Following Sri Lanka’s dismal performance in the ninth ICC Men’s T20 World Cup where they were ousted in the very first round, the national cricket selectors headed by Upul Tharanga are now being pressured by various parties to infuse young blood into the side, The Sunday Morning Sports reliably learns.

That too whilst dropping veterans such as Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, et al.

“For the next limited-over home series [against India, who are likely to send a second-string side after their World Cup campaign], Sri Lanka are highly likely to increase their bench strength,” a former national cricketer told The Sunday Morning Sports on the condition of anonymity.

He also added that Sri Lanka’s next tour – the summer Test series in England – was likely to feature veterans such as Kasun Rajitha, Asitha Fernando, and Lahiru Kumara along with relative newcomers Nishan Peiris and Prabath Jayasuriya.

“Whoever is picked eventually should fulfil the correct criteria. At present, the selectors could be under the thumb of some of the player managers. If the selectors were to entertain player managers in this manner, Sri Lankan cricket will go nowhere in future as well,” he warned.

We are not responsible: Shammi

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva, at a recent event in Colombo, told the media and the gathering the following: “As administrators, we have done our part. We have spent on our players the same as any other leading cricketing country.

“The failure is due to the team management and the players themselves. We don’t go out there and play, but still some people blame my mother as well for the World Cup debacle. 

“But we are not directly responsible for that.”