The Bangladesh Cricket Board has invited 25 of Sri Lanka’s top cricketers for the BPL, but Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee has taken a decision not to grant them permission to participate as they want the players to be focussed on the upcoming tour of New Zealand starting next month.

The list of players invited includes those from the National, ‘A’ and T20 teams who will be involved in matches during the New Zealand tour.

Those invited are: Chamara Kapugedera, Dilshan Munaweera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Isuru Udana, Dilruwan Perera, Chaturanga de Silva, Farveez Maharoof, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dhammika Prasad, Milinda Siriwardana, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kosala Kulasekara, Binura Fernando, Ajantha Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kituruwan Vithanage, Niroshan Dickwella, Prasanna Jayawardene, Ashan Priyanjan, Sachith Pathirana, Sachitra Senanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara, Seekkuge Prasanna, Upul Tharanga, Jeevan Mendis.

“We have not approved the players contracted to us centrally and provincially because we have an important tour of New Zealand coming up and want them to be fully concentrated on it,” said Sri Lanka Cricket’s Head of Operations Carlton Bernadus.

“Recently Sri Lanka Cricket enhanced the fees for all the players participating in our domestic tournaments,” he pointed out.

Bernadus said the respective clubs were responsible for releasing cricketers who are outside the SLC contracts.

The Selection Committee met on 5 June at P. Sara to decide on the composition of the team. SSC’s Jeffrey Vandersay and Badureliya’s Kasun Rajitha are the only new faces in the squad.
Board President’s XI members are: Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Upul Tharanga, Jehan Mubarak, Dinesh Chandimal (Captain), Milinda Siriwardene, Niroshan Dickwella, Vishwa Fernando, Nisala Tharaka, Kasun Rajitha, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dhananjaya de Silva, Malinda Pushpakumara, Binura Fernando

According to coach Romesh Kaluwitharana three bowlers Lahiru Gamage, Lahiru Madusanka and tharindu Kaushal will be rested in this final game while Nisal Tharaka Binura Fernando and Lakshan Sandakan will  walk into the team.

Kaluwitharana said that ”It was Ashan Priyanjana Kusal Perera who did the batting for the most part in the last two matches.we should take a look at the way others will handle the situation they got and I’m happy with everyone doing their role well”

Binura Fernando who is a 6ft 6 inches tall fast bowler from DS Senanayake College is expected come good in his first opportunity with the ‘A’ team The 19-years old was included in the Sri lanka test squad last year,even though he didn’t get a game and hadn’t played first class cricket back then.Fernando claimed 28 wickets in the seven first class matches he played in his first season,with a best performance of 9-70 inning.