Sri Lankan development squad to host Indian academy

The Sri Lankan development squad, which recently completed a tour of Bangladesh, will host India's National Cricket Academy for two warm-up fixtures, two four-day games and three limited-over matches in August.

This is the first time that the development squad will play a foreign team at home. "In the four years we have been in existence, we have had just 22 days of competitive cricket on tours to UAE, Bangladesh [twice] and Malaysia. This is the first time we are playing a series at home," said Jerome Jayaratne, the coach of the development squad. "We don't know the composition of the Indian Academy side but I hope it would be a very good series for us after the disappointment of Bangladesh."

Jayaratne was critical of the pitches laid out in Bangladesh which did not encourage any stroke play nor provide any assistance for the bowlers. "With their A team losing all the matches on the tour to Sri Lanka, the Bangladesh academy side were intent not to lose to us and as a result they prepared low flat tracks which were of no assistance to the batsmen or the bowlers," said Jayaratne. "I hope we prepare some good fast wickets with grass and bounce for the series against India because none of our players benefited playing on those surfaces in Bangladesh."

Jayaratne said that only 23 wickets fell in the first match and 24 in the second in eight full days of play against the Bangladesh academy. "The Bangladesh bowling was poor and their batsmen scored at less than two runs an over despite them including nine of their A-team players who toured Sri Lanka. We could have easily turned the matches in our favour had we played on some sporting pitches." Sri Lanka didn't qualify for the final of the triangular tournament because they had a lesser net run-rate and Pakistan A and the Bangladesh academy contested the final.

For the upcoming series against the National Cricket Academy of India, Jayaratne said all 20 players in the development squad would be eligible for selection. Seventeen of them were involved in the tour to Bangladesh.

Squad: Ian Daniel, Angelo Mathews, Tharanga Paranavithana, Viraj Perera, Nadeera Nawala, Harsha Vithana, Nisal Randika, Charith Sylvester, Chanaka Wijesinghe, Lasith Fernando, Chamara Komasaru, Nuwan Zoysa, Chaminda Vidanapathirana, Himesh Silva, Lakmal Perera, Gehan de Silva, Suraj Mohamed, Madura Lakmal, BAW Mendis, Shaminda Eranga.