Sri Lanka cricketer Dhananjaya de Silva quits tour after father’s murder

Colombo, May 25

The father of Sri Lankan cricket allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on the eve of the national team’s departure to the West Indies, police said.

The player’s father Ranjan, a local politician, was gunned down in Ratmalana, a suburb of the capital Colombo, close to midnight on Thursday, police said. An investigation is under way but no arrests have been made.

Cricket officials said 26-year-old de Silva withdrew from the tour that involves three Test matches. However, there was no official word from the cricket board on who would replace de Silva.

Sri Lanka will also miss opener Dimuth Karunaratne who fractured a finger while batting in the nets earlier this month as he prepared for a limited-overs domestic tournament. AFP