Nalanda’s Raveen de Silva to lead Sri Lanka U-19

By M. Shamil Amit

Nalanda allrounder Raveen de Silva has been selected to lead an 18-member team for the forthcoming England tour, which is scheduled to get underway with a three-day warm-up match to be played from August 16 to 18. The one-month tour will see the Sri Lanka U-19 team confront hosts England in two Youth Test matches and three limited-overs encounters.

The squad comprises of experienced players who have represented the country and, apart from skipper Raveen, who was the vice-captain, there are ten other players who were members of the Sri Lanka U-19 team that participated at the U-19 World Cup held in the West Indies earlier this year, where the Sri Lanka U-19 team qualified to the quarter finals and lost to Afghanistan U-19,

The ten players are Shevon Daniel (vice-captain), Abishek Liyanaarachchi, Treveen Mathew, Sadisha Rajapksa, Vinuja Ranpul, Ranuda Somaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Malsha Tharupathi, Anjala Bandara, and Pawan Pathiraja.
However, for some of the above mentioned players, it would most probably be their last tour, while opportunities have been given to three outstation youngsters – Dulaj Samuditha (Rajapaksa Central, Weeraketiya), Hasitha Amarasinghe (St. Servatius’ Matara) and Sahan Mihira (St. John’s Panadura), with Asitha Wanninayake of St. Anthony’s Katugastota, Caniston Gunaratnam of S. Thomas’, Duvindu Ranatunga of Mahanama, and Lahiru Dawatage being the other new members of the team.

The Sri Lanka U-18 team has been under strenuous training under head coach Jehan Mubarak, his assistant Chamila Gamage who is also the bowling coach and Gayan Wijekoon the former Gurukula MV all-rounder, as the fielding coach. Former national player Jayantha Seneviratne will accompany them as the manager.

Match Schedule:                                          
August 16-18 – Three day warm up match against Young Lions International XI
August 21-24 – First Test vs England U-19
August 28-31 – Second Test vs England U-19
September 5 – First ODI
September 8 – Second ODI
September 10 – Third ODI

Sri Lanka Under-19 Team: 
Raveen de Silva (Captain - Nalanda), Shevon Daniel (Vice-Captain - St. Joseph’s), Sadisha Rajapaksa (Royal), Vinuja Ranpul (Nalanda), Wanuja Sahan Kumara (St. Peter’s), Lahiru Dawatage (St. Peter’s), Anjala Bandara (WK - Mahanama), Trevin Mathew (St. Anthony’s), Malsha Tharupathi (Richmond), Pawan Pathiraja (Trinity), Ranuda Somaratne (Trinity), Abhishek Liyanarachchi (DS Senanayake, Colombo), Asitha Wanninayake (St. Anthony’s Kandy), Caniston Gunaratnam (S. Thomas’ Mt. Lavinia), Dulaj Samuditha (Rajapaksa Central Weeraketiya), Duvindu Ranathunga (Mahanama), Hasitha Amarasinghe (St. Servatius’ Matara), Sahan Mihira (St. John’s Panadura).
Officials: Jehan Mubarak (Head Coach), Chamila Gamage (Asisstant/Bowling Coach), Gayan Wijekoon (Fielding Coach), Buddhika Herath (Trainer), Priyantha Wickramasinghe (Physiotherapist), Jayantha Seneviratne (Manager)