Suranga Lakmal to captain Sri Lanka in Day-Night Test vs West Indies

Suranga Lakmal will captain Sri Lanka in the Day-Night Test against West Indies in Barbados after Dinesh Chandimal lost an appeal against a one-Test ban over the ball-tampering charges.

Suranga Lakmal, Sri Lanka pacer, has been appointed captain of Sri Lanka cricket team for the historic Day-Night Test against the West Indies beginning at Bridgetown on Saturday.

Suranga Lakmal will be Sri Lanka’s 16th Test captain as Sri Lanka aim to square the three-Test series in the Pink Ball Test in Barbados.(AFP)

Lakmal will lead the side in third and final Test of the series in the absence of regular captain Dinesh Chandimal, who lost an appeal against a one-Test ban over the ball-tampering charges. Lakmal, who has played 46 Tests so far, will be the island nation’s 16th Test captain.

Chandimal, who was caught using saliva and a sweet to tamper with the ball during the second Test in St Lucia, had been slapped with two suspension points and fined 100 per cent of his match fee by match referee Javagal Srinath. The points result in a ban of one Test or two ODIs or two T20s.

Though Chandimal appealed against it claiming innocence, the International Cricket Council (ICC) upheld the ban after being convinced of the fact that the Sri Lankan did apply an artificial substance on the ball, which is prohibited.

A second ICC hearing is scheduled to be held on July 10 to decide a course of action against Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and manager Asanka Gurusinha, along with Chandimal, for a conduct that was contrary to the spirit of the game.

The trio was charged by ICC chief executive David Richardson on Tuesday for their role in Sri Lanka team’s refusal to take to the field at the start of third day’s play in the second Test.

“Until the hearing takes place … Hathurusinghe and Gurusinha can continue to perform their professional responsibilities, including in the Barbados Test,” the ICC said in a statement.

This will be the first Day-Night Test played in the West Indies. Sri Lanka have played one Pink Ball Test against Pakistan while West Indies have played a Day-Night Test against Pakistan in Dubai and against England in Birmingham.