Daniel in Sri Lanka Test squad

Sri Lanka have called up three Test specialists for the forthcoming two-match series against Zimbabwe. Thilan Samaraweera, Ian Daniel, an opening batsman, and Prasanna Jayawardene will leave for Harare on Monday. The selectors have not yet confirmed which players from the one-day squad will return home early.

Daniel, a 22-year-old, is included in the Test squad for the first time after an impressive tour to New Zealand with the A side where he scored 322 runs at 53.66. His promotion comes at the expense of Hashan Tillakaratne, whose international career now appears to be over, although he will hope that he can grab a berth in the team for Australia in June.

Jayawardene has been drafted in to provide wicketkeeping back-up for Kumar Sangakkara. The selectors are concerned about Sangakkara's double burden of keeping wicket and batting at no. 3, and have offered him the option of dropping down the order.

"We feel that Sangakkara is too good a player to be sacrificed at no. 3 if he is going to keep wickets," said Lalith Kaluperuma, the chairman of selectors. "Sangakkara is keen to keep wickets but then we must also look at the position he is batting, which is ideal for his temperament and the strokes he has."

If Sangakkara does slip into the middle order, Samaraweera is likely to be given an opportunity to bed down at no.3, a position that he is better suited to than the lower middle order where he can get stuck with the tail.

The first of two Tests will be played in Harare on May 6.