June 22  
Muralitharan out of NatWest Series 

TAUNTON, England: Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, who has been suffering from a shoulder injury, will not take part in the triangular one-day series also involving England and India, BBC radio reported on Friday. The off-spinner, who played in the last two tests of the recent three-match series won 2-0 by England, will fly home to Sri Lanka to get fit for the forthcoming Test series against Bangladesh. 

"The team management have decided to send Murali back to Sri Lanka," said Sri Lanka tour manager Chandra Schaffter during his team's one-day game against English county Somerset. 

"We did not feel he was fit enough to risk playing in a one-day tournament." 

Sri Lanka team physiotherapist Alex Kontouri said: "There's no problem with him batting or bowling, but there would be a risk with him diving in the field." 

The triangular one-day series involving Sri Lanka, England and India starts next Thursday and ends with the final at Lord's on July 13.