Bangladesh cricket team arrives in Sri Lanka

The Bangladesh cricket team arrived in the island today for a three-match on-day international (ODI) series against Sri Lanka.

The tiger are the first national cricket team to visit the country following the Easter Sunday terror attacks which took place on April 21.

Bangladesh takes on Sri Lanka in the first ODI of the three-match series on July 26. 

Bangladesh have been dealt a huge blow as their skipper Mashrafe Mortaza has been ruled out of the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. In Mortaza’s absence, Tamim Iqbal will lead the side. 

Wicketkeeper-batsman Anamul Haque and spinner Taijul Islam were brought in place of Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das, who have been rested from the tour.

Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Kumara, Akila Dananjaya and Lakshan Sandakan, who all missed out on Sri Lanka’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 squad, are back for the ODI series against Bangladesh.

Four players – Milinda Siriwardena, Jeffrey Vandersay, Suranga Lakmal and Jeevan Mendis – are exclusions from the squad that travelled to England for the World Cup.

Overall, as many as 10 players return to the fifty-over squad after varying duration of stints on the sidelines.

29-year-old Dinesh Chandimal, who led the side until as recently as October 2018, has been overlooked once again.

Meanwhile Nuwan Pradeep, whose World Cup campaign was cut short due to an onset of chickenpox, makes a comeback.

Sri Lanka will host Bangladesh for three ODIs between 23rd July to 31st July.