Sri Lanka-New Zealand series starts on the 30th

Lasith Malinga and Mahela Jayawardene have been rested from the Twenty20 match against the visiting New Zealand team that will be played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on the 30th of this month. Angelo Mathews will lead the Sri Lanka team in this match.  Spinner Ajantha Mendis has also been left out for the Twenty20 and the first three ODIs due to a side strain he sustained early in the World Twenty20

The visiting New Zealand team will play on Twenty20 on the 30th, 5 one day internationals on the 1st, 4th, 6th, 10th and on the 12th. The first ODI will be played at Pallekele, 2nd and 3rd ODI at R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the 4th and 5th ODI at Hambantota.

The two test matches will start on  17th and 25th November respectively.  The first test will be played at the Galle International Stadium while the 2nd test will be played at the SSC Grounds in Colombo.

Sri Lanka has included Thariudu Kaushal, an uncapped 19-year-old off spinner, in the squad for the first three ODIs against New Zealand.  Kaushal played in the Under-19 World Cup in Australia earlier this year and is rated very highly, though he hasn’t played any senior representative cricket.

Mahela Jayawardene, who stepped down as T20 captain after the World T20, will continue to lead the ODI team, with Mathews as his deputy. (niz).