Sri Lanka have announced an 18-member squad for their upcoming three-match Test series against England, featuring uncapped right-arm seamer Milan Rathnayake and fast-bowling all-rounder Nisala Tharaka.
The squad also sees the return of Pathum Nissanka, who has not played Test cricket since mid-2022. Nissanka, who made his debut in March 2021, had been replaced by Nishan Madushka at the top of the order.
Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who last appeared in a Test in June 2022 against Australia, is recalled following an outstanding performance in the second ODI against India, where he claimed a career-best 6 for 33.
Nisala Tharaka, at 33 years old, receives his first Test call-up. With 107 first-class games under his belt, Tharaka has taken 257 wickets and scored 2,358 runs, including the highest score of 107. His recent notable performance was for Sri Lanka A against Afghanistan A in May, where he took six wickets for 42 runs in the second innings.
Milan Rathnayake, 28, was previously named in Sri Lanka's Test squad for a one-off Test against Afghanistan but has yet to make his debut. He has played 39 first-class matches, claiming 79 wickets and scoring 633 runs, with the highest score of 59. Rathnayake has been a consistent performer in the Sri Lanka A side.
Dhananjaya de Silva will lead the side, with Kusal Mendis as his deputy. The squad is pace-heavy, including Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Tharaka, and Rathnayake. Angelo Mathews, known for his occasional success with seam bowling in England, is also included.
The spin department features Vandersay, Ramesh Mendis, and Prabath Jayasuriya, with Ramesh and Jayasuriya having been key spinners for Sri Lanka in recent times.
While many players are currently engaged in the ODI series against India, six Test specialists have already flown to England to start training. Vishwa Fernando also played three County Championship matches for Yorkshire as part of his preparation.
The Test series begins with the first match on August 21 in Manchester, followed by the second Test at Lord's on August 29, and concludes with the third Test at The Oval on September 6.
Sri Lanka Squad for Tests vs England:
- Dhananjaya de Silva (captain)
- Dimuth Karunaratne
- Nishan Madushka
- Pathum Nissanka
- Kusal Mendis (vice-captain)
- Angelo Mathews
- Dinesh Chandimal
- Kamindu Mendis
- Sadeera Samarawickrama
- Asitha Fernando
- Vishwa Fernando
- Kasun Rajitha
- Lahiru Kumara
- Nisala Tharaka
- Prabath Jayasuriya
- Ramesh Mendis
- Jeffrey Vandersay
- Milan Rathnayake