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Sri Lanka cricketer Silva quits tour after father's murder

Incident occurred on the eve of team’s departure to West Indies

Sri Lanka cricketer Silva quits tour after father's murder PHOTO: AFP

The father of Sri Lankan all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on the eve of the national team's departure to the West Indies on Friday, said the police.

The player's father Ranjan, a local politician, was gunned down in Ratmalana, a suburb of the capital Colombo, close to midnight on Thursday. An investigation is underway but no arrests have been made yet.

Cricket officials said 26-year-old de Silva withdrew from the tour that involves three Test matches. However, there was no official word from the cricket board on who will replace de Silva.

Sri Lanka will also miss opener Dimuth Karunaratne who fractured a finger while batting in the nets earlier this month, preparing for a limited-overs domestic tournament.