Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka couldn’t find a place in the National squad for the forthcoming Bangladesh Test series as he has still not fully recovered from the back injury.

According to reliable sources close to SLC the in-form top order batsman Oshada Fernando most probably will open the batting with skipper Dimuth Karunaratne in this Test series. The selectors named a 23 member National pool earlier and subsequently picked a 18 member squad for the Test series subject to approval from the Sports Minister. The National players also have to undergo a fitness test from April 25 to 27 at Sugathadasa Stadium and it will be handled by the Sri Lankan trainer. This fitness test will be conducted once in every four months. But the reports of this test also will be considered for the Bangladesh tour and the Emerging team’s England tour. A 32 member emerging cricket pool has already been named and from it, an 18 member squad will be picked. The tour will commence on May 1.

Pathum Nissanka, pacemen Mohammed Shiraz, Shiran Fernando, off spinner Lakshitha Manasinghe and leg spinner Jeffrey Vandersay have not been included in the final 18 member squad. (If any player of the 18 member squad fails the fitness test then one of the five players will get a chance to enter the National squad). Nissanka the 23 year old right hander played his last Test against India from March 4 to 6 in Mohali and he missed the second Test due to a back injury, and since then (more than two months) Nissanka has still not recovered.