Muttiah Muralidaran has been ruled out of the fourth one-day international against England, according to his manager, after failing to recover from his bicep injury. But despite talk that he will miss the whole scries Muralidaran retains hope of appearing in the final match in Colombo.
Muralidaran hasn't played an ODI since the World Cup and picked up his injury playing for Lancashire against Kent in the County Championship in August, which ruled him out of the World TWenty20. Despite making progress, he is too valuable to Sri Lanka to be risked ahead of important Tests against Australia and then England in December.
"Murali will not be playingin the last two one-day internationals as he is still not 100% fit," said his manager Kushi! Gunasekera. "He has just started to bowl two to three overs a day and is testing his injury out." However, if the series is Lied at 2-2 there will be a temptation to field Muralidaran on Saturday.
"He wants to be very sure before he makes a decision with regards to playing and at this stage the one-day games against England are definitely out," added Gunasekera. "He is targeting the tour of Australia and al this rate we arc very confident he will be at his peak level of fitness by that time."
Mahcla Jnyawardene, Sri Lanka captain, had hinted that they would show caution over
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Mun lidaran's fitness with important' ’ests in the near future. "We'll have to see whether we definitely need him because he's very important o us in the five Test matches we'vi got ahead of us — once we get back o Colombo we'll see how he is but we're not going to rush him."
Sr Lanka also have an injury cone, rn with Farveez Maharoof who uffered a back spasm during Sund ty's match at Dambulla. He has b ten their leading bowler in the serie: with 10 wickets at 9.5 but face; a race to be fit for Wedr esday's game in Colombo.
Se un bowler Farveez Maharoof suffe ed a back spasm during Sund ty's game. He is receiving treatt tent but the home side will not n ake a decision on his fitness until hortly before the start of the match.
Pa il Collingwood has set his sight; on sealing a first one-day series triumph for England in Sri Lank; by winning Wednesday's fourtl game in Colombo.
Th’ captain was passed fit after a prer autionary scan on his shoulder.
"It s nothing more than a niggle, and I can't wait for the game. I'm hittin ; the ball well and desperate to gei on the park," Collingwood told B ICSport.
"We're 2-1 up, have a chance to achie' e something massive here and take the series home with us. It's ex iting."
Colingwood hurt his right shoul ler in the first match of the
scries, which they lost by 119 runs, but the tourists learned from that by winning the next two games on similarly slow pitches in Dambulla.
They will go into the fourth instalment at the Premadasa Stadium in good heart as Uiey look to clinch their first one-day series success on the subcontinent since winningin Pakistan in 1986-87.
"The boys are really up for it," he added. "The boys who have been out on the park have done fantastically well and are all very keen to get out there.
“We're on the verge of it - and that's the key phrase. We haven't done anything yet, when we win mote game we can turn around and say we've done something special.
“It's been great but we've got one more to win and I'm enjoying the buzz from boys and the excitement of winning that game. It will be a great achievement to take home.”
TEAMS
SRI LANKA (probable): Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela layawardene (captain), Chamara Silva, Tillakaratne Dilshan, lehan Mubarak, Farveez Maharoof, ChamindaVaas, Dilhara Fernando, LasithMalinga.
ENGLAND (probable): Alastair Cook, Phil Mustard, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen. Paul Collingwood (captain). Owais Shah, Ravi Bopara, Greame Swann, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad.