Lanka leave veterans out

Sri Lanka on Wednesday left out senior pros Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralidaran from a 15-man squad for the upcoming one-day series in the West Indies.
Young fast bowler Lasith Malinga will also miss the three one-dayers in mid-April due to a foot injury, Sri Lanka chairman of selectors Asantha de Mel said.
Left-handed Jayasuriya, 38, and off-spinner Muralidaran, 35, were omitted as part of a long-term plan to build a team for the 2011 World Cup, to be hosted jointly by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Jayasuriya, who is one-day cricket's second highest scorer with 12,310 runs from 411 matches, was dropped after poor form in the recent tri-series in Australia won by India.
Jayasuriya retired from Test cricket in December but was keen to play one-day cricket for a few more seasons.
"He (Jayasuriya) did not perform well in Australia," de Mel told AFP. "We have three years to groom a team for the 2011 World Cup and younger players must be given a chance."
Muralidaran, who has a world record 723 Test wickets to his credit and 464 one-day scalps, will play the two Tests that precede the one-dayers in the West Indies.
Off-spinner Ajantha Mendis, 23, will replace Muralidaran for the one-dayers while left-handed Mahela Udawatta will come in place of Jayasuriya.
All-rounder Kaushalya Weeraratne, 27, stages a comeback after playing the last of his 11 one-dayers in 2003.
The three one-dayers will be played in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad (April 10 and 12) and Saint Lucia (April 15).
The two Tests will be held in Guyana (March 22-26) and Port-of-Spain (April 3-7).
SQUAD
Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Kumar Sangakkara, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Malinga Bandara, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ajantha Mendis, Jehan Mubarak, Ishara Amarasinghe, Mahela Udawatta, Thilina Mirando.