July 07, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 21, 1428

COLOMBO, July 6: Veteran Sri Lankan seamer Chaminda Vaas will miss next week’s third Test against Bangladesh in Kandy to return to English County Middlesex, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said on Friday.

“We will be without Vaas for the final Test,” SLC spokesman Samantha Algama said. “He is going to back to England.”

Vaas, 33, who had joined Middlesex at the start of the English season, returned home to play against Bangladesh and scored a maiden Test century in the first Test.

But with Sri Lanka having taken a decisive 2-0 lead in the three-match series, Vaas was given permission to honour the rest of his contract with Middlesex.

Sri Lanka won both matches by innings margins and look set for a clean sweep when the final Test starts at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy on Wednesday.

All-rounder Farveez Maharoof, left-arm spinner Sujeewa de Silva and leg-spinner Malinga Bandara are standing by to replace Vaas, who has claimed 319 wickets in 98 Tests.

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will also return to England after the Kandy Test. Both Vaas and he will miss the upcoming three one-dayers against Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh have summoned middle-order batsman Tushar Imran from Dhaka to reinforce the team for the Kandy Test.

Imran, who has played four Tests and scored 55 runs, was a surprise omission from the Test squad even though he was selected for the one-dayers. —AFP