Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal dropped for ICC World T20 semi-final - reports

T20 Skipper Dinesh Chandimal of Sri Lanka will be dropped from the T20 squad that will face West Indies in today’s semi-final of the ICC World T20.

Sri Lanka’s captain for the T20 format, Dinesh Chandimal will be dropped from the team that will face West Indies for the first semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20 today, reports Island Cricket.

“The Sri Lankans had taken the decision after much deliberation and Lasith Malinga who captained the must win game against New Zealand will lead the side once again and possibly in the final if Sri Lanka go through,” an unnamed source was quoted as saying by The Island.

Chandimal had to sit out of Sri Lanka’s match against New Zealand on Monday as he served his one-match ban after being found guilty of maintaining a slow over rate.

Sri Lanka captain Chandimal to be dropped for #WT20 semi-final: report http://t.co/Ino7msClf8

— Island Cricket (@IslandCricket) April 3, 2014

Chandimal who appears to be a misfit in the short form of the game has to hold his poor form in recent matches responsible for his exclusion from the squad. His batting average has gone down from 44.80 in 2012-13 to a mere 28.23 this year. His T20 scores this year have been 18, 3 and 15, including only one essay in World T20.

Sri Lanka’s selection panel is now led by former player Sanath Jayasuriya, and his decision to give Chandimal the reigns to the T20 squad has met with criticism from both fans and pundits alike.

Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Lasith Malinga is most likely to take charge of the squad again in Chandimal’s absence.