “At no time will you be playing a game without pressure. Every team comes well prepared nowadays. “The analysis has gotten to such a level now, that we know that in every game, teams come knowing what our weaknesses are and how to play us. “I’ve always said that we have a good variety, whether it comes to batting or bowling. As a captain, that’s always great to have in giving us the best chance to win,” he said. Squad: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan.