The committee appointed by the Minister comprises Duleep Mendis (chairman), Roy Dias, Tikiri Banda Kehelgamuwa, Somachandra de Silva, Ashantha de Mel, Saliya Ahangama and K.M. Nelson.
With the exception of Nelson, the rest of the selection panel members are all past Test cricketers. Nelson played Sara trophy cricket for Air Force and later for CCC.
The newcomers to the selection panel are fast bowlers De Mel and Ahangama, leg-spinner de Silva and Nelson.
The Sri Lanka Cricket Board last Saturday, named a five-member selection committee comprising Dias, Ranjan Madugalle, Sidath Wettimuny, S. Skandakumar and Jayantha Seneviratne, which didn't find favour with the Sports Minister.
Subsequently, Madugalle and Wettimuny, informed they were not available to serve in the selection committee owing to official commitments locally and abroad.
The Sports Minister thus brought in De Silva, de Mel, Nelson and Ahangama increasing the existing committee by two to seven members. The reason for such an expansion we understand, is to ensure that enough national selectors are around when others have gone abroad on tours with national sides.
The first assignment of this expanded selection committee will be to pick the Sri Lanka sides for the two Tests against Pakistan starting later this month.