Lasith Malinga is likely to play at least two early-season games for Mumbai Indians in the IPL after the BCCI asked Sri Lanka Cricket to make the veteran bowler available for as much of the tournament as possible.
Malinga is likely to be available for selection for Mumbai’s next two matches. Both away games – on March 28 against Royal Challengers Bangalore and on March 30 against Kings XI Punjab. Malinga is then likely to return to Sri Lanka to feature in the Super Provincial One-Day Tournament before rejoining Mumbai after April 10.
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SLC and its selectors had earlier insisted that only players who participate in the weeklong one-day competition would be eligible for selection to the World Cup squad. They had also named Malinga captain of the Galle team for that tournament.
Sri Lanka’s chief selector, Ashantha De Mel, said:
“Anyway he has been one of our best bowlers in one-dayers, so there’s no question about his place in the team.”
But a call from the BCCI over the past three days has prompted SLC to climb down from their position. Not only does SLC heavily depend on India tours for broadcast income. But the board is also hoping for BCCI support for the Lankan Premier League franchise tournament. Which is tentatively slated for September.
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Malinga is expected to travel to Sri Lanka from South Africa first and then travel to India to join Mumbai. Once the SLC confirms the dates for the domestic ODI tournament (it is tentatively scheduled for April 4-11). Malinga will return home and then rejoin Mumbai post the Super Provincial tournament.
Furthermore, the chief selector has made it clear that Malinga is their best bowler and there is no question about his place in the team.
“We have no issues if he goes to IPL – the board had given him a no-objection certificate already, so he’s free to go. Anyway he has been one of our best bowlers in one-dayers, so there’s no question about his place in the team,” he quoted.
Sri Lanka just finished their long tour of South Africa. Where they were clean swept by the hosts in both ODI series as well as T20I series. Earlier, Sri Lanka registered a historic Test series win against South Africa by 2-0.
