Sri Lanka have decided to give a break to ageing opener Sanath Jayasuriya and veteran off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and the duo would not be named in the one-day squad to tour West India later this month.
“Jayasuriya and Muralitharan are not being dropped but only rested for the one-day matches against the West Indies,” sources said after a stormy meeting here.
The final team will be announced after a few days, but it is learnt that Farveez Maharoof will not be considered due to an injury. The 38-year-old Jaysuriya, who did not fire in the recent tri-series in Australia, retired from Test cricket in December last year.
Three new faces Mahela Udawatte, Ajantha Mendis and Kaushalya Weeraratne are likely to be inducted into the squad. Mendis is a slow right-arm medium pacer. Weeraratne returns to the side after nearly five years. Sri Lanka will play two Tests and three one-day internationals, with the first Test in Guyana starting on March 22.
The squad: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Malinga Bandara, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis, Jehan Mubarak, Ishara Amerasinghe, Mahela Udawatte, Thilan Thushara.
