By IANS
Colombo : World record holder for Test wickets Muttiah Muralitharan and leading One-Day International all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya find themselves out of the Sri Lanka squad for the limited-overs cricket series in West Indies next month.
The 38-year-old Jayasuriya and spinner Muralitharan, 35, have been left out as Sri Lanka build for the 2011 World Cup.
Ajantha Mendis comes in for Muralitharan, who will return home after playing two Tests before the one-dayers, while Mahela Udawatta replaces Jayasuriya. Fast bowler Lasith Malinga will miss the series with a foot injury.
Jayasuriya, who has an enviable record of being the only player to score over 12,000 runs and take over 300 wickets in the 50-over version, retired from Test cricket in December but wanted to continue playing in the One-Dayers for a couple of more seasons.
Muralitharan has a world record 723 Test wickets and 464 in the One-Dayers.
By dropping the two players, the Sri Lanka have sent a clear message that they are looking ahead.
All-rounder Kaushalya Weeraratne, 27, who won the last of his 11 one-day caps in 2003, has been included in the squad.
Port of Spain, Trinidad, will host the first two one-dayers (April 10 and 12) while the third will be played in St Lucia April 15.
The Test matches will be played in Guyana (March 22-26) and Port of Spain (April 3-7).
The squad:
Mahela Jayawardene (Captain), Kumar Sangakkara (wicketkeeper and Vice-Captain), 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.