Mubarak named as Sri Lanka A captain

Jehan Mubarak has been named as Sri Lanka A's captain for their tour of England at the end of this month. Mubarak, a graceful six-foot lefthander, will lead a squad of 16 picked yesterday for the one-month tour, starting on June 30, which will comprise 10 matches - nine against English county sides and a 3-day game against the touring West Indies.

Mubarak, 22, has been on the fringe of international honours ever since he played against Bangladesh two years ago, and he has been a consistent member of the Sri Lanka A teams that toured South Africa, Kenya, India and New Zealand in the past nine months.

Thilina Kandamby, a lefthander from Bloomfield, will be Mubarak's deputy on the tour. Kandamby, 22, made his one-day international debut against Zimbabwe last month.

The squad also comprises two hard-hitting batsmen in Saman Jayantha and Avishka Gunawardana, who have been included to give them some practice ahead of next month's Asia Cup tournament in Sri Lanka. Ian Daniel, Bathiya Perera and Malintha Gajanayake are the other frontline batsmen in the squad.

Prasanna Jayawardene, who lost his Test place to the veteran wicketkeeper, Romesh Kaluwitharana, for the short tour to Australia later this month, will be the No. 1 glovesman in the side. Charith Sylvester will be his understudy.

The team also includes two allrounders, Ranga Dias and Gayan Wijekoon, two spinners and four fast-medium bowlers.

Kaushal Lokuarachchi is one of the main spinners in the side, with Suraj Mohammad included as the second spinner. At 19, Mohammed is the youngest member of the team.

Once again Michael Vandort misses out, and according to selection committee sources he is struggling to come to terms with the moving ball. To help him rectify that lapse in his batting he is to be sent to the Max Academy.

Mubarak, Gunawardena, Jayawardene, Lokuarachchi and Thilina Thushara are players with Test experience, while Kandamby, Jayantha, and Nuwan Kulasekara have appeared in one-day internationals for their country.

Sri Lanka A squad (subject to Sports Ministry ratification)
Jehan Mubarak (CCC, capt), Thilina Kandamby, (Bloomfield, v-c), Saman Jayantha (Bloomfield), Avishka Gunawardena (SSC), Ian Daniel (Bloomfield), Bathiya Perera (Moors SC), Prasanna Jayawardene (NCC), Charith Sylvester (Chilaw Marians), Ranga Dias (Tamil Union), Gayan Wijekoon (Tamil Union), Kaushal Lokuarachchi (Bloomfield), Suraj Mohamed (Matara), Nuwan Kulasekara (Galle CC), Dhammika Prasad (SSC), Thilina Thushara (NCC), Malintha Gajanayake (Tamil Union).