Sri Lanka pick rookie spinner for Aussie ODIs

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will fly in uncapped leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna from England for the last two one-dayers against Australia, a cricket board release said on Thursday.

Prasanna, 26, was surprisingly plucked out from the ongoing Sri Lanka 'A' tour of England for the key matches at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Saturday and Monday.

Sri Lanka, who trail 2-1 in the five-match series, need a win on Saturday to draw level.

Prasanna grabbed 6-23 in a one-day match against England 'A' in Worcester on Sunday to set up his team's 10-wicket win.

Sri Lanka dropped young batsman Dinesh Chandimal, seasoned left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and all-rounder Thisara Perera from the squad for the first three matches of the ODI series against Australia.

Chandimal, who scored a hundred and a half-century in last month's one-day series in England, managed just 17 runs in three games against the Australians.

Herath played one game against the tourists, conceding 57 runs in 8.2 wicketless overs in Hambantota on Tuesday.

All-rounder Angelo Mathews is expected to return to the team after missing the previous match due to an injury.

"He should be okay for the rest of the series," Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said of his deputy. "He could have even played on Tuesday, but we didn't want to take a risk."

Australia will also play three Test matches after the one-day series.

Sri Lanka squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Angelo Mathews, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Jeevan Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekera, Lasith Malinga, Shaminda Eranga, Seekkuge Prasanna, Ajantha Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Suraj Randiv.?AFP

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011