PERTH, Oct 27(ABC): Sri Lanka have added fast bowlers Asitha Fernando and Matheesha Pathirana and wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella as back-up players to their T20 World Cup squad in Australia following a series of injuries to their players.
The trio has been called up should the need arise for them to replace players in their main squad. Tim McCaskill, head of Sri Lanka Cricket s high-performance center, will also travel to Australia with the players.
The decision comes a day after left-arm seamer Binura Fernando, who himself came into the squad as a replacement for Dilshan Madushanka, suffered a hamstring injury during Sri Lanka s loss against Australia. He could only bowl five deliveries in the match before pulling up.
Binura is just the latest Sri Lanka pacer to suffer an injury leading up to and during the T20 World Cup. They had lost left-arm quick Madushanka to a quad injury before the tournament. Their pace spearhead Dushmantha Chameera was then ruled out of the competition after suffering a grade-two tear in the calf of his left foot during the group stage match against UAE on October 18.
Seamer Pramod Madushan also suffered an injury and hasn t played since the match against UAE although he hasn t been officially ruled out yet.
In the batting department, they suffered a blow in the form of a hamstring injury to Danushka Gunathilaka during the group stage. Ashen Bandara was called up as Gunathilaka s replacement, and he had to step in and play in Sri Lanka s first Super 12 match against Ireland in place of Pathum Nissanka, who was rested due to groin injury.
Sri Lanka have so far beaten Ireland and lost to Australia in the Super 12 stage. Their next match is against New Zealand on Saturday at the SCG.