Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will travel with the national team to Zimbabwe for the crucial ODI World Cup qualifiers. The selection committee has not yet released the official squad, but it is likely that the think tank will stick with the same lineup that took part in the recently concluded ODI series against Afghanistan.
According to the most recent information, Mahela Jayawardene, who is a consultant coach for the national cricket team, will travel with the team to the African nation for the qualifiers. In addition, a squad of 25 members, including support personnel, will be part of the ICC competition’s setup.
Jayawardene is also involved in a coach and player development programme that aims to strengthen both the domestic structure and the senior men’s team. The former cricketer is also responsible for the Sri Lanka A and Under-19 teams. In addition, chief selector Pramodya Wickramsinghe will accompany the national team on its trip.
Prof. Arjuna de Silva, chairman of the SLC medical panel, has verified that the national team’s regular nutritionist and psychologist will not be attending the competition, as the think tank has decided to send only a limited support staff.
“Both the nutritionist (Dr. Hashan Amasrthunga) and the psychologist (Dr. Fedinan Perera) contributed to the team’s success. We can only dispatch a small number of support staff to Zimbabwe. The Daily Mirror quoted Prof. Arjuna de Silva as saying, “If our team qualifies for the World Cup, we will make every effort to send them.”
The qualifiers will commence on June 18, with ten nations competing for the final two spots in the 2023 ODI World Cup, which will be held in India in October and November. The Sri Lankan Lions are placed in Group B alongside Ireland, Oman, Scotland, and the United Arab Emirates. Sri Lanka will play their first match against the UAE at the Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo on Monday, June 19.
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