Breaking the usual approval processes, Limansa Thilakaratne, daughter of former Sri Lankan cricketer Thilakaratne Dilshan, has been selected for the Sri Lanka Under-19 squad.
It is reported that through political influence and questionable means, Dilshan directed his daughter to the Under-19 squad by first securing her a spot in the Under-23 Women’s Super League. Traditionally, players in this league are chosen based on local performances. However, Limansa Thilakaratne, who had never played any domestic matches, was selected for the Dambulla team, breaking that tradition.
While overseas players usually represent foreign teams, there has been no official criteria in Sri Lanka for selecting national-level squads in such cases. Dilshan allegedly used his political and administrative influence to get his Australian-citizen daughter the opportunity to play in a national-level tournament for the first time in Sri Lankan cricket history. Additionally, she received expert training at the Khettarama Institute of Technology.
It is believed Dilshan’s goal was to get Limansa into the Under-19 Sri Lankan team, which had a poor showing in previous tournaments. Reports suggest that the Chairman, Chief Executive, and another cricket administrator of Sri Lanka Cricket pushed for her inclusion, despite Limansa not being among the top 15 players chosen by the selection committee, with many more talented players available.
Nevertheless, the cricket administration included Limansa Thilakaratne as the 16th player in the 15-member squad for Sri Lanka’s Under-19 team, set to tour Australia starting September 20.
