Arjuna Ranatunga lashes out at SLC for agreeing to host second-string Indian team

Arjuna Ranatunga, who had led Sri Lanka to their first and only World Cup triumph in 1996 has lashed out at his country's cricket board - Sri Lanka Cricket for agreeing to host a second-string Indian team in a limited-overs bilateral series later this month. 
At the same time, Arjuna Ranatunga has also made it crystal clear that inviting a second-string Indian team for a white-ball series is an 'insult' to their cricket.

Arjuna Ranatunga lashes out at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)

"This is a second-string Indian team and their coming here is an insult to our cricket. I blame the current administration for agreeing to play with them due to television marketing needs," Ranatunga, a government minister until two years ago, told reporters at his residence.

"India sent their best team to England and sent a weaker side to play here. I blame our board for that," added the legendary batsman, who led Sri Lanka to the 1996 ODI world title.

India tour of Sri Lanka: Team India's seconds-string squad look to create history on Lankan soil

With the full-strength Indian squad in the United Kingdom for a three-and-a-half-month long tour, the BCCI has sent a team of white-ball specialists for an away limited-overs series against Sri Lanka starting July 13 where the Men In Blue are scheduled to play three ODIs and as manyT20Is. India will be led by opener Shikhar Dhawan while pacer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has been named his deputy for that particular series.

Former skipper and National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief Rahul Dravid will be the head coach for this bilateral white-ball series.

India's Full Squad: Shikhar Dhawan (Captain), Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suryakumar Yadav, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Rana, Ishan Kishan (Wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (Wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, K Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Vice-captain), Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Chetan Sakariya

Net Bowlers: Ishan Porel, Sandeep Warrier, Arshdeep Singh, Sai 

(With PTI Inputs)