Cricket News

Both openers hit substantial fifties at rapid pace, while none of the New Zealand pacemen found success on the first day

Seamer Lahiru Madushanka also did not a find a place in Sri Lanka's finalised 18-man squad

Suranga Lakmal, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardena and Jeffrey Vandersay, who were part of the World Cup squad, have been left out

Not selected, meanwhile, are wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, offspinner Akila Dananjaya, openers Danushka Gunathilaka and Upul Tharanga, as well as Dinesh Chandimal

Danushka Gunathilaka was dropped after managing only 16 runs in four innings in New Zealand

Danushka Gunathilaka found form with a dominant display at the top of the order, as the three-day warm-up match against New Zealand XI petered to a draw in Napier

England have announced their XI and Sri Lanka could also make a couple of changes as they seek a consolation win

Gunathilaka, who hurt his back during training, joins Dinesh Chandimal on the injured list

Sri Lanka's coach also held the selection door open for Lasith Malinga, provided he plays domestic cricket and proves he can still bowl and field at the top level

Sri Lanka's ODI captain has delivered a stern rebuke to Danushka Gunathilaka, who is the latest player to be sanctioned for misconduct during a series

The Sri Lanka batsman will also not be paid any match fees for the second Test against South Africa

Sri Lanka Police have confirmed that the batsman is not under investigation, but his suspension is linked with an alleged sexual assault incident at the team hotel

The board will also withhold his match fee for the ongoing Test, in addition to the suspension that will come into effect immediately after the match at SSC

Mathews has left for personal reasons, while Gamage has been ruled out with a fractured finger

Karunaratne, who was ruled out of the ongoing tour of the West Indies with a broken finger, will return to action with the Sri Lanka A squad, which also features Dasun Shanaka, Lahiru Thirimanne and Lakshan Sandakan

As a result, one demerit point has been added to each player's disciplinary records

The remaining three matches are part of a suspended sentence over a one-year period that could come into force following any further disciplinary breaches by the Sri Lanka batsman

This is the reason behind the opening batsman's omission from Sri Lanka's squad for the ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE

The selectors said Malinga was not considered due to his current form and in the context of the team's plans in view of the 2019 World Cup

Limited-overs opener Danushka Gunathilaka made his first entry into Sri Lanka's Test squad, thanks largely to his excellent ODI form over the past six weeks