Sri Lankan squad for NZ to be picked next week

The national selection committee will meet some time next week to pick the Sri Lanka team for the tour of New Zealand starting next month. The teams for the Tests and one-day internationals will be selected from a squad of 19 players which the selectors have earmarked for the tour.

The meeting was scheduled for Monday, but with Mahela Jayawardene out of the country, it has been postponed until his return. After being named as Captain of the Year at the ICC awards in Mumbai on Friday, Jayawardene is the favourite to retain the captaincy for the tour.

Sri Lanka are due to play a series of two Tests, two Twenty20 internationals and five one-day internationals between November 30 and January 9.

Preliminary squad: Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedara, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Ruchira Perera, Malinga Bandara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Prasanna Jayawardene, Michael Vandort, Thilan Samaraweera, Rangana Herath