Sri Lanka Cricket’s medical panel head Arjuna de Silva gave an update on Wanindu Hasaranga’s injury and said that the team management is currently consulting foreign doctors to check whether the players need surgery or not and it is likely that he will miss the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 in India.
Wanindu Hasaranga is still battling the hamstring injury he picked up during last month’s playoffs of the Lankan Premier League and the 26-year-old sat out Sri Lanka’s recent Asia Cup campaign that saw them finish as runner-up.
While Sri Lanka knows that time is running out for Wanindu Hasaranga to prove his fitness prior to their World Cup 2023 opener against South Africa in Delhi on October 7, the team are still exploring every avenue to allow the right arm spinner to feature at the 50-over showcase.
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“We are consulting foreign doctors to see whether he needs surgery or not. If he does, he will be out for at least three months. At the moment, the situation is not that great and it’s highly unlikely that he can play the World Cup,” Sri Lanka medical panel head Arjuna de Silva told The Sunday Times newspaper in Sri Lanka as quoted by ICC.
“Since he is a key weapon in our attack, we are looking at other options to see how best we can get his services at least for important games. All that depends on the opinions of the consultant to whom we are trying to show his reports,” he added.
If Wanindu Hasaranga was to miss the entire World Cup 2023 then the team’s bowling stocks would be severely depleted given his capabilities of performing well on the big stage. Wanindu Hasaranga was the leading wicket-taker at the two most recent editions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and also topped the wicket charts during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe earlier in the year.
Sri Lanka will commence their campaign in ICC World Cup 2023 with a clash against South Africa on October 7 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Sri Lanka is one of just two teams yet to name their squad for this year’s World Cup, with the Asian side and Bangladesh having until September 28 to submit their final group of 15 players to the ICC for the tournament.
