Sri Lanka schedule to tour India

Sri Lanka have agreed to play a last-minute five-match ODI series against India in April later this year. The tour is expected to begin on April 19, after Sri Lanka’s second Test against New Zealand in Wellington. The exact dates and venues of each of the 5 one-dayers are yet to be decided. However, the final itinerary is expected to be released some time late next week.

The tour’s announcement means that Chaminda Vaas (Worcestershire), Sanath Jayasuriya (Somerset) and Upul Chandana (Gloucestershire) will miss at least the first three rounds of the Frizzell County Championship. Sri Lanka’s cricket administration may have to hand the players financial compensation for lost earnings. A cricket official commented on the situation, saying, “The players have been warned that they will be needed and we’ve agreed to an April 19 start so that the tour does not disrupt their plans too much.”

Muttiah Muralitharan is also contracted to a county side, Lancashire, but is not expected to have satisfactorily recovered from shoulder surgery in time for the tour. He had planned to be bowling again by March 17. However, his surgeon, Dr David Young, advised him against net bowling until the end of next week. If all goes well for Muralitharan, he will be back to full fitness by late-April.