COLOMBO, Jan 10: Sri Lanka Cricket have released four players, including Muttiah Muralitharan, for a World Invitational XI one-day series in New Zealand later this month.

The matches were requested by New Zealand Cricket after Sri Lanka returned home early from their tour of New Zealand following a tsunami that has killed at least 156,000 people across Asia. More than 30,000 have been killed in Sri Lanka.

Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas and Sanath Jayasuriya will join Muralitharan and six Australians, including Shane Warne, already named for the three matches on Jan 22, 24 and 26.

The matches have been arranged in conjunction with the players' union, the Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA), and will also raise money for emergency relief in the affected countries.

An International Cricket Council World XI comfortably beat a combined Asian XI in Melbourne match on Monday. A second match is to be held in early February, while FICA have also proposed a three-match series between a World XI and Sri Lanka. -Reuters