August 06, 2007	Monday	Rajab 21, 1428

COLOMBO, Aug 5: Sri Lanka's former captain Marvan Atapattu has asked to be released from his contract with the national team, cricket officials said on Sunday. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chief executive officer Duleep Mendis said that Atapattu had sent a letter requesting to be discharged from the team.

Mendis said the SLC, the governing body of the sport here, would take a decision at its committee meeting on Monday.

Atapattu's current contract with the SLC runs until March 2008 and he is one of the six players with 'A' graded contracts. He is also playing for the Lashing's World XI in England.

Atapattu was overlooked by the Sri Lankan selectors for the entirety of the World Cup in the West Indies and the subsequent tour to Abu Dhabi for the one-day series with Pakistan.

The former captain, who has scored more than 5,300 runs in 88 Tests with 16 hundreds and more than 8,500 runs in One-day Internationals with 11 hundreds announced his unavailability for the home series against Bangladesh.

Atapattu's request, cricket sources say, has come at a time when his name has been linked with the lucrative breakaway multi-million-dollar Indian Cricket League.—AFP