Kumar Sangakkara has been named captain of Sri Lanka for the World Twenty20 tournament in England this year while Muttiah Muralitharan has been appointed Sangakkara's deputy in the provisional 25-member squad announced by the national selection committee.
Sangakkara, 31, who was vice-captain for three years and has played 80 Tests and 246 ODIs, was always the frontrunner to succeed Mahela Jayawardene, who stepped down as captain at the end of the two-Test series in Pakistan earlier this month.
The Lankan selectors are expected to take a long-term decision on the captaincy and will also be trimming the squad to a final 15 after the ongoing Inter-provincial Twenty20 tournament ends, on April 5.
Having aborted the tour to Pakistan last week following the terrorist attack on the Lankan team bus in Lahore, Sri Lanka do not have any international engagements till the World Twenty20 to be held in June. A good majority of the players, though, are expected to figure in the IPL next month.
The World Twenty20 gets underway on June 5, with Sri Lanka taking on Australia in their opening match on June 8 at Trent Bridge. West Indies are the other team in Group C.
Sri Lanka provisional World Twenty20 squad: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Muttiah Muralitharan (vice-capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Farveez Maharoof, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thilan Thushara, Lasith Malinga, Chaminda Vaas, Ajantha Mendis, Kaushal Weeraratne, Upul Tharanga, Isuru Udana, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Chintaka Jayasinghe, Nuwan Zoysa, Gihan Rupasinghe, Thilina Kandamby, Malinga Bandara, Dilhara Fernando.
