Sri Lanka all-rounder Thilan Samaraweera has been sent as a replacement for the forthcoming NatWest triangular series after Muttiah Muralitharan was forced to withdraw from the tournament to protect his shoulder.

Samaraweera, 25, an off-spinner and middle order batsman, had just returned to Sri Lanka having been a member of the Test squad.

He was preferred to fellow off-spinner Kumar Dharmasena, 30, who has been a regular member of the Sri Lanka one-day squad in recent times.

Samaraweera, who is better known in the longer form of the game having scored two centuries and three fifties in his first 10 Tests, has played just eight ODIs.

Samaraweera is expected to arrive in England on Tuesday evening. Sri Lanka play their first game against England at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

© CricInfo Ltd.