Lasith Malinga steps down as Sri Lanka captain before World T20
- Published
Malinga gave up Test cricket in 2010 because of injury problems
World Twenty20 |
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Host nation: India Dates: 8 March - 3 April |
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Lasith Malinga has stepped down as captain of defending champions Sri Lanka before Tuesday's start of the World Twenty20.
The 32-year-old led his side at the recent Asia Cup where they performed poorly, losing to Bangladesh.
He has been struggling with a knee injury but hopes to return for selection for their first group-stage match on 17 March.
Test captain Angelo Mathews will take over Malinga's role.
The announcement came hours after Sri Lanka's sports minister sacked the country's cricket selectors and appointed a new panel, headed by former player Aravinda de Silva.
The new selectors also made two late changes to the squad, bringing in batsman Lahiru Thirimanne and seamer Suranga Lakmal for keeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella and leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay.
Sri Lanka won the last World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in 2014 but since then batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have retired and they have dropped to eighth in the world rankings.
In another late squad change, West Indies have replaced injured batsman Lendl Simmons with 24-year-old uncapped Trinidadian left-hander Evin Lewis.
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