Sri Lanka have picked only one spinner in their 15-man squad for the upcoming tour to South Africa – Muttiah Muralitharan. He will be supported by six fast bowlers, of which Chaminda Vaas is the lone experienced hand – the other five have played just 14 Tests between them. They include Thilana Thushara, a left-arm tearaway hailed as the fastest bowler in the country, and Tharanga Lakshita, another paceman who is yet to make his Test debut. The other fast bowlers selected are Dilhara Fernando, Sujeewa de Silva and Chamila Gamage. Nuwan Zoysa, Charitha Buddika and Eric Upashantha are all surprise exclusions in perhaps the youngest Sri Lanka squad that Sanath Jayasuriya has led.

Twenty-two-year-old Hasantha Fernando, a promising allrounder, is one of the uncapped players in the team, and Aravinda de Silva's retirement allows for the inclusion of 21-year-old Jehan Mubarak, an elegant left-handed batsman with just one Test behind him. It's a team for the future, though it could be argued that many of the players omitted from the side were also on the younger side of 25.

The Squad 1 Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), 2 Marvan Atapattu, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Russel Arnold, 6 Hashan Tillekeratne, 7 Jehan Mubarak, 8 Hasantha Fernando, 9 Chaminda Vaas, 10 Dilhara Fernando, 11 Sujeewa de Silva , 12 Chamila Gamage, 13 Thilina Thushara, 14 Tharanga Lakshita, 15 Muttiah Murallitharan, 16 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk)

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