Atapattu captains Sri Lanka in Caribbean

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s selectors have retained Marvan Atapattu as their One-Day International (ODI) captain for the forthcoming series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.

Batsman Atapattu leads a 15-man squad that includes two changes from their last outing in a triangular home series with left-handed batsman Naveed Nawaz and uncapped swing bowler Dinusha Fernando replacing middle-order batsman Russel Arnold and all-rounder Kaushalya Weereratne. Fast bowler Dilhara Fernando was not considered for selection after failing to recover fully from a back injury.

Atapattu, who replaced Sanath Jayasuriya as captain after the World Cup, keeps the job despite Sri Lanka’s failure this month to qualify for the tri-series final for the first time. “You can’t judge a man on one series alone,” said Lalith Kaluperuma, the chairman of selectors, when the 15-man squad was named yesterday. “It was the batting that lost us the trophy. The top order just needs to regain its form,” Kaluperuma added. Sri Lanka will play three ODIs in the Caribbean — June 7 and 8 in Barbados and June 11 in St Vincent and the Grenadines. The squad for the three-Test series against the West Indies will be announced at the end of next week after a three-day practice match.

ODI Squad: Marvan Atapattu (captain), Mahela Jayawardene (vice-captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Naveed Nawaz, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Dharshana Gamage, Prabath Nissanka, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Kumar Dharmasena, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dinusha Fernando.