Bangladesh opening batsman Imrul Kayes has been ruled out of contention for the one-off Test against India, which starts on Thursday in Hyderabad

Mohammad Isam in Hyderabad06-Feb-2017

Bangladesh opening batsman Imrul Kayes has been ruled out of contention for the one-off Test against India, which starts on Thursday in Hyderabad. Imrul injured his left thigh while fielding on day two of the Bangladeshis’ tour match against India A at the Gymkhana ground.According to BCB media manager Rabeed Imam, it is a recurrence of the same injury that ruled Imrul out of the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch last month.In Imrul’s absence, Soumya Sarkar – who replaced him in Christchurch, opened for the first time in Tests, and scored 86 and 36 – is likely to open alongside Tamim Iqbal in Hyderabad. Bangladesh have not called up an opener as Imrul’s replacement, instead flying in the middle-order batsman Mosaddek Hossain, who played the ODIs and T20s in New Zealand but was overlooked for the Tests.Imrul’s injury comes as a significant blow to Bangladesh ahead of their first-ever Test on Indian soil. While Imrul’s Test record is modest – 1432 runs at 28.64 – he and Tamim have forged what is by far Bangladesh’s most successful opening partnership. Together, they have scored 2205 runs, and average an impressive 47.93as a pair with four century stands.Bangladesh squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Tamim Iqbal, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Taijul Islam, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed, Subashis Roy, Liton Das (wk), Mominul Haque, Shafiul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain.

Opening batsman Kieran Powell, who last played an international game in June 2014, has been recalled to the West Indies side for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, which starts from March 3. Powell’s inclusion follows the batsman’s prolific run in West Indies’ domestic List A competition, the Regional Super50, where he emerged as the highest run-getter, scoring three centuries and two fifties.

West Indies squads

ODI squad: Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Carlos Brathwaite, Kraigg Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis,Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell
WICB Board President’s XI Jahmar Hamilton (capt), Sunil Ambris, Ronsford Beaton, Rahkeem Cornwall, Montcin Hodge, Kyle Hope, Damion Jacobs, Reynard Leveridge, Kyle Mayers, Andre McCarthy, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach

The squad does not feature left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, wicketkeeper-batsman Johnson Charles and offspinner Sunil Narine, who were part of the team in West Indies’ previous ODI assignment, the tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe.Alzarri Joseph, who was first picked and later withdrawn from the tri-series, has also found a place in the squad.If he takes the field on March 3, Kieran Powell will play his first match in the format after nearly three years, having played England in his previous ODI appearance in March 2014. Powell played only one more international match – a Test against New Zealand in June that year – before he was dropped from the squad.The batsman took a self-imposed break from the game, and in January 2015, issued a statement saying that mixed signals from West Indies cricket authorities had left him “deflated and confused” as he attempted to return to international cricket. This resulted in his decision to step away from the game for some time and in January 2016, he tried his hand at baseball, without much success.He finally made a return to first-class cricket in March 2016, featuring for Leeward Islands in the Regional 4-day tournament. Between his exclusion from West Indies sides and his return for Leeward Islands, Powell played four first-class matches – for Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club in Sri Lanka’s first-class Premier League Tournament in February-March 2015.While he played only two matches in last season’s Regional 4-day, he has had a longer run with the team in the 2016-17 domestic season, and has enjoyed better returns. Until December – when the first half of the first-class tournament concluded – Powell had scored 264 runs with two fifties in five matches. In the Regional Super50 competition that followed, his tally of 513 runs from nine matches at an average of 64.12 propelled Leeward into the semi-finals, where they lost to Barbados. At one stage, Powell had five successive fifty-plus scores, raking up 105, 135, 52, 106 and 80.The squad also does not feature allrounder Marlon Samuels, who was cleared to bowl in international cricket by the ICC last week. Samuels last played an ODI in October last year before being dropped from the squad for the tri-series in Zimbabwe.The 15-man squad will have a training camp in Antigua this week, with the team’s new coach Stuart Law. The board also announced the WICB President’s XI team,which will play a practice match against England on February 27 in St Kitts.The first two ODIs will be played in Antigua on March 3 and 5, followed by the final match in Barbados on March 9.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their plans to overhaul their attacking options ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign…

What’s the latest on Danilo to Rangers?

According to the Heart & Hand Podcast, the Gers remain keen on a deal to sign Feyenoord centre-forward Danilo in the summer transfer window.

The official club sponsor claims that Michael Beale will still pursue a move for the Brazilian striker despite the club being close to bringing in Cyriel Dessers.

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the Light Blues have agreed a fee with Cremonese and are set to finalise personal terms with the Nigerian.

However, this does not appear to alter their plans to swoop for the Eredivisie marksman, who has reportedly been valued at around €8m (£6.8m) by the Dutch outfit.

Where would Danilo fit in at Rangers?

If the Dessers deal goes through as claimed, the Gers would have four senior number nines on the books; including the Cremonese ace, Antonio Colak, Sam Lammers, and Kemar Roofe.

Therefore, the signing of Danilo on top of that could be bad news for one of Beale’s current options as it would restrict their game time, potentially leaving the club in need of moving them on before the deadline.

The Brazilian striker's arrival would spell trouble for Roofe as the former Leeds United frontman has been an unreliable player for the club in recent years, which could open the door for the manager to cut ties with him this summer.

Since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, the Jamaica international has missed a staggering 84 competitive matches across seven injuries, including 35 games due to a knee issue last season.

A player's most important quality is their availability, as they are otherwise unable to make an impact on results, and Roofe has proven himself to be a liability on that front.

Danilo, on the other hand, has only been absent for 16 competitive outings since the start of the 2019/20 season and made 48 appearances for Feyenoord last term, while the Gers centre-forward has only played 42 matches across the last two campaigns combined.

Therefore, the 24-year-old hotshot, who was once hailed by Erik ten Hag as the manager's best "finisher" at Ajax, would be a far better option for Beale to have in his squad due to his durability.

The £6.8m-rated ace also scored ten goals and provided three assists in 14 Eredivisie starts last season, which is a goal record only four Rangers players bettered in the Scottish Premiership – with three of them having started more than 17 times.

This shows that the potential is there for him to be an excellent scorer for the Light Blues whilst being able to offer more reliability in his availability in comparison to Roofe.

Nottingham Forest have emerged as a frontrunner to sign Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer, according to fresh reports.

Is Callum Hudson-Odoi leaving Chelsea?

The Premier League’s left-sided winger worked his way up through the youth ranks to graduate from the academy at Stamford Bridge and become a regular feature of the first-team, where he's so far made 126 senior appearances, but his future is currently extremely uncertain.

Last season, England’s former international was sent out on a season-long loan to Bayer Leverkusen to receive more game time, but that spell didn’t go as well as hoped as he only made seven starts all term which will have been disappointing for both the player and his parent club.

The Blues product, however, will be out of contract at the end of the next campaign so this window will be Mauricio Pochettino’s final opportunity to cash in should he not want to lose him for free, and should he depart, he’s already got a heavily invested suitor at The City Ground.

The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg recently reported that the Reds, Fulham and AC Milan have all registered an interest in the 22-year-old who is ready to embark on a new challenge, but if the following update is to be believed, it’s the former who have leapfrogged their competitors into pole position.

Are Nottingham Forest signing Hudson-Odoi?

According to Football Transfers, Nottingham Forest are the “among the favourites” to sign Hudson-Odoi should he secure a move away from Chelsea. The SW6 outfit “want to sell” the attacker and Steve Cooper is a “huge fan” of his target having managed him at the England’s U17s World Cup earlier in his career. The Blues are “looking” to demand £20m, though if a deal is to be agreed, it likely won’t be until “later” in the window.

Should Marinakis make an offer for Hudson-Odoi?

Nottingham Forest’s owner Evangelos Marinakis will know that Cooper holding an existing connection to Hudson-Odoi means he knows a lot about what he’s capable of, and even though he only scored one goal and provided the same number of assists last season at Leverkusen, he still looked promising and could thrive in the next chapter of his career in the Midlands.

Chelsea’s forward was averaging 3.86 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes over in Germany which was the third-highest total throughout his squad, as per FBRef, not to mention that he had strong link-up play with his teammates, recording an 86.9% pass success rate, higher than any of the regular current starters in NG2.

The Wandsworth-born ace, who has the versatility to operate in seven different positions across the pitch, also knows what it takes to compete and be successful having won five senior trophies with his boyhood club, including the Champions and Europa League, so could bring a much-needed winning mentality to the side.

Last but not least, Hudson-Odoi has been dubbed a “monster of a talent” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella and it’s obvious that he has bags of potential to be unleashed, and this is exactly what could happen should he sign on the dotted line to become a new recruit under Cooper.

ESPNcricinfo previews the fourth one-day international from Hamilton with South Africa aiming to close out the series

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan28-Feb-2017Match FactsMarch 1, 2017
Start time 2.00pm local (0100GMT)Jeetan Patel adds another spin option for New Zealand•Getty Images

The big pictureNew Zealand need back-to-back wins to extend a run of eight home series victories in a row – a ninth would put them alone in second place, behind South Africa’s gargantuan 17-series streak which stretched from 2002-2009. Speaking of South Africa, while one win will give them this series, they also need to take both matches to hold onto their No. 1 otherwise Australia will yo-yo back to top spot.First things first. They’ll be keen to wrap up the series in Hamilton, not least because it would give them the chance to rest the odd player, specifically Kagiso Rabada, from the final match ahead of the Tests. Although their results have flip-flopped in the series, the scale of their victory in Wellington will test New Zealand’s resolve.A deciding match at Eden Park, which carries history for South Africa, would be a terrific end to the series. For that to occur, New Zealand will have to bat much better. Martin Guptill’s return will help but aside from him, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, question marks remain over the others.All eyes will be on the surface. The pitch used for the first match of series turned appreciably although a next door strip will be rolled out this time. New Zealand three specialist spinners, South Africa two? Five in a match in a country where seam normally rules. Surely not.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LWLWW
South Africa WLWWWIn the spotlightMartin Guptill has batted in the middle twice in two months (making 112 for Auckland and 61 against Australia) but there is an expectation that he can give New Zealand’s top order a punch it has been missing. His record facing South Africa, however, is his weakest against anyone he has played regularly with an average of 22.07 from 14 innings. He does have a century, though, and it came in his last but one innings against them to help level the 2015 series in South Africa. A repeat would be gratefully received.David Miller hasn’t got going since his return from the finger injury he sustained against Sri Lanka. He has twice fallen to spin – edging Ish Sodhi’s googly and flicking Mitchell Santner to midwicket – which is likely to be a key element of this match. Coupled with JP Duminy’s own issues of converting starts, it has made South Africa’s middle order slightly less daunting than it could have been. But that can change quickly.Team newsNew Zealand need to work out how to fit in Luke Ronchi. That makes Neil Broom, who has had three failures in this series, vulnerable with both allrounders, Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme, having had backing from Mike Hesson. Three frontline spinners would appear unlikely, especially as Tim Southee’s off-cutters proved effective last time in Hamilton, although Jeetan Patel could play ahead of Ish Sodhi to target the left handers.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, Dean Brownlie, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jimmy Neesham, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Ish Sodhi/Jeetan Patel, 11 Trent BoultSouth Africa have tweaked their pace attack throughout the series. If they want to bring in left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, the most vulnerable could be Wayne Parnell who, while not being poor, has been the least consistent seamerSouth Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Wayne Parnell/Tabraiz Shamsi, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran TahirPitch and conditionsThis match was originally scheduled to be played in Napier, but they lost it following the abandonment against Australia and subsequent investigations which showed serious problems with the outfield. The previous pitch in Hamilton spun so much AB de Villiers said it was the toughest conditions he had faced. It may not turn quite so much this time, but should still aid the spinners. There is the chance of thunderstorms on Tuesday which could impact preparation, but match day looks fine and warm.Stats and trivia The most overs of spin bowled by New Zealand in a home ODI came earlier this season against Bangladesh in Nelson when Mitchell Santner, Jeetan Patel and Kane Williamson sent down 28. If Quinton de Kock makes his sixth fifty-plus score in a row it will set a new South Africa record. A New Zealand wicketkeeper hasn’t scored an ODI fifty since January 23, 2015 when Luke Ronchi made 170 not out against Sri Lanka – that’s a span of 40 innings.Quotes”It’s exciting to be back, it’s been a while. We’ve got two games to win so it doesn’t get much bigger than that.”
Martin Guptill“We’re always confident going into a game, but never complacent. We know that the Black Caps can come and get a victory over us here, they’ve got all the necessary skill and all the talent to do it.”

Liverpool are among the suitors for one of Europe's most prodigious talents in Fenerbahce star Arda Guler, who has blitzed into prominence after a remarkable breakout campaign in his homeland.

What's the latest on Arda Guler to Liverpool?

That's according to a report from TEAMtalk that underscores the Yellow Canaries' desire to retain the services of their starlet for at least one more year, tieing him down to a new deal that will allow a more lucrative future sale.

Guler has a €17.5m (£15m) release clause in his contract, which is an attractive element to consider given that Liverpool are looking to complete astute deals on the market, having already tied up Alexis Mac Allister for a bargain £35m.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds are joined by Arsenal, Bayern, Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain in their interest in the fleet-footed phenom.

How good is Arda Guler?

Hailed as a "magician with a wand of a left foot" by one European scout, Guler is one of the most exciting players on the scene right now, boasting a wealth of skills that tantalise a career at the very forefront of the game over the next footballing era.

Despite his youthful age and inexperience, he produced displays of exceptional quality in the Turkish Super Lig this year, earning a stunning average Sofascore rating of 7.48 after starting just 11 matches, scoring four goals, supplying three assists, completing 85% of his passes and averaging two key passes per game from the offensive right flank.

Given the "serious talent" – as he has been described by Duncan Castles – possesses an innate cutting edge and tendency to drift inwards and wreak havoc from the box, he could be viewed as the dream heir to Mohamed Salah's pre-eminent role at Anfield, with the Egyptian sensation registering 265 direct goal contributions from 305 appearances since signing from Roma for £34m in 2017.

Liverpool fell by the wayside this term but it mattered not to the £350k-per-week forward's individual success, posting 30 goals and 16 assists from 50 appearances – with a return to fluidity when football resumes, there is no telling how destructive Salah's displays might be.

Technically a winger but reaping the fruits of his labour through his remarkable ability to cut inside, Salah ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 13% for assists and the top 1% for touches in the attacking box per 90, as per FBref, heralded as "lightning" by Reds historian Carl Clemente.

With Guler boasting a similar skill set and with Andrea Pirlo saying there is "no limit to his potential", securing his services as Salah's understudy before nurturing him to a starring role in the Merseyside giants' system could be the perfect way to ensure the club remain in contention for the biggest honours on offer for a lasting period.

Liverpool target Khephren Thuram has been urged to join the Reds as Premier League clubs battle for his signature this summer.

What’s the latest on Khephren Thuram to Liverpool?

RedmenTV presenter Paul Machin believes the Nice man should think carefully about his next destination, despite some of his potential suitors being able to offer Champions League football.

Indeed, Newcastle United are also believed to be admirers of the Frenchman and will return to the Champions League next term.

Machin told GIVEMESPORT: "I think Champions League football is an obvious draw, but the Newcastle project is still so young that there are so many uncertainties around it.

"I think they need a year or two of consistently qualifying for the Champions League before they become a proper Champions League club."

Whilst it’s difficult to argue against the project and the excitement brewing at St James' Park, Jurgen Klopp’s side is still expected to continue their pursuit of Thuram.

As per Nice-Matin, via Get French Football News, Liverpool will lodge a bid for the 22-year-old once the U21 European Championship has finished.

It is understood that Anfield is Thuram’s preferred destination, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently revealing that the 2019 Champions League winners are in constant contact with the Frenchman.

Thuram is valued at around £35m, with Newcastle still in the race.

How could Liverpool line up next season?

Since making his first team debut for Nice in 2019, Thuram has evolved into one of the continent's most promising and exciting talents.

In total, he has accumulated 138 appearances for his current club, with 35 of those coming in Ligue 1 this season.

Didier Digard, Thuram’s coach at Nice last season, has eulogised over his limitless potential and said: “Khephren’s fantastic. He is very hardworking, very attentive. On rest days he's at the training centre. He recovers quickly for back-to-back matches and completes high-intensity training.

“He listens and applies himself. He has room for improvement and he's in demand. He simply eats up video analysis, additional sessions. He also advises others, because he takes on a leadership role.”

As well as his commendable mentality, the £14k-per-week gem has also displayed his sensational dribbling ability as he ranks within the top 9% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries per 90 and successful take-ons per 90.

A player of this calibre could form a scintillating new partnership with Liverpool’s newest recruit, Alexis Mac Allister.

The Argentinian recently signed for just £35m and his incredible numbers make him a huge asset. The World Cup winner sits within the best 20% for successful take-ons per 90, shot-creating actions per 90, and total shots per 90, as his impudent trickery combined with Thuram’s energy makes for a frightening prospect.

Last campaign, across 35 top-flight games, the former Brighton man averaged 2.0 tackles and 1.3 key passes per game, as well as forging an 87% pass accuracy.

With a new-look midfield on the horizon at Liverpool, Klopp’s side could be back to their devastating best in the near future.

Bangladesh have drafted in uncapped left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam and recalled allrounder Shuvagata Hom to the 16-man ODI squad for the three match series against Sri Lanka starting on March 25. Mahmudullah remained in the ODI squad after the BCB president Nazmul Hassan insisted he wouldn’t be dropped from the format.There were reports in some Bangla newspapers on Monday that Mahmudullah would be dropped from the ODI and T20 squads. From the squad that played against New Zealand in December, Bangladesh have axed Mehedi Hasan and Tanbir Hayder, both spinning allrounders.

Ins and outs

In: Sunzamul Islam, Shuvagata Hom
Out: Mehedi Hasan, Tanbir Hayder

Sunzamul’s inclusion comes on the back of his exceptional form in domestic cricket in the last five seasons. In the recently-concluded domestic first-class competition, he took 25 wickets, including his first 9-wicket haul in an innings. He is also a handy batsman down the order.Shuvagata has also been in decent form in the domestic first-class tournament. He made 265 runs with one century, and took 25 wickets. However, he last played an ODI in 2011.Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan has been retained in the squad. He had played the last two ODIs in New Zealand after Mushfiqur Rahim was injured in the first game.Bangladesh ODI squad: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Subashis Roy, Sunzamul Islam, Shuvagata Hom, Nurul Hasan

كشفت تقارير صحفية بريطانية، عن السعر المطلوب من نادي سبورتينج لشبونة، للتخلي عن فيكتور جيوكيريس، في ظل اهتمام كبير من أندية أوروبا.

36 هدفًا في 39 مباراة، من أحد أفضل المهاجمين منذ بداية الموسم في قارة أوروبا، جعله هدفًا للعديد من الأندية الأوروبية الكبرى.

انضم جيوكيريس من كوفنتري سيتي مقابل 20 مليون يورو، في الصيف الماضي، وفي غضون 6 أشهر فقط، تمكن من لفت أنظار كبار أوروبا.

طالع أيضًا.. آرسنال يعلن تغيير مواعيد 3 مباريات في الدوري الإنجليزي

صحيفة “لاجازيتا ديلو سبورت” الإيطالية، أكدت بأن نادي سبورتينج لشبونة، يمكن أن يقبل بأقل من 100 مليون للتخلي عن صاحب الـ25 عامًا، وهو قيمة الشرط الجزائي في عقده.

الصحيفة الإيطالية، أشارت إلى أن سبورتينج لشبونة سيتفاوض لرحيل اللاعب ولكن ليس بأقل من 70 مليون يورو، مع وضع بعض الإضافات التي تتعلق بالأداء وإعادة البيع والأرقام والألقاب.

ميلان الإيطالي أبرز الأندية التي ترغب في ضم جيوكيريس لخلافة أوليفييه جيرو الذي سيرحل بنهاية الموسم أو بحد أقصى الموسم المقبل.

وفي الوقت ذاته، هناك اهتمام كبير وصراع بين عملاقي العاصمة الإنجليزية لندن، آرسنال وتشيلسي، في ظل إصابات جيسوس المتكررة في صفوف الجانرز، وكذلك تراجع مستوى نيكولاس جاكسون في البلوز.

اللاعب عندما سُئل عن اهتمام أندية أوروبا بضمه، رد: “إنها مجرد تكهنات ولكن الحديث عنها أمر جيد وممتع، لا أفكر كثيرًا في الأمر الآن، وسنرى ما سيحدث في الصيف”.

Kusal Perera and Thisara Perera were recalled to Sri Lanka’s ODI squad for the series against Bangladesh

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Mar-2017Sri Lanka squad

Upul Tharanga (capt), Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Kusal Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Vikum Sanjaya, Thisara Perera, Sachith Pathirana, Seekkuge Prassanna, Lakshan Sandakan
In: Kusal Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Thisara Perera
Out: Chaturanga de Silva, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lahiru Madushanka, Jeffrey Vandersay, Sandun Weerakkody

Kusal Perera and Thisara Perera were recalled to Sri Lanka’s ODI squad against Bangladesh, but captain Angelo Mathews continued to remain unavailable due to injury. Other additions in the ODI squad included opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka – fresh from an excellent run for Sri Lanka A – but there was no place for either seam bowler Nuwan Kulasekara or legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay.Upul Tharanga, who was stand-in captain during their 0-5 ODI whitewash in South Africa, will continue to lead the side in Mathews’ absence. While the management had hoped that Mathews would regain fitness in time for this series, the hamstring tear he sustained during the T20I series in South Africa continued to ail him.Both Pereras have returned to the ODI outfit after showing decent form in the ODI leg of the England Lions’ recent tour of Sri Lanka. Thisara had hit a match-winning 56 not out off 35 in the first unofficial ODI, and taken 2 for 17 in the second. Kusal, meanwhile, had struck two fifties in the three games he played.It was Gunathilaka, however, who headlined that series, with scores of 64, 121 not out, 44 and 51. He returned to the ODI squad after missing the South Africa series with a back complaint and his presence will create additional competition for the opening position. In addition to Gunathilaka, Kusal Perera, Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella have all recently opened the batting in limited-overs cricket.Sri Lanka’s selectors have unusually selected just one specialist spinner in the 15-man squad, giving Lakshan Sandakan that place, but omitting the likes of Amila Aponso and Vandersay. Allrounders Sachith Pathirana, Asela Gunaratne, and Dhananjaya de Silva are capable slow bowlers however. Left-arm spinning allrounder Chaturanga de Silva, who was picked for that series in South Africa, has been omitted.On the seam-bowling front, Suranga Lakmal appears likely to lead the attack, with Lahiru Kumara and Vikum Sanjaya were also picked. Lasith Malinga has made his comeback from injury in the T20 format, but is yet to reappear in ODIs.The first of three ODIs is scheduled to be played in Dambulla, on March 25.