Sri Lanka head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has stressed the need for protection of the team culture regarding Lasith Malinga’s non-selection ahead of the one-off T20I against South Africa. According to him, the pacer has to perform in the domestic leagues in order to get a national call-up.

Malinga did not participate in the provincial one-day tournament this year, because he was serving as a bowling consultant for Mumbai Indians in the IPL during that time.

The seamer last played an international match back in September last year, in India. He was overlooked for the T20 series against Bangladesh and also the Nidahas Trophy hosted by Sri Lanka, despite being the joint-highest wicket-taker in SLC's club T20 tournament earlier this year.

“As long as what the selectors want is fulfilled, Malinga is in our plans,” Hathurusingha reportedly said. “He needs to come and play domestic cricket and we are not going to make exceptions for anybody. The team is number one. The team culture has to be protected.

“He needs to show that he is capable of delivering what he has done in the past. Not only with bowling, but fielding as well. There's a good opportunity for him to come and play the domestic T20 tournament if he is willing to play. If he is performing he is in our plans.”

Hathurusingha also talked about the breach of team curfew by two Sri Lanka cricketers, Jeffrey Vandersay and Danushka Gunathilaka. He assured that both of them will certainly return to the team.

“I am very disappointed that these kinds of things happened,” Hathurusingha said. “We don't tolerate this. It is not that he is letting down one person or two persons; he is letting down the whole team and his family. At the same time, people do mistakes. We need to give them second chance. They have not done a crime. It is just the team rules that they have broken. They will be back.”