COLOMBO: Concerns over the slow recovery of Lasith Malinga’s knee injury have grown stronger ahead of the World T20 — the paceman now in doubt for Sri Lanka’s first match on March 17, according to cricinfo.
As a result, Malinga is understood to be considering stepping down from the T20 captaincy. The selectors are yet to make a final call on whether a change of leadership is needed, but Malinga has voiced reservations about keeping the job when he cannot guarantee his availability for Sri Lanka’s full campaign.
Malinga was due to undergo an MRI scan on Monday, after which the status of the injury to his left knee can be more clearly determined.
The team is scheduled to leave India on Tuesday, but Malinga is considering staying in Sri Lanka to receive further treatment, which is likely to include painkiller injections.
This overuse injury to the left knee — on which he lands during the delivery stride — has troubled him since West Indies’ series in Sri Lanka in November last year. He missed Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand in December and January, and was later ruled out of the T20s in India, in February.
Then, Malinga played only one match of four during the Asia Cup, taking four wickets in Sri Lanka’s solitary victory against UAE, before sitting out games against Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.