Sri Lanka turn to veterans

Tillekeratne has been in good form in Tests

Veteran batsmen Aravinda de Silva and Hashan Tillekeratne have been named in Sri Lanka's final squad for the forthcoming World Cup.

The pair were both members of the side which won the trophy in 1996, and the selectors are looking to them to add solidity to the middle order after a run of poor results.

A list of 15 names has been submitted to the country's Sports Minister for final approval.

Tillekeratne has only played two one-day games in the past three and a half years, both of them on the recent tour to South Africa when Sri Lanka were beaten 4-1.

The slump in form continued in the first half of the triangular VB Series in Australia, with defeats in Sri Lanka's first three games.

Sri Lanka's 1st round schedule

10 Feb v New Zealand, Bloemfontein

14 Feb v Bangladesh, Pietermaritzburg

19 Feb v Canada,
Paarl

24 Feb v Kenya,
Nairobi

28 Feb v West Indies, Cape Town

3 Mar v South Africa, Durban

The competition resumes next month and Sri Lanka will then rely on their World Cup squad against Australia and England.

Aggressive opening batsman Avishka Gunawardene has also been recalled, but there is no place for Romesh Kaluwitharana, so Kumar Sangakkara will resume as wicket-keeper.

The selectors have also adjusted their seam bowling attack with the inclusion of medium pacer Charitha Buddhika Fernando, who last played during the Morocco Cup in August.

They are also hoping for a return to action by star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who has been recuperating following a hernia operation.

He is Sri Lanka's most successful bowler in both forms of the game, having taken 297 one-day wickets and 437 in Tests.

Sri Lanka begin their World Cup campaign with a match against New Zealand in Bloemfontein on 10 February.

The other teams in their first round group are South Africa, West Indies, Bangladesh, Kenya and Canada.

Sri Lankan World Cup squad: S Jayasuriya (captain), M Atapattu, M Jayawardene, K Sangakkara, A de Silva, R Arnold, J Mubarak, A Gunawardene, H Tillekaratne, M Muralitharan, C Vaas, D Fernando, P Gunaratne, P Nissanka, C Buddika Fernando.