Cricket
Andrew Fidel Fernando 6y

Malinga misses domestic one-dayer for IPL duties

Cricket

Lasith Malinga has missed his first match of Sri Lanka's Super Provincial one-day tournament, a day after Sri Lanka cricket reiterated that he must play domestic cricket to be considered for national selection. He had been named in Dambulla's squad, but has not joined the side, and has instead remained with IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, for whom he is a bowling mentor.

Despite his absence from this match, Malinga hopes to be named in Sri Lanka's squad for the ODI series against South Africa in July-August. "My work with the Mumbai Indians is due to end on about May 25 or 26," he had said in a public video last week. "But after that I am fit enough to train, play whatever practice matches that are scheduled, and if I am good enough, the selectors can pick me."

Over the past few months, Malinga has expressed displeasure at being left out of Sri Lanka's T20 side in particular by underlining his effectiveness in the format. He had played in SLC's club T20 tournament in January-February, and finished joint-highest wicket-taker, with 17 dismissals. His most-recent limited-overs appearances for Sri Lanka came against India in September last year.

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