Pathum Nissanka and Jeffrey Vandersay return; Sri Lanka name 2 uncapped for England Test series

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced an 18-member squad for the Test series on the upcoming England tour. Apart from two uncapped players, Pathum Nissanka and Jeffrey Vandersay have returned to the Test team.

Sri Lanka will travel to England for the three-match Test series, starting on 21st August. This Test series will be a part of the 2023–25 ICC World Test Championship. Dhananjaya De Silva will continue to lead the Sri Lankan Test team, while Kusal Mendis will maintain his deputy role. 

Milan Rathnayake and Nisala Tharaka are the uncapped Sri Lankan players for the England tour

Pacer Milan Rathnayake and all-rounder Nisala Tharaka are the uncapped players in the 18-member Sri Lankan Test squad for the England tour. It is the first national team call-up for Tharaka. Meanwhile, Rathnayake was previously in the Test squad for the New Zealand tour early last year and for the one-off home Test match against Afghanistan early this year, but he hasn’t made his international debut yet. 

Pathum Nissanka and Jeffrey Vandersay have been awarded for their recent strong performances

Top-order batter Pathum Nissanka and spinner Jeffrey Vandersay have returned to the Test squad. Both players last played during the Australia tour of Sri Lanka in 2022. While Vandersay has played only one Test, Nissanka has played nine Tests. 

In the just-concluded India tour of Sri Lanka, Nissanka finished as the leading run-scorer in the three-match T20I series (137 runs) with one half-century and also scored 101 runs in the three-match ODI series along with one fifty. 

Meanwhile, Vandersay ended the three-match home ODI series against India as the leading wicket-taker with eight wickets in two games. During the second ODI, the leg-spinner won the Player of the Match award for his six-wicket haul (6/33). 

Experienced all-rounder Angelo Mathews is also in this Test squad. Apart from the uncapped Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, and Lahiru Kumara are the other Lankan pacers in the Test squad for the upcoming England tour.

Talking about more spin bowling options in the Lankan Test squad for the England tour, Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis are in. 

Sri Lanka full Test squad for England tour 

Dhananjaya De Silva (Captain), Kusal Mendis (vice-captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Nisala Tharaka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake.