Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) has excluded Sri Lanka internationals Kusal Mendis and Dasun Shanaka from its squad for yesterday’s three-day Tier B domestic match.

The decision follows the players’ departure for the ILT20 without featuring in SSC’s domestic fixtures, a move that has reportedly upset the club, despite both having obtained no-objection certificates from Sri Lanka Cricket.

This development comes at a critical time for Sri Lanka Cricket, which had recalled several national players from overseas leagues to ensure they gained match practice in local conditions, particularly against spin, ahead of the upcoming World Cup and the home series against Pakistan.

Under Sri Lanka Cricket’s preparation plan, all centrally contracted players were instructed to play at least one three-day domestic match before the Pakistan series. However, SSC’s decision means Mendis and Shanaka will miss the scheduled red-ball fixture and will be restricted to training sessions only.

SSC are currently competing in Division Two of the domestic structure following their relegation last season.

Meanwhile, several members of Sri Lanka’s 25-man squad were in action in three-day matches that began yesterday , with Kamindu Mendis and Janith Liyanage scoring centuries.

The Sri Lanka team is training in Colombo and is scheduled to travel to Dambulla on 2nd of January ahead of the Pakistan series, which begins on 7th of January .