Sri Lanka announce a 26-member Under-19 training squad for Asia Cup and World Cup

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Thursday announced a squad comprising 26 players for Under-19 training for the team’s upcoming inbound tour of the U-19 Asia Cup, and the U-19 World Cup. The SLC picked a squad from 75 overall members, which they picked from an Island wide Talent Profiling Program conducted by SLC.

Sri Lanka Cricket had also held a Talent Profiling Program in partnership with Schools Cricket Association and Provincial Cricket Associations and from there the SLC came to conclusion and shortlisted their players for the team’s training camps.

“The junior national selectors chose the squad of 26 members out of 75 players, chosen via an Island-wide Talent Profiling Program conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket. The Talent Profiling Program was conducted in partnership with Schools Cricket Association and the Provincial Cricket Associations,” SLC said in a statement to Island Cricket.

Before selecting the players, all the 75 members had to take a residential training program in Kandy, which comprised training, game education, and fitness sessions. They were divided into five teams named after the Super Provinces of Sri Lanka Cricket. SLC has also stated that their members were present during the ‘Residential Training Program’ as that helped them to analyze each player closely.

26 Sri Lanka players ready for training  ahead of Under-19 Asia Cup and World Cup

The COVID-19 pandemic had pushed the training camps for the upcoming Under-19 World Cup and Asia Cup. But with things gradually falling into place, the SLC have decided to zero in on the squad for the Under-19 team. The 26 players chosen have trained hard during the pandemic and as well as during the Residential Training Program and will be looking forward to training camps.

Sri Lanka U-19 Squad: Sadeesh Jayawardena (St. Joseph’s), Shavon Dania (St. Joseph’s), Dunith Wellalage (St. Joseph’s), Pawan Pathiraja (Trinity), Matheesha Pathirana (Trinity), Vibahavith Ehelapola (Trinity), Traveen Mathews (St. Anthony’s), Chamidu Wickramasinghe (St. Anthony’s), Lahiru Abeysinghe (St. Anthony’s), Lahiru Dewatage (St. Peter’s), Danal Hemananda (St. Peter’s), Wanuja Kumara (St. Peter’s), Pawan Sandesh (Devapathiraja), Jeewaka Shasheen (Devapathiraja), Sasanka Nirmal (Devapathiraja), Ryan Fernando (S. Thomas’, Mount Lavinia), Yasiru Rodrigo (S. Thomas’), Raveen de Silva (Nalanda, Colombo), Vinuja Ranpul (Nalanda), Abhishek Liyanarachchi (D.S. Senanayake), Sadisha Rajapaksa (Royal), Matheesa Weerasingha (Maliyadeva, Kurunagela), Malsha Tharupathi (Madampa Central, Ambalangoda), Harindu Jayasekera (St. Thomas’, Matara), Bawantha Jayasinghe (Thurstan) and Maleesha Silva (St. Sylvester’s).