Sri Lanka spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan will miss what is expected to be an emotional return to Test cricket against Pakistan this weekend, officials said on Friday.
A knee injury has ruled ‘Murali’ out of Saturday’s game at Sri Lanka’s Galle International Stadium, the first Test between the two teams since a militant attack in Lahore, Pakistan, left eight people dead.
The two teams, however, recently contested the finals of the World Twenty20 in England that resulted in Pakistan beating Sri Lanka by eight wickets.
Muralitharan, 37, currently holds the world record in Test cricket with 770 wickets. He is also the highest wicket-taker in one-day internationals with 505.
His place in the first of the three tests will be taken by either orthodox left-arm spinner Rangana Herath or rookie slow bowler Suraj Randiv Kaluhalmulla, a Sri Lanka Cricket official said.
The remaining two Tests will be played in Colombo followed by five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 game.
Playing XI
Sri Lanka
Malinda Warnapura, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara (C)(W), Mahela Jayawardena, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis
Pakistan
Salman Butt, Khurram Manzoor, Younus Khan (C), Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal (W), Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rauf
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