Sri Lanka’s sports authorities on Tuesday ordered its cricketers playing in the ongoing Indian Premier League to return home for training ahead of next month’s tour of England.
Sports Minister Mahinadananda Althugamage said he wanted team members to prioritise the national side over the IPL, which is financially lucrative for players.
“In future, national cricket players can participate in foreign tournaments only in a manner that will not affect practices of the Sri Lankan national team,” the ministry said in a statement.
It said those who are selected for the three-Test series in England will have to return home for practices despite their commitments in the ongoing IPL Twenty20 tournament.
Former skipper Kumar Sangakkara and his deputy Mahela Jayawardene are among 11 Sri Lankan national players in the IPL and at least five of them are tipped to be included in the squad for England.
The statement did not say how the players will be penalised if they did not attend practices as required under a new sports ministry decree, but official sources said they were likely to be dropped if they did not comply.
Earlier on Monday, Sri Lanka’s new cricket chief selector Duleep Mendis said he has to inject new blood into the national team after the recent World Cup defeat to India.
“Rebuilding is going to be the key in the coming months. Some things may not work, some tactics may pay off,” Mendis, 58, told a packed news conference in Colombo.
Mendis and four past cricketers like Brendon Kuruppu, Don Arunasiri, Ranjith Madurasinghe and Chaminda Mendis, were appointed as selectors on Monday following the resignation of the previous team of selectors.
Veteran batsman Aravinda de Silva, who previously chaired the selection committee, quit last week after the team lost the World Cup final to India by six wickets.
Mendis, a former captain, selector and administrator, said selectors were on the look out for a new crop of players from junior squads as a number of current players were ageing.
He did not name the players heading towards the twilight of their international careers, but both Sangakkara, Jayawardene and batsman Thilakaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera are in their 30s.
“Right now, the A-team is the most important feeder mechanism for the main team. Our job in the months ahead, is to scout for talent to replace some of the older players as we face several tours in the coming months.”
Sri Lanka’s tours England in May for a series of Test, one-day series and a Twenty20 game. It will be followed by tours of Australia, Pakistan and South Africa. Sri Lanka also host the World Twenty20 championships in 2012.
“Our cricket calendar is full in the coming months, but our task is also to build a pool to face the 2015 World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand.”
Ahead of the England tour, selectors also have to name a captain and vice-captain. Mendis declined to name a favourite, but hard-hitting batsman Dilshan and young all-rounder Angelo Mathews are among the leading contenders.
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