SL begin grooming process for 2019 World Cup

Sri Lanka will send a young team to participate in the Moin-Ud-Dowla Gold Cup cricket tournament in Hyderabad from September 1 to 15. The tour will be part of Sri Lanka's preparations to have a strong team ready for the next World Cup, which will be held in England in 2019.

"The need to bring in young blood into the side nobody is going to deny that it is a must," Kapila Wijegunawardene, the SLC's chief selector, said. "When the next World Cup comes around four years from today, there has to be youngsters inducted into the team and nurtured and developed to be the leading players, that process we will systematically do.

"We have a very busy calendar leading up to July next year. We clearly want to make those adjustments in the side as we go forward. As a precursor to what our line of thinking is, we have inducted five young players into the T20 side for the two internationals against Pakistan commencing on Thursday.

"We are making use of that platform to give the opportunity to the youngsters to display their talent. We will also assess to see which of those players can get into the requirements of the senior team."

Tamil Union's left-hand batsman Charitha Buddhika will captain the team which will first play three four-day matches against South Africa Development Squad at home in Pallekele from July 30 before travelling to India.

"We have been watching the A team and Emerging team boys more than the senior side because that is where we need to identify the up and coming talent. There are some very exciting players coming through who will serve the country well," Wijegunawardene said.

"All these youngsters; we have a clear picture of what they are capable of. With South Africa Development squad, a tour to India and the A-team tour to New Zealand, we have a very clear path way lined up for them."