Sri Lanka bowler Dhammika Prassad.
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Sri Lanka face two Test matches against the Black Caps in the coming weeks, before five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s.
Cricket’s governing body announced the news on Monday to throw Sri Lanka’s preparations for their tour of New Zealand into disarray, Perrera having been named in their party ahead of Thursday’s first Test in Dunedin.
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The 32-year-old, who has claimed 75 wickets at 35.97 over his 25-test career, has been replaced by uncapped left armer Vishwa Fernando – a member of the Sri Lanka A side that faced their New Zealand counterparts in Christchurch in October. Fernando has featured in Sri Lanka’s Test squads to the UAE and Bangladesh in 2014 and was also picked in the squad for the home series against India in August this year, but did not get a game. He had counterattacked brilliantly in the first innings with a 56-ball 55 with 9 fours, leading the charge as Sri Lanka recovered from 47 for 6 to post 201. He became the second Sri Lankan to score two fifties on Test debut. “SLC will to take all steps required to have a further sample tested and make every endeavor to enable Kusal Janith Perera to resume playing cricket at the earliest opportunity in compliance with the ICC Regulations”.
