Following the men's team dismal 2023 World Cup campaign, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has revealed that the sports ministry did not allow them to pick Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera in their squad for the showpiece event. The board issued a statement which said that the National Sports Selection Committee demanded a medical clearance without which they wouldn't allow it.
Hasaranga, the leg-spinner, sustained a hamstring injury for which he had to undergo surgery. Meanwhile, Chameera, right-arm speedster had a pectoral injury, rendering him unfit for the tournament and was not included in the initial squad. Nevertheless, he still played 4 matches in the World Cup, but managed 2 wickets.
In the statement issued by SLC, they said that the selectors picked the squad on September 5th at the headquarters and chose both Hasaranga and Chameera despite them recovering from injuries. With the board sending to the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, under which the National Sports Selection Committee comes, they sought the medical clearance.
Left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka was also amongst the players with fitness concerns, but he received the green signal in the nick of time. However, the sports ministry declined to clear them for the tournament.
Sri Lanka miss out on 2025 Champions Trophy qualification:
With the Island nation winning only 2 matches out of 9 in the 2023 World Cup, they have missed out on the Champions Trophy 2025 set to be contested in Pakistan. At no stage of the competition, were the Sri Lankans able to gather any momentum, coupled by losing their regular captain Dasun Shanaka.
They managed to beat the Netherlands and England convincingly and bowed out with a defeat to New Zealand.
