COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Dasun Shanaka will captain Sri Lanka at the upcoming Cricket World Cup despite his poor form with the bat while injured strike bowler Wanindu Hasaranga wasn’t included in the 15-man squad announced Tuesday.
Shanaka has scored only 150 runs in his last 17 one-day innings but has a decent captaincy record.
Spinner Hasaranga was replaced by bowling allrounder Dushan Hemantha — a legspinner who has played just three One-Day Internationals (ODI) for Sri Lanka. Injured quick Dushmantha Chameera will also miss the tournament.
The squad consists of six specialist batters, allrounders Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Hemantha and Dunith Wellalage, and five specialist seam bowlers.
Veteran Angelo Mathews was expected to be drafted in to strengthen the brittle batting but his exclusion in the final 15 effectively ends the limited-overs career of the 36-year-old player.
The World Cup starts in India on Oct. 5. Sri Lanka begins their campaign against South Africa two days later in New Delhi.
Sri Lanka squad: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka.