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Jayawardene retained as captain

Sri Lanka have named a virtually unchanged squad for next month's ICC Champions Trophy in India

Cricinfo staff
25-Aug-2006


Mahela Jayawardene has been retained as Sri Lankan captain despite the return of Marvan Atapattu © Getty Images
Mahela Jayawardene has been retained as Sri Lanka's captain for the Champions Trophy although Marvan Atapattu is included in the 14-man squad. Prasanna Jayawardene, the wicketkeeper, is the only exclusion from the team named for the cancelled one-day triangular series in Colombo.
Kumar Sangakkara will act as the vice-captain and the squad consists of the players who performed well in England and in the Test series against South Africa. Atapattu came into the squad for the Unitech tri-series, against India and South Africa, but did not get an opportunity to play when the tournament was cancelled following South Africa's withdrawal for security reasons.
Sri Lanka are due to leave for India on October 1 and play a series of three qualifying matches, starting six days later, against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and West Indies. If they get through the preliminary round they will join the main tournament which starts on October 15.
Squad Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Ruchira Perera, Dilhara Fernando, Lasith Malinga, Malinga Bandara, Muttiah Muralitharan