Sri Lanka selection committee set to undergo massive overhaul following abysmal India tour

Sri Lankan cricket is staring down a massive overhaul with a major shake-up in the selection committee in the near future. Pramodya Wickramasinghe, the chairman of the selection committee is likely to face the axe after an abysmal white-ball tour of India that concluded earlier this month.

It wasn't a long time ago when the Lankan Lions roared on the international stage, defeating Pakistan to claim the Asia Cup title in Dubai in September last year. However, things have gone downhill ever since as the Islanders underperformed in the T20 World Cup in Australia.

While a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign raised concerns over the consistency of the players, the recently concluded white-ball tour of neighbours India further compounded their woes. An abysmal whitewash in the ODI series at the hands of the Indians raised alarm bells in the Sri Lankan camp, but Pramodya Wickramasinghe retaliated with the team's achievements ever since his arrival.

"We are number three in the ICC Test Championship points table. Clinched the country's first major title in eight years, the Asia Cup, and then earned direct qualifications to the T20 World Cup in 2024. In ODIs we won a series against Australia. Aren't these results of our efforts during the last 18 months?" Wickramasinghe defended himself in an interview with the Sri Lankan newspaper the Sunday Times earlier this month.

It is worth noting that the final decision regarding the selection committee will be made by the National Sports Selection Committee (NSSC), a seven-member committee headed by Sri Lanka's Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva. The body was appointed with the task of giving final approval to sports selection in the country. The NSSC are set to make the final decision in a meeting scheduled on Monday, January 30.

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