Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Pramodya Wickramasinghe has been named head of the country’s newly constituted national selection committee, which will oversee selections for both the men’s and women’s senior teams. He will be joined by former internationals Vinothen John, Indika de Saram, Rasanjali de Alwis (née Silva), and Tharanga Paranavitana.
The previous committee, chaired by Upul Tharanga, has now been dissolved, though there is an element of continuity in the new setup. Paranavitana and de Saram both served under Tharanga and carry that experience into the latest panel. Wickramasinghe, meanwhile, is returning to a familiar role, having previously served as chief selector from 2021 to 2023. His earlier tenure ended following Sri Lanka’s disappointing campaign at the 2023 World Cup. Before that, he was also part of a selection panel led by Sanath Jayasuriya — now the national head coach — between 2013 and 2015.
The appointments were confirmed by Sri Lanka’s sports ministry, in line with national regulations that require the ministry’s approval for selector appointments. Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said the board had been consulted throughout the process.
“Sri Lanka Cricket submits a shortlist of around ten names to the ministry, and they make the final selections from that list,” de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “There isn’t a fixed term. The appointments stand until further notice.”
De Silva added that the Tharanga-led committee had simply completed its tenure, with no internal push to extend it through the men’s T20 World Cup in February and March. That transition comes less than a month after Tharanga publicly suggested that captain Charith Asalanka could be replaced in the near future — a call that will now fall to the new selection panel.
Selecting Sri Lanka’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup will be the committee’s first major assignment.
All five selectors have represented Sri Lanka at the highest level. Paranavitana and de Saram remained active in domestic cricket into the current decade, while John is the most senior of the group, having last played for Sri Lanka in 1987.
