Sri Lanka go for pace and only one spinner

MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN was the lone spinner named today in Sri Lanka's team for the upcoming tour of South Africa as the selectors reposed their faith in fast bowlers.

The 16-man squad for next month's two-Test series has seven new ball bowlers, showing that memories of their previous tours to South Africa have remained in the minds of those who care to remember.

The squad includes rookie left-arm quick Thilin Thushara Mirando, considered one of the fastest bowlers in the country.

All-rounder Hasantha Fernando and right-arm medium pacer Tharanga Lakshitha are the other new faces in the team captained by dashing left-hander Sanath Jayasuriya.

Seasoned Chaminda Vaas will be supported by Dilhara Fernando, Sujeewa de Silva, Chamila Gamage, Ruchira Perera, Mirando and Lakshitha.

While Vaas has played 62 Tests, the remaining six have a combined experience of only 21 Tests between them.

The Tests are scheduled to be played at Johannesburg November 8-12 and at Centurion, near Pretoria, November 15-19. Both of these venues are pace friendly and provide plenty of bounce.

A separate squad will be named for five one-day internationals Sri Lanka will play in South Africa after the Test series.

Aravinda de Silva's retirement from Test cricket, announced on Thursday, gives tall left-hander Jehan Mubarak a chance to make his first tour with the senior squad after his debut at home against Bangladesh earlier in the season.

Prasanna Jayawardene is the lone specialist wicket-keeper in the squad, although batsman Kumar Sangakkara has kept wickets in both Test and one-day cricket.

Sri Lanka's Test squad (age, number of Tests in brackets):

Sanath Jayasuriya (capt, 33, 75), Marvan Atapattu (vice-capt, 31, 59), Kumar Sangakkara (24, 24), Mahela Jayawardena (25, 45), Russel Arnold (28, 41), Hashan Tillakaratne (35, 71), Jehan Mubarak (21, 1), Hasantha Fernando (22, 0), Chaminda Vaas (28, 62), Dilhara Fernando (23, 11), Sujeewa de Silva (22, 2), Ruchira Perera (25, 7), Chamila Gamage (23, 1), Thilin Thushara Mirando (20, 0), Tharanga Lakshitha (20, 0), Muttiah Muralitharan (30, 76), Prasanna Jayawardene (22

Coach: Dave Whatmore.