Sri Lanka call up Maharoof and Silva
Allrounder Farveez Maharoof and wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva have been called up to provide cover for the players who will miss the start of the England tour due to the IPL
ESPNcricinfo staff
30-Apr-2011
Farveez Maharoof has started well for Lancashire and will link up with his countrymen for a week • Associated Press
Sri Lanka have called up allrounder Farveez Maharoof and wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva to provide cover for the players who will miss the start of the England tour due to the IPL. Sri Lanka's newly-appointed captain Tillakaratne Dilshan will be in England by May 11, but five members of the Sri Lanka squad will stay in India and are expected to arrive in time to play against England Lions, at Derby, from May 19.
Malintha Warnapura, the opening batsman, who was set to cover for Dilshan had he stayed at the IPL, has been withdrawn along with stand-by fast bowler Saminda Eranga. The latter was to be a replacement for fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep but it appears likely Pradeep will travel to England early instead of remaining with Royal Challengers Bangalore where he has yet to play a match for the franchise
However, with Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Dilhara Fernando, Thisara Perera and Suraj Randiv not available for the Middlesex match the selectors have drafted in reinforcements.
Maharoof is currently playing county cricket with Lancashire where he has made an impressive start to the season with a hundred on his debut against Somerset at Liverpool. However, the fixture list could have worked in Lancashire's favour with them not in Championship action the week Maharoof will be needed by Sri Lanka and he may only miss one CB40 match against Somerset. He hasn't played Test cricket since 2007.
Silva, 24, is uncapped but has an impressive first-class average of 45 and will provide wicketkeeping cover for Prasanna Jayawardene.