Sangakkara suffers hamstring injury

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has injured his left hamstring and is fighting for fitness ahead of the tour of Australia which starts later this month.

Sri Lanka team physio Tommy Simsek said that Sangakkara suffered the injury while training on a muddy track on Tuesday, but was confident he would be fit for the Australian tour. "It is a mild grade-one hamstring injury," Simsek said. "He is currently under treatment and requires about two weeks to recover from the injury."

Sangakkara also suffered a hamstring injury during Sri Lanka's last tour to Australia in 2007-08 and missed the first Test at Brisbane. The injury came a day after Sangakkara was named the CEAT-Sri Lanka Cricket cricketer of the year and most popular cricketer. He is also currently the number one ICC ranked Test batsman.

Simsek said that Sri Lanka allrounder Angelo Mathews was also struggling to be fit for the tour with an injury to his left knee bone. "We are monitoring Angelo's fitness daily," Simsek said. "At the moment he cannot put much effort on his left knee and is unable to bowl. He has time until the team leaves for Australia on October 16 to show improvement otherwise we will have to replace him." Batsman Thilina Kandamby has been put on standby for Mathews.

Sri Lanka play a series of three one-day internationals and one Twenty20 international against Australia in addition to three warm-up games against state sides during the short tour.