Former Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga has defended white-ball captain Charith Asalanka amid reports of him being sacked from the leadership by the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board. Asalanka is in danger of losing his captaincy after abandoning the current Pakistan tour, according to multiple reports in the island nation.
Many Sri Lankan players wanted to return home after the deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad, which brought back painful memories of the 2009 Lahore terror attack. Gunmen ambushed the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, injuring players and killing several security personnel and civilians.
Charith Asalanka and Asitha Fernando will return home due to illness
A deadly bombing took place in Islamabad, about 17 km from the team hotel in Rawalpindi. The explosion killed several people and raised immediate concerns within the visiting camp. Sri Lanka Cricket responded by issuing strict instructions to all players and support staff to remain in Pakistan.
The board warned that anyone leaving out of security fears could face a formal review. Amid the uncertainty, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met the Sri Lankan contingent and assured them of maximum security. Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir convinced the team to continue the tour.
SLC announced that captain Charith Asalanka and fast bowler Asitha Fernando would return home due to illness. The board did not reveal the nature of their conditions but said the decision was taken so that both players could receive proper medical care ahead of the busy cricket calendar.
“Two players are returning home: captain Charith Asalanka and fast bowler Asitha Fernando, both suffering from illness, will return home. Both players will miss the upcoming tri-series featuring Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Zimbabwe,” SLC wrote on ‘X’.
Spoke for all the other players under you – Lasith Malinga supports Charith Asalanka
Charith Asalanka played a role in the discussions within the team after the Islamabad bombings. He reportedly led internal talks and supported the idea of ​​abandoning the tour, although the move did not come to fruition.
Lasith Malinga commented on the situation through a Facebook post. Without revealing details, he expressed sympathy for Asalanka and said the captain was facing consequences despite speaking up for his teammates. Malinga said that he is looking forward to watching Asalanka in the T20 World Cup.
“As a leader, you spoke for all the other players under you,” Malinga said. “Today, it seems you are the only one facing the consequences, Chariya. If you did not speak for all the players, they would still call you a spineless leader. [Respect] To have the courage to speak. See you in the T20 World Cup.”
Dasun Shanaka was made the captain of Sri Lanka in place of Charith Asalanka.
Sri Lanka has made a leadership change ahead of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe tri-series in Rawalpindi. Dasun Shanaka took over the captaincy after Charith Asalanka was ruled out due to illness. The team also included Vijaykant Vyaskanth in place of Asitha Fernando.
They begin their campaign against Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Zimbabwe suffered a five-wicket defeat to Pakistan in the series opener and will be keen to register their first win.
Sri Lanka had to face 3-0 defeat in the ODI series. They will be hoping to make a strong start to the T20I stage. The team also had a disappointing Asia Cup campaign, where they topped their group but failed to progress beyond the Super Four.
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