Afghanistan’s captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (L) and Afghan participant Rahmat Shah arrive on the lodge in Colombo on January 31, 2024 previous to play one-off check, three sooner or later worldwide (ODI) and three T20 cricket matches throughout their tour of Sri Lanka.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Sri Lanka hope to revive their flagging Test fortunes with new five-day captain Dhananjaya de Silva taking the helm for his or her one-off match in opposition to Afghanistan beginning Friday in Colombo.
The island nation is lifeless final on the World Test Championship rankings and their final match in October on the similar floor noticed a humiliating innings and 222-run loss to Pakistan in their worst ever house defeat.
De Silva, a middle-order batsman and helpful off-spinner, takes cost forward of a full tour slate for the 12 months together with a three-Test collection in England.
“Very excited about what is about to unfold with my cricket career. More so Sri Lankan Test cricket going forward,” de Silva advised AFP.
Three uncapped gamers are amongst Sri Lanka’s 16-member squad as a part of a generational refresh heralded by the appointment of various captains for the Test, ODI and T20 sides earlier this month.
Fast bowler Kasun Rajitha, who missed the current house collection in opposition to Zimbabwe as a consequence of harm, has made a comeback into the aspect.
Afghanistan are making a reputation for themselves in white-ball cricket however have had much less probability to impress in five-day matches since being granted Test standing in 2017.
Friday can be their first Test in opposition to Sri Lanka and eighth general.
“We are committed to strengthening our red-ball cricket and building a formidable Test side as well,” Afghanistan Cricket Board chair Mirwais Ashraf mentioned in an announcement this week.
The guests landed in Colombo on Tuesday lacking star leg-spinner Rashid Khan who’s recovering from again surgical procedure.
Qais Ahmad, who has featured in a single Test match, is his anticipated substitute.
Afghanistan mainstay and opening batsman Ibrahim Zadran will drive the vacationers’ assault and has a powerful white-ball file in Sri Lanka, the place he notched up two of his 5 ODI a whole bunch.
Both groups will play three ODIs in Kandy and three T20 matches in Dambulla after the Test.
Test squads
Sri Lanka: Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kusal Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Udara, Chamika Gunasekara, Milan Rathnayake.
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Ibrahim Zadran, Abdul Malik, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Bahir Shah, Nasir Jamal, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Qais Ahmad, Zia-ur-Rehman, Zahir Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai, Nijat Masood, Mohammad Saleem, Naveed Zadran.
