October 3, 2007
 | 
|
Sri Lanka are likely to recall Marvan Atapattu for the forthcoming tour of Australia. Ashantha de Mel, the chairman of selectors, said the team would require experienced players like him, and that the selectors were mindful of the fact that Sri Lanka are yet to win a Test in Australia.
"We need his experience in Australia," de Mel told AFP. "He has the technique and temperament to stay at the crease.It will be very important for the two Tests against Australia. I will talk to him about his availability."
Atapattu did not play a single game in the World Cup in the West Indies, despite being in the squd, and was overlooked for the subsequent one-day series in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan. He then announced his unavailability for the home series against Bangladesh citing personal reasons and asked to be released from his central contract, sparking speculation that he might be linked to the Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Earlier, captain Mahela Jayawardene too supported Atapattu's inclusion and called on the selectors to find out whether he would be willing to commit to a tough series.
"We love to have him around," said Jayawardene. "He is a top class performer. For a fact I know that he still wants to continue to play cricket for Sri Lanka. He wanted to be released from his contract purely because he wanted to see other avenues in his career. The best thing would be to have a dialogue with him and find out what he wants to do."
Sri Lanka play two Tests in November and return for the tri-nation CB Series in February, also featuring India
Post a Comment