Sri Lanka recall Ranatunga

Ranatunga: Could be back in whites on Wednesday

Arjuna Ranatunga is poised to make history by becoming the first player to appear in his country's first and 100th Tests.

Sri Lanka will reach the 100-Test milestone when they play Pakistan in the first of a three-match series, starting in Colombo on Wednesday.

Former captain Ranatunga has been included in a 16-man squad for the game after making his Test debut as an 18-year-old schoolboy in their inaugural Test against England in February 1982.

The 36-year-old has played in 87 Tests in all, scoring 4,773 runs at an average of 35.61, with four centuries and 34 fifties.

He has also made 7, 454 runs in 269 one-day internationals and led Sri Lanka to victory in the 1996 World Cup.

If selected, it will be his first Test appearance since his right thumb was fractured in four places by a ball from Waqar Younis at Rawalpindi during the series in Pakistan in February.

Marvan Atapattu: New responsibilities

Ranatunga later returned to the crease and batted one-handed as Sri Lanka won the first Test by two wickets. They eventually took the series 2-1.

Opener Marvan Atapattu has been named vice-captain for the forthcoming series in place of Mahela Jayawardene, but the latter keeps his place in the squad.

Three uncapped players - Prasanna Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Dilhara Fernando - have been chosen following good performances for the A team.

The Sri Lankan squad: S Jayasuriya (capt), M Atapattu, R Arnold, A de Silva, M Jayawardene, A Ranatunga, R Kaluwitharana, C Vaas, M Muralitharan, N Zoysa, U Chandan, R Herath, A Gunawardena, P Jayawardene, K Sangkkara, D Fernando.