COLOMBO, July 25: A dispute over Sri Lanka’s team for the second Test against Bangladesh deepened Thursday when the sports minister was quoted as saying off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan should be reinstated.

Muralitharan was among a string of top players left out of the squad in favour of younger, untested cricketers after Sri Lanka’s innings and 196-run victory over Bangladesh in the first test earlier this week.

The Daily News newspaper quoted Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Johnston Fernando as saying there was a good chance Muralitharan would play.

But the cricket board said on Thursday that it had not been told of any changes to the previously announced line-up.—Reuters