Pramodya Wickramasinghe to head Sri Lanka's new selection committee
He has been chief selector before - between 2021 and 2023 - with Sri Lanka men's poor performance in the 2023 World Cup prompting his removal
Former fast bowler Pramodya Wickramasinghe will head Sri Lanka's new national selection committee, which picks both men's and women's senior squads. Also in the committee are former cricketers Vinothen John, Indika de Saram, Rasanjali de Alwis (nee Silva), and Tharanga Paranavitana.
While the committee headed by Upul Tharanga is now defunct, there is some continuity for this fresh committee, with Paranavitana and de Saram also having served under Tharanga. Wickramasinghe has been chief selector before - between 2021 and 2023 - with Sri Lanka men's poor performance in the 2023 World Cup prompting his removal. He was also part of a selection committee headed by Sanath Jayasuriya - now head coach - between 2013 and 2015.
The change in selectors was announced by Sri Lanka's sports ministry. SLC chief executive Ashley de Silva said the board had been involved in the process. Sri Lanka's Sports Law dictates that such appointments go through the sports ministry.
"Sri Lanka Cricket sends a list of about ten names to the ministry, and they have chosen from that," de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. "There is no term as such. The appointment is until further notice."
De Silva also said that the Tharanga-led committee had simply come to the end of its term. Internally, there had been no push towards extending their term until the end of the men's T20 World Cup in February and March. In fact, it had been a little over three weeks ago that Tharanga suggested captain Charith Asalanka may be replaced in the coming weeks. That decision now passes to the new committee, whose first major assignment will be to select the World Cup squad.
All five members of this new committee have represented Sri Lanka at the highest level. Both Paranavitana and de Saram played domestic cricket into this decade. John is the oldest selector among them, having played his last match for Sri Lanka in 1987.