The one-off T20I game between England and Sri Lanka will be played at Bristol in Gloucestershire on June 25. The match will begin at 1330 hours GMT or 2.30 pm local time and will see the Sri Lankans try to overturn the Test series loss that they had suffered at the hands of England.
It is a fresh start and the reason why one can say that is because of the changes that both teams have seen in their squad. England have a new captain and a vice-captain, with Stuart Broad taking over the reins and Eoin Morgan being appointed his deputy. There is a return for the World T20 opening pair of Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb while the bowling bears a completely new look as well.
There is place for two potential debutants in the pace bowling department. Jade Dernabch, who had made it to the Test match squad in the second game will be fighting for a place in the playing eleven with the more internally experienced Steve Finn, who has also not played a T20I so far.
However, all eyes will be on Samit Patel, who makes a comeback to the side after having struggled to convince the selectors and the management of his attitude towards his fitness. Definitely on the heavier side as compared to the modern-day cricketer, Patel will need to find out ways of performing to the best of his ability. It will be interesting to see whether he makes it to the playing eleven given that he will be fighting for the berth with Graeme Swann.
In the absence of T Dilshan, Sri Lanka will be led by Thilina Kandamby. Till about recently, Kandamby wasn’t even a part of the limited overs squad, which makes him a surprising choice. The other big surprise is the selection of Sanath Jayasuriya, who will bat at the top with Mahela Jayawardene. Dilshan’s fractured thumb and Upul Tharanga’s doping issue has left the Lankan selectors with no choice whatsoever.
The good news for the Sri Lankan side, though, was that the injury-prone Angelo Mathews signalled his return to international cricket with a superb half-century but did not bowl a single over. He could be played as a pure batsman in a struggling Sri Lankan middle-order.
Lasith Malinga will lead the Lankan bowling attack while Ajantha Mendis will be their leading spinner. Jayasuriya’s ability to send down a few overs will be a handy addition.