Mendis included in SL squad for first Test against Pak

Sri Lanka's cricket selectors on Tuesday included uncapped all-rounder Jeevan Mendis in the 15-man squad to play the first Test against Pakistan starting this weekend.

The 29-year-old Mendis has appeared in 20 ODIs and Twenty20 games but is unlikely to make the final XI as the spin department appear to be firmly booked by Rangana Herath and Suraj Randiv.

Thisara Perera, after his heroics in the One-day series where he became the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to achieve an ODI hat-trick, may still find himself left out of the final XI .

The first Test starts in the southern port town of Galle on June 22.

Squad: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Parnavithana, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Chanaka Welagedara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Pradeep, Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis.

Photograph: Nikhil Monteiro / Reuters