Praveen Jayawickrama who had a sensational Test debut against Bangladesh got his maiden call up for the T20 and ODI squad in the England tour.
There were few concerns raised over this selection, introducing Praveen to all formats rather playing only as a Test specialist. Addressing the concerns Chief Selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe speaking to DailyFT said: ‘If you look at Praveen’s record in the recent domestic season, he has performed well in T20 cricket, so it is not fair to immediately label him only as a Test player. As we can take 24 players, we have picked him for England to keep him in the squad and to give him exposure. Regardless of whether he is selected to play or not he can get used to bowling in English conditions. We are giving him that opportunity. If required we will play him, but it’s a learning curve for him.”
Sri Lanka will play three ODIs and as many T20I in England. The limited-overs tour begins on June 23.