Prasanna undergoes operation in Wellington

Rex Clementine reporting from Wellington

Prasanna Jayawardene

Wicketkeeper batsman Prasanna Jayawardene had to be rushed to hospital Wednesday morning after he complained of severe stomach pain. Team manager Michael Tissera told ‘The Island’ that the player underwent an appendicitis operation Wednesday afternoon.

"Prasanna complained of severe pain Tuesday night and the doctor gave him a pain killer injection and asked us to take him to hospital if the pain persisted. The pain was still there Wednesday morning and when we took him to hospital the doctors said that he needed to undergo operation," Tissera said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka will not have the services of seamers Ruchira Perera and leg-spinner Malinga Bandara for the first Twenty-20 game in Wellington. The two players are arriving in New Zealand only on December 22 and they will remain in Auckland. They will be only available for selection for the second Twenty-20 game at the Eden Park in Auckland.

Team sources said that the two players, who were in the West Indies with the ‘A’ team, were to initially reach New Zealand via Los Angeles, but subsequently the flight schedule was changed and they had to reach New Zealand after going to Colombo.

-The Island Sports-