Sri Lanka have announced the 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe, with a surprise name featuring in the list.
Often labelled as the ‘Junior Malinga,” Matheesha Pathirana was one of the breakout stars in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, helping Chennai Super Kings lift the title by picking up 19 wickets throughout the competition. In his debut match, he picked up a single wicket and conceded 66 runs.
The key reason for Pathirana’s comparison with the legendary Lasith Malinga is the similarity in both players’ styles of bowling.
Now, he will be a part of the Sri Lankan squad, which is one of the favourites to take a spot out of the two qualifying places for the tournament.
Pathirana isn’t the only new face in Sri Lanka’s squad, the 29-year-old Dushan Hemantha has also been selected after making just one ODI appearance in his career.
With two new faces making their place into the squad, there was no room left for the experienced Angelo Mathews.
The CWC qualifier is slated to begin on June 18, with ten teams competing for the final two spots left in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup that will be held in India later this year.