Sri Lanka Eye County Cricket Opportunities After Champions Trophy

Sri Lankan all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva hopes that his national team-mates can secure more county cricket deals through their performances in England, particularly for the batters. The relaxation of visa criteria has enabled players with minimal international experience to earn county contracts, but Sri Lanka’s squad has largely been overlooked, partly due to their busy touring commitments.

Dhananjaya believes that playing in English conditions would greatly benefit Sri Lanka’s batsmen. “Playing in these conditions will be better for the batsmen,” he said. “We are only getting the chance while we’re touring here. But if the batsmen can play county [cricket], it’ll be nice for them.”

Opportunities for Test Players

With a three-month gap in Sri Lanka’s international schedule after the Champions Trophy, their Test players may have an opportunity to feature in the early stages of the county season. Dinesh Chandimal, who has scored 15 Test centuries, revealed that he has been trying to secure a county contract without success, saying, “> If I can do well in this series, hopefully I will be picked by one of the counties. It is my dream to play a season of county cricket.”

The only member of Sri Lanka’s 18-man touring party to feature in the Championship this year is Vishwa Fernando, who played three matches for Yorkshire after making two appearances for Durham at the end of last season. Dimuth Karunaratne and Asitha Fernando have also represented counties in the past.

Changes for the Second Test

Dhananjaya confirmed that Sri Lanka will make two changes for the second Test at Lord’s, with Pathum Nissanka replacing Kusal Mendis and Lahiru Kumara coming in for Vishwa Fernando. “Overall, Pathum is the best batter in the country at the moment,” Dhananjaya said. “He has a good mindset and he has a good technique.”

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