COLOMBO, March 12: Sri Lanka on Wednesday left out senior pros Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan from their 15-man squad for the upcoming one-day series in the West Indies.

Young fast bowler Lasith Malinga will also miss the three one-dayers in mid-April due to a foot injury, Sri Lanka chairman of selectors Asantha de Mel said.

Left-handed Jayasuriya, 38, and off-spinner Muralitharan, 35, were omitted as part of a long-term plan to build a team for the 2011 World Cup, to be hosted jointly by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Jayasuriya, who is one-day cricket’s second highest scorer with 12,310 runs from 411 matches, was dropped after poor form in the recent tri-series in Australia won by India.

Jayasuriya retired from Test cricket in December but was keen to play one-day cricket for a few more seasons.

“He (Jayasuriya) did not perform well in Australia,” de Mel said. “We have three years to groom a team for the 2011 World Cup and younger players must be given a chance.”

Muralitharan, who has a world record 723 Test wickets to his credit and 464 one-day scalps, will play the two Tests that precede the one-dayers in the West Indies.

Off-spinner Ajantha Mendis, 23, will replace Muralitharan for the one-dayers while left-handed Mahela Udawatta will come in place of Jayasuriya.

All-rounder Kaushalya Weeraratne, 27, stages a comeback after playing the last of his 11 one-dayers in 2003.

The three one-dayers will be played in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad (April 10 and 12) and St Lucia (April 15).The two Tests will be held in Guyana (March 22-26) and Port-of-Spain (April 3-7).

Sri Lanka one-day squad: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Kumar Sangakkara (vice-captain), Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Malinga Bandara, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ajantha Mendis, Jehan Mubarak, Ishara Amerasinghe, Mahela Udawatta, Thilina Mirando.—AFP