Pramodya, Romesh recalled for Kenya knockout

Sri Lanka cricket selectors recalled discarded wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana and fast bowler Pramodya Wickremasinghe for the ICC knockout one-day competition to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from October 3 - 15.

Kaluwitharana (30) lost his place in the national side to 22-year-old Kumar Sangakkara in the Singer Triangular Series which Sri Lanka won beating South Africa in the final.

Sangakkara retained his place for the three tests that followed against South Africa.

Kaluwitharana was dropped on the grounds of poor batting form. But since that time and now, Kaluwitharana has not made any worthwhile contribution with the bat to earn a recall.

However, the selection committee felt that Kaluwitharana lost his form due to him being shifted from his usual opening position when they experimented with experienced Aravinda de Silva as opener during the Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh in June.

Therefore Kaluwitharana is being given another opportunity to make a comeback. Where he would fit in the batting order is very interesting because already Avishka Gunawardana has established himself as skipper Sanath Jayasuriya's opening partner with some sterling knocks during the Singer series, which also featured Pakistan.

Sangakkara also has similarly cemented his place as a batsman/wicket-keeper. Kaluwitharana's inclusion in the 14-member team means that there is no room for the talented middle-order batsman Tillekeratne Dilshan.

Wickremasinghe (29) returns to the team after being sidelined by a neck injury that kept him out of the South African series.

He replaces left-arm fast-medium bowler Sajeeva de Silva from the squad that played in the Singer series.

Sri Lanka play West Indies in their opening match of the tournament where no team can afford to drop a match as they will be automatically eliminated. If Sri Lanka do reach the final, they will make whatever changes are necessary to the squad and fly over to Sharjah for the three-nation competition with India and Zimbabwe. If they get eliminated early the team will return home before taking off to Sharjah.

The Sri Lanka 14 for Kenya: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu (vice-captain), Avishka Gunawardana, Russel Arnold, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Pramodya Wickremasinghe, Erik Upashantha, Muttiah Muralitharan, Upul Chandana, Kumar Dharmasena.