Dimuth Karunaratne will return to competitive cricket with two four-day matches for Sri Lanka A in the forthcoming tour of Bangladesh. He had fractured his index finger in early May, effectively ruling him out of the ongoing tour of the West Indies, but has now begun training, and will aim to have matches under his belt ahead of July's home Tests against South Africa.
Sri Lanka A are set to play three four-dayers in Bangladesh, but because the third of those matches clashes with the start of the first Test against South Africa, Karunaratne is expected to play only the first two. Nevertheless, he has been named captain of the Sri Lanka A side - which also features Dasun Shanaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Lakshan Sandakan and Danushka Gunathilaka, all of whom have played Tests for Sri Lanka over the past year. Fast bowler Shehan Madushanka has also been named in the squad, after his recovery from injury.
Sri Lanka A's first two four-dayers will be played in Cox's Bazar, before the teams move to Sylhet for the third match. A three-match one-day series is to follow in Sylhet, for which the selectors are expected to name a separate squad.
Sri Lanka A squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt., first two four-dayers only), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Lahiru Thirimanne, Ashan Priyanjan, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Shammu Ashan, Manoj Sarathchandra, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lakshan Sandakan, Nishan Peiris, Shehan Madushanka, Nisala Tharaka, Dilesh Gunaratne.