Sri Lankan selectors have recalled batsman Kaushal Silva, who last played a Test in January 2017, for the upcoming two-Test series against Pakistan in the UAE. Suranga Lakmal, who missed the three-Test series against India due to an injury, has also been named in the 15-member squad announced on Wednesday(September 20).

Upul Tharanga, who has opted for a six-month break from Test cricket, is among five players excluded from the squad that was picked for the third Test against India more than a month back. 

In Tharanga’s absence, Kaushal is expected to open with Dimuth Karunaratne. Dhananjaya de Silva, Malinda Pushpakumara, Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera are the other exclusions, although Dhananjaya and Kumara feature among the stand-by players, in case a requirement arises.

Sadheera Samarawickrema, a 22-year-old uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman is also part of the squad which has another uncapped player in right-handed batsman Roshen Silva, who was roped in after Angelo Mathews was ruled out of the opening Test due to a calf strain.

Samarawickrama has scored 2070 first-class runs at an average of 47.04 with six hundreds and eleven half-centuries while opening the batting for Colts Cricket Club. Samarawickrama also opened for Sri Lanka during the Under-19 World Cup in 2014 in which he was the top run-getter for his country, scoring 265 runs in six games, including four fifties. 

The 28-year-old Roshen Silva is an experienced batsman in the first-class circuit, having scored in excess of 6000 runs at an average of 48.19 with 18 hundreds and 26 fifties.

Dinesh Chandimal will continue to lead the team, while Lahiru Thirimanne will be the new vice-captain of the Sri Lanka Test team.

The two-Test series against Pakistan gets underway at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi from September 28. The second Test, which is Sri Lanka’s first pink-ball outing, starts on October 6 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, followed by five ODIs and three T20Is.

Sri Lanka squad: Dinesh Chandimal (c), Lahiru Thirimanne (vc), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadheera Samarawickrema, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage

Stand-by: Dhananjaya De Silva, Jeffery Vandersay, Akila Dananjaya, Lahiru Kumara, Dasun Shanaka

-Crickbuzz