Milinda Siriwardana

Despite a promising start to his international career in a one-day series against Pakistan in 2015, the 33-year-old has never established himself as a regular in the national side

The Cricketer | 04/05/2019 at 14:27

Born: December 4, 1985

Role: Left-hand bat, left-arm orthodox

A batting all-rounder with a reputation as a wicket-taking ‘golden arm’, Milinda Siriwardana’s presence in Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad is, even by the admission of chief selector Ashantha de Mel, down to his versatility.

De Mel said: "To balance the side, the batsman coming in at number six has to be able to bowl. We went with someone who has a bit of experience in that role."

Yet, even allowing for his jack-of-all-trades abilities, Siriwardana’s inclusion may well have raised eyebrows.

Despite a promising start to his international career in a one-day series against Pakistan in 2015, the 33-year-old has never established himself as a regular in the national side.

A 26-ball fifty in his maiden series provided hope that the left-hander might possess the skillset to nail down a place as the side’s finisher.

De Mel’s words suggest that Siriwardana could be reprising that role in this tournament, with his useful left-arm spin and his superior record with the bat giving him the edge over Dhananjaya de Silva and Jeevan Mendis.

Fourteen years after his first-class debut in 2005 and a decade after Siriwardana was cut from Sri Lanka’s provisional World T20 squad, few would begrudge the all-rounder his moment in the sun.

SRI LANKA PLAYER PROFILES

Dhananjaya de Silva

Vishwa Fernando

Dimuth Karunaratne