Twenty-four-year-old Liyanage earns a recall at the expense of another fast-medium bowler Ravindra Pushpakumara, who on recent tours with the national side has hardly earned a game.
The strongly built six foot tall Liyanage from down South was seen as a bright prospect for Sri Lanka until a series of injuries ruled him out of the game for nearly three years.
MINOR OPERATION
Liyanage was just entering his prime as an all-rounder when he was unlucky to twist his ankle on the tour to India in 1993-94. When he was recovering from it, he had to undergo a minor operation in his groin. Subsequently, his come back was further delayed when he suffered a back injury. Only in the recently concluded season did he gradually return to bowling at full pace.
Liyanage, who is also a powerful hitter of the ball (he bats left-handed), played the last of his eight Tests, against India at Lucknow in January 1994. This season however, he had performed consistently with the ball and proved that he had fully recovered from the injuries that had nearly ended his international cricket career. U NFORTUNATE
Sanjeeva, the youngest of the Ranatunga clan has been on the fringe of selection for some time. He has been unfortunate that due to his brother and captain Arjuna Ranatunga's presence, his chances of playing in the team have been few and far between.
Whenever he has been given the opportunity, Sanjeeva has never failed to grab it. Although not a player with a wide repertoire of strokes, the plus factor for him is his temperament to stay at the wicket for longer periods.
In his eight Tests for his country, Sanjeeva has scored two hundreds and two fifties. The half-centuries (60 and 65) came in his last appearance for his country against Australia at Adelaide in January in 1996. He has been named for the Caribbean leg of the tour.
OVERLOOKED
Newcomer Russell Arnold although overlooked for the one-day games in India has earned himself his maiden tour with the national team for the West Indies where Sri Lanka are due to play a short series of two Tests.
The 23-year-old left-handed opener and right-arm off-spinner made his Test debut in the recently concluded series against Pakistan at home scoring his maiden Test fifty in the drawn second Test at the SSC.
Left-arm fast-medium bowler Nuwan Zoysa is also in the 15-member party to the Caribbean, but his selection is subject to fitness. Zoysa, who played in the first Test against Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium bowled only 11 overs due to a recurring leg muscle injury which he first sustained in Sharjah.
TOE INJURY
Opening bat Roshan Mahanama also returns to the team having missed out on the two-test series against Pakistan through a toe injury.
All-rounders Ruwan Kalpage and Upul Chandana have been named in the 14-member team for India's Independence Cup which will also feature host India, Pakistan and New Zealand.
They will be replaced for the West Indies tour by Sanjeeva Ranatunga, Arnold and Zoysa.
Arjuna Ranatunga will lead Sri Lanka in India as well as the West Indies with Aravinda de Silva as his deputy.