12 July, 2010 - Published 14:02 GMT

Sri Lanka U19 team to tour UK

Sri Lanka Under-19 cricket team departs this week for a four-week tour in England that involves four-day Test matches and Twenty20 tournament.

Captain of the team, Chatura Peiris, told BBC Sandeshaya that the tour will provide the team with valuable experience as it is the first time the young cricketers take part in an international T20 tournament.

“It is going to be a very good experience for us because this is the first time we play as a team for an international T20 tournament,” he said.

Sri Lanka Cricket is to host the Twenty20 World Cup in 2012.
It is the first time that Sri Lanka has been selected as the host nation for the T20 world Cup which is scheduled to be held in September 2012.
“Under-19 team has never played a T20 tournament before with a foreign country. We have had provincial and other T20 tournaments but not internationals,” he told BBCSinhala.com

Skipper Chatura Peiris also expressed hope that the team will be able to pose a “considerable challenge” to the English team in the England soil.

“We have played two three-day Test matches in Bangladesh. I have been playing for the u-19 team since 2007 but haven’t played four-days Tests before,” he added.