Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Zoysa and Suresh Perera - bowlers with question marks against their fitness or bowling actions - were all named in a Sri Lanka pool of 20 by the national selectors to prepare for the three-nation Champions trophy cricket tournament in Sharjah next month. Sanath Jayasuriya was retained as captain with Marvan Atapattu as his deputy.
Fernando (sore back), Zoysa (fractured right ankle) and Perera (suspect bowling action) figure in the pool which also sees the recall of all-rounders Upul Chandana and Tilan Samaraweera, middle-order batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan and fast bowler Akalanka Ganegama.
Fernando was rested from the one-off Test against Bangladesh last week as a precautionary measure and is expected to make it to the final 15 which will be picked in the first week of October.
Left-arm fast bowler Zoysa has not played since the last tournament in Sharjah five months ago after fracturing his right ankle. According to Cricket Board sources he is fighting hard to regain his fitness for the Sharjah tournament.
Perera has yet not got the green light from the local bowling review committee after he was reported to the International Cricket Council (ICC) by ICC umpire Steve Bucknor over his bowling action at the end of the first Test against India at Galle last month.
The committee comprises Bandula Waranapura, K.T. Francis, Champaka Ramanayake and Lalith Kaluperuma.
"We are awaiting the tapes and comments on the areas of concern from the ICC. But in the meantime, we are going ahead and reviewing the match tapes available to us," said Francis.
Francis said they want to make sure that Perera is totally cleared from all allegations over certain deliveries bowled by him which had upset umpire Bucknor.
If a bowler is reported three times within one year, then the matter will be taken off the hands of the local review committee and passed on to the ICC who will continue with the investigations.
Francis is confident that Perera would be made available for selection to Sharjah which is usually made a fortnight before the team's departure.
The Sharjah tournament which also features Pakistan and Zimbabwe commences on October 26 with the final scheduled for November 4.
Francis said that Darryl Foster, the fast bowling coach from Western Australia would be arriving in Sri Lanka at the end of the month and a report from him would also be taken to be sent to the ICC.
Foster cleared Sri Lanka's champion spinner Muttiah Muralitharan after he was called for chucking by Australian umpire Darrel Hair six years ago.
All 16 players picked to represent Sri Lanka in the Coca Cola one-day international triangular have been retained in the pool which will commence training from September 19.
Sri Lanka pool for Sharjah:
Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu (vice-captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Avishka Gunawardana, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Suresh Perera, Kumar Dharmasena, Dulip Liyanage, Dinusha Fernando, Upul Chandana, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakeratne Dilshan, Akalanka Ganegama.
© cricinfo
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