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Sri Lanka drop Jayasuriya

Colombo - Sri Lanka dropped Sanath Jayasuriya from its squad on Wednesday for this month's Asia Cup and recalled left-arm spinner Rangana Herath nearly six years after he last played a one-day international.

The 40-year-old Jayasuriya has been in poor form recently and was widely criticized by the media and fans after his disastrous showing at the World Twenty20 in the West Indies, where he made just 15 runs in six matches.

One of the world's most destructive batsmen in his prime, Jayasuriya has played 444 one-day matches for Sri Lanka, scoring 13,428 runs and averaging 32.43. He has picked up 322 wickets in one-dayers with his left-arm spin.

Herath's selection was a reward for his success in recent test matches, which has seen him take 35 wickets in his last nine matches.

Spin bowler Ajantha Mendis has been dropped to make way for Herath. Mendis' six-wicket haul against India helped Sri Lanka win the title in the last Asia Cup final.

The 32-year-old Herath has appeared for Sri Lanka in just six one-dayers and was picked only sporadically for test matches for nine years, after making his debut in 1999.

However, injuries to Muttiah Muralitharan, the world's leading wicket-taker, has seen Herath play more test matches in the last two years and he has seized his opportunity.

Sri Lanka selectors also picked seam-bowling allrounder Farveez Maharoof after 16 months out of the team.

The 15-man Sri Lanka squad for a tournament it is hosting is led by Kumar Sangakkara and includes seven batsmen, three seam bowlers, three spin bowlers and two allrounders.

India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the other countries involved in the June 15-24 tournament in the central town of Dambulla.

Sri Lanka squad:

Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Farveez Maharoof, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chanaka Welegedara, Lasith Malinga, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Thilina Kandamby.

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