October 04, 2007	Thursday	Ramazan 21, 1428

COLOMBO, Oct 3: Sri Lanka’s former captain and opening batsman Marvan Atapattu rejected moves to get him aboard the national team to play against Australia, an official said on Wednesday.

Chief selector Asantha de Mel had hoped to meet Atapattu late Wednesday, but the former star player sent a message saying

he was not keen to see the officials.

“He sent us a fax saying that he did not want to see us,” de Mel said. De Mel added that they would pick the veteran Sanath Jayasuriya in Atapattu’s place as the opener. There will be no more attempts to meet with Atapattu, de Mel said.

Earlier in the day, de Mel said Sri Lanka needed Atapattu’s experience in Australia in the two Test tour coming up in November.

An apparently indignant Atapattu, furious over his consistent non-selection for the World Twenty20 in August, sought release from his contract with effect from October.

The 37-year-old opener has effectively ended his Sri Lanka career.—AFP