Picture Credit: Twitter/SLC
Sri Lankan cricket team are currently in Bangladesh to play a three-match ODI series commencing from Sunday. All the three ODIs are slated to be played at the Sher-e Bangla Stadium, Dhaka under strict bio-bubble protocols. Recently Sri Lanka has made Kusal Perera the captain and Kusal Mendis has been given the vice-captaincy for the Bangladesh tour. Now a day before the ODI series opener, Sri Lanka cricketers Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva fail fitness test ahead of ODI series opener against Bangladesh and Dhananjaya de Silva both have failed a fitness test. While the failed fitness test does not rule them out of the Bangladesh series if they do not pass a retest, they won't be eligible for the tour to England.
Right before the start of the ODI series, all Sri Lankan players took part in the 2 Km run fitness test. At the conclusion of the test, it has now been revealed that both Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva fail fitness test ahead of ODI series opener against Bangladesh and Dhananjaya de Silva both failed to achieve the required time set by the team management. Later Sri Lanka Cricket clarified that the test result will be considered for Sri Lanka’s tour of England.
According to the fitness policy, the players need to undergo the test every 40 days. It is learnt that the two players are informed to complete the test within the Bangladesh tour schedule to get selected for the England tour.
Cricketers refuse to sign new contracts after SLC makes hefty pay cuts
The 2 Km run test is considered the main criteria for the selection of Sri Lankan players. A cricketer needs to pass the test to get into the squad. The development comes at a time when players and Sri Lanka Cricket are locked in a dispute over central contracts.
Leading Sri Lanka cricketers including Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne along with the likes of Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews have taken a bold stance to not sign a new contract which otherwise would have meant agreeing to a 40 percent pay cut. The decision of the players come at a crucial phase as Sri Lanka are to play at least six white-ball matches against India in July.