Sri Lanka National Cricket Team
Full Name: Sri Lanka National Cricket Team
Nick Name: The Lions
Founded: 1975
Ground: Galle International Stadium
Team Owner: Sri Lanka Cricket
Captain: Dimuth Karunaratne
Coach: Mickey Arthur (Head Coach)
Nicknamed as Lions, Sri Lanka national men’s cricket team is one of the full members of ICC and have the Test, ODI and T20I status. Srilankan team has the accolade of playing the test match before their neighbors could. India featured for the first time in 1935 whereas Srilanka played in 1926-27. However, Sri Lanka gained the test status in 1981 and were the eighth nation to play the longest format of the cricket.
In the 1990s, the Sri Lanka cricket team achieved the greatest success including the World Cup win in 1996. The team was termed underdogs but rose to the heights in a short span of time. The arrival of players like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahel Jayawardhane, M Attapattu, Chaminda Vaas strengthened the team. The team went on to reach the finals of the 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cup but tasted the defeats in the hands of Australia and India respectively.
Sri Lanka Cricket also has a T20 World Cup to their name. They won their T20 accolade in 2014 whereas they have a Champions Trophy where they shared the trophy with India in 2002.
Board Members: Srilanka Cricket Team and its domestic affairs are looked after by Sri Lanka Cricket Board. In the recent past, the board has been guilty of corruption in financial and selection matters which has resulted in a major rejig of the members. Currently, the Srilanka Cricket Board is presided by Shami Silva whereas the secretary of the board is Mohan de Silva. The board had offered Kumar Sangakkara to preside and lead the cricket in a proper direction. However, his refusal has resulted in the selection of Shami Silva. Further, the selection panel consists of Asantha De Mel – Chairman, Brendon Kuruppu, Hemantha Wickramaratna and Chaminda Mendis.
Team Captain: Dimuth Karunaratne, the 32-year old left-handed batsman is the current skipper of the Sri Lanka cricket team. He captains the Sri Lanka team in both the long and short format of the game. On the other hand, Dasun Shanaka holds the mantle of Sri Lanka T20 squad.
Both the players will look to prove themselves in the upcoming games as they were unable to leave a mark behind in the span of time provided to them.
Team Coach: South African great, Micky Arthur is the new coach of Sri Lanka cricket. He is ably assisted by Rumesh Rathnayake, the former Sri Lanka cricketer. Zimbabwe Cricket legend, Andy Flower is the batting coach and David Saker looks after the bowling department. Shane McDermott is the new fielding coach for the Sri Lankan team, appointed after the departure of Jhonty Rodes.
Team Jersey: In the limited-overs format, Sri Lanka have often changed their kits with new designs and concepts. Every year, they have had a newly designed jersey with new sponsors. However, the color of the jersey has been in and around blue color with yellow stripes on the shoulders and waist. Their logo has resembled their national emblem and is a constant feature in their jersey. On the other hand, Sri Lanka cricket has a standard sweater with a dark blue V neck for Test Crickets.
Trophies & Awards
Years | Trophy/ Award | Final Match |
1996 | ICC Cricket World Cup | vs Australia |
2002 | ICC Champions Trophy | vs India |
2014 | ICC T20I World Cup | vs India |