Charith Asalanka made 19 runs in three ODIs in England, and Sri Lanka have left him out of the Pakistan tri-series

Kusal Mendis will lead a 16-man squad in Pakistan, and the name missing from it is Charith Asalanka. Sri Lanka Cricket’s selectors left the left-hander out on 4 October, a week after he finished the ODI series in England with 19 runs from three innings.

Wanindu Hasaranga is also absent, still recovering from an injury he picked up on that England tour. Avishka Fernando and Sahan Arachchige come back in.

One, 11 and seven

Asalanka’s scores in England read 1, 11 and 7. Sri Lanka lost the series 2-1: beaten by 89 runs at Chester-le-Street on 22 September, winners by 16 runs at Headingley two days later, then flattened by 223 runs at The Oval on 27 September, bowled out for 132 chasing 356.

The selectors had already moved before the ODI squad came out. Asalanka was not in the 15 named on 2 October for the three T20Is against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on 9, 11 and 13 October. That was a sharp drop for a player who had captained the T20I side in England only a fortnight earlier, after Mendis was ruled out of that leg with a hamstring problem. England won all three of those T20Is.

His overall ODI numbers still look healthy. He averages 40.55 across 88 matches, so this is a call on form. It is still a hard one: he will be watching from home while Sri Lanka try to win a trophy in Pakistan.

Avishka earns his way back

Avishka Fernando’s recall comes on the back of runs. He scored 447 in seven innings at 63.85 in the Major Clubs Limited Over Tournament, and his last ODI was on 12 February 2025. Arachchige returns after leading Sri Lanka to the men’s cricket bronze at the Asian Games in Japan.

There is a fitness question at the top of the order. Sri Lanka Cricket’s release says Pathum Nissanka will only travel if he is declared medically fit, and he is not in the T20I squad either.

The full squad: Kusal Mendis (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Sachindu Colombage, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka and Eshan Malinga.

Six round-robin games, then a final in Lahore

The tri-series with Pakistan and England starts on 18 October, when Sri Lanka play the hosts in Rawalpindi. They meet England there on 22 October, then move to Lahore for Pakistan on 27 October and England again on 29 October. The top two meet in the final in Lahore on 31 October.

For Asalanka, the way back runs through domestic cricket. Avishka has just shown the selectors will listen if the runs come.

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