March 31, 2010

Sri Lanka's Daily News confirmed today that Sri Lanka will play a series of Twenty20 Internationals after the World Cup. 

"After the World Cup in the Caribbean the Sri Lankan team will also play a series of Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand and the United States of America during their historic maiden cricket tour to the USA," the newspaper wrote.

Daily News also noted that 40-year old Sanath Jayasuriya and 20-year old Dinesh Chandimal would both be part of the squad for the World Cup in the Caribbean and the tour of USA following that.

The full Sri Lanka squad is as follows - Kumar Sangakkara, Muthiah Muralidharan, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardana, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Chanaka Welagedara, Chamara Kapugedara, Sanath Jayasuriya and Chinthaka Jayasinghe.

This latest news report follows last week's report from Pakistan's The Nation, in which Nabeel Ahmed, USACA First VP, was quoted as saying: “Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) - have agreed to send their teams immediately after the ICC Twenty20 final (in Barbados on May 16).”

Although the exact schedule is not yet known, the timing of the matches following the ICC Twenty20 final would be perfect from a logistical perspective.

“The weather condition in Florida is same as in West Indies and two teams playing here will not find any problem as Florida is only one and half hour flying away from West Indies,” Nabeel Ahmed told The Nation. 

New Zealand has just finished their tour of Australia and look to get some rest before reassembling on April 18th for a training camp prior to departing for the Caribbean.   The following Black Caps squad for the World T20 was announced yesterday: Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, Ian Butler, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram,  Aaron Redmond, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor.

In his 'Message from the CEO' dated March 5th, Justin Vaughan, CEO of New Zealand Cricket wrote: "We are pushing ahead with plans for a T20 series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka to be held in Florida in May.  If successful, it would be the first time two full ICC members will have met in an official match on US soil and it follows the agreement of a strategic partnership between NZC and the USA Cricket Association."