After losing two important players, the hosts of EuroBasket 2011 are looking for ways to cover the losses by bringing back veterans.

The head of Lithuanian basketball, Vladas Garastas, has officially asked Ramunas Siskauskas to reconsider his decision to retire from the national team.

Siskauskas, who will turn 33 during EuroBasket, announced his international retirement in 2008 after Beijing Olympic Games and has since several times declared that he will not be changing his mind.

Lithuania will be without Linas Kleiza and Jonas Maciulis during the tournament as both players suffered injuries that will keep them out of action for several months.

The addition of Siskauskas, who was considered to be the best small forward in Europe, would help to at least partially cover the absence of Kleiza and Maciulis.

‘We lost guaranteed 20 points per game’, Garastas said when speaking of the fact that Kleiza will not play in EuroBasket 2011.

LKF president also expects to see other veterans including Rimantas Kaukenas and Sarunas Jasikevicius to play for the national team this summer.

Garastas made it clear that the best players are needed in order to win title:

‘We can’t win a title with half-second or the second team’, said Garastas.

Although the chances to see Siskauskas answering the call for help are slim, the return of his old friends to the national team could help to put on the green jersey for one last time.

In addition, Vladas Garastas stated that Siskauskas would be given lighter training than other players.