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Sri Lanka agrees to last-minute tour of India

Sri Lanka have agreed to a last-minute ODI tour of India in April that will leave three English counties without one of their overseas professionals for at least the first three rounds of the Frizzell County Championship

Charlie Austin
Charlie Austin
17-Mar-2005


Chaminda Vaas: set to miss start of season © Getty Images
Sri Lanka have agreed to a last-minute ODI tour of India in April that will leave three English counties without one of their overseas professionals for at least the first three rounds of the Frizzell County Championship.
Sri Lanka have agreed to play five one-dayers during the India tour and are expected to depart on April 19, just three days after the completion of the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington.
The exact dates and venues for the tour have not been confirmed yet by the Indian board but Sri Lanka cricket officials expect the final itinerary to be completed very shortly, probably after the end of the ICC executive meeting that started in Delhi on Thursday.
Chaminda Vaas (Worcestershire), Sanath Jayasuriya (Somerset) and Upul Chandana (Gloucestershire) will all be expected to tour and will probably not arrive in England until the first week of May. "The players have been warned that they will be needed," a cricket official told Cricinfo, "and we've agreed to an April 19 start so that the tour does not disrupt their plans too much."
Sri Lanka's board may have to consider financial compensation to the trio to cover lost earnings with their respective clubs. The players' annual contracts with Sri Lanka Cricket expired at the end of February and they are yet to sign fresh agreements.
Muttiah Muralitharan is also scheduled to play a third season with Lancashire, but he is not expected to be sufficiently fit for the ODIs after a second shoulder operation in February. He had planned to resume bowling on March 17 but has since been advised by his surgeon, Dr David Young, to rest it for a few more days and only resume net bowling at the end of next week when he returns to Sri Lanka after getting married in Chennai.
Muralitharan may travel to Lancashire to participate in pre-season training and gradually step up the pace of his rehabilitation. Realistically, his best-case-scenario is to be available for Lancashire's second game against Worcestershire on April 27.