As expected, the second best spinner in the country Malinga Bandara who is also one of the best late order batsmen in Sri Lanka, has been chopped from the 15-member tour party for the upcoming triangular series in Australia which also features India.

In Bandara’s place, the selectors have not picked a worthy replacement but the Daily Mirror learns that uncapped batsman Dilruwan Perera will be called upon to play the role of a third spinner if required behind Muttiah Muralitharan and veteran all rounder Sanath Jayasuriya.

Perera has also been selected ahead of the promising Mahela Udawatte making the overall selections an outright mockery.

Muralitharan is the only specialist spinner in the 15-man squad that includes six pacemen.

Chairman of selectors Asantha de Mel told media that team balance, rather than the nature of the Australian pitches, determined the pace-heavy selection.

“We generally play only one spinner in the one-day team, with seven batsmen and three fast bowlers,” de Mel was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. “So Murali was enough” he had added.

Another player, fast bowler Ishara Amerasinghe, who could not find a regular place in the concluded lacklustre inter-provincial tournament has also found a place in the tour party along with Fervez Maharoof who is making a comeback after injury and needs to prove his 100 percent fitness.

The one-day series starts in Brisbane on February 3 with each team playing eight preliminary matches before the best-of-three finals in Sydney (March 2), Brisbane (March 4) and Adelaide (March 7, if required).

Sri Lanka lost both Test matches they played in Australia in November.

India, currently playing a Test series in Australia, will name their one-day squad on Sunday.

Sri Lanka tour squad:

Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Dilruwan Perera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekera, Chanaka Welegedara, Ishara Amarasinghe