It is with great interest that we read in the newspapers that the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team is to tour South Africa. It is no doubt it is going to be a very good learning experience for the youngsters who are knocking on the door of the National team.

Going through the squad of players who are due to tour South Africa very soon, it appears that the selectors have done a commendable job. Of course, there will be the occasional criticism but, by and large, the selectors appear to have stuck to a certain pattern of thinking.

However, there was one name that did not fit into the scheme of things. It is not due to policy or lack of proper judgment on the part of the selectors that I disagree with the selection of Gihan Rupasinghe. It is because this cricketer has not played a single Under-23 Division I match this season due to injury. He has been picked without any performances to justify his selection. What is more shocking is that after his name was included in the squad, he has not played for his club, Tamil Union C&AC this week end (9 and 10 August). The reason he has given is that he is not fit and if that was the case, how was he selected to tour South Africa in the first place? I am made to understand that there was a fitness test two weeks ago and he failed the test as well. He does not seem to have recovered from that injury yet, as evidenced by his refusal to play a domestic match this weekend due to injury. It is entirely possible that the selectors were totally unaware that he was injured. If that is the case, now is the time for the selectors to correct their folly.

I must mention here that Rupasinghe has performed well in the past. He was the Player of the Tournament of the Under-23 Division I tournament last season. Soon after that, he was injured and failed to play a single game in the Premier Limited Overs tournament. Later, he appeared in some matches of the Premier League tournament with moderate success. Then this season, which started with the Under-23 tournament, he has failed to play a single game so far due to injury. Hence, it is clear that he is a cricketer with a long history of injuries and the selectors would do well to review their decision.