COLOMBO: Veteran Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga has been left out of the 15-member T20I squad for the one-off match against South Africa slated to be held at the R. Premadasa Stadium here on August 14.
Despite Malinga’s rich vein of form in the Global T20 League in Toronto, he could not find a place in the squad. Malinga has been in and out of the Sri Lankan team lately, owing to poor form and injury woes. In the Global T20 League in Canada, Malinga was the third highest wicket-taker besides having the best average and economy rate among all bowlers in the tournament with over five wickets. He last played in a one-off T20I match against India in September last year.
The veteran pacer, who already bid adieu to Tests in 2011, said in February that he was considering retirement as he was “mentally done with international cricket.”
Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Binura Fernando can be given an opportunity to play his first game, more than three years after he was first called up. He appeared in two T20Is against Pakistan in 2015. (ANI)
