COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Friday recalled seasoned left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas for the final cricket Test against Pakistan, but star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was again left out.

Vaas, 35, was added as

the 16th member of the squad for the Test starting

at the Sinhalese sports club here on Monday with Sri

Lanka already enjoying a

decisive 2-0 lead in the

three-match series.

The 110-Test veteran had been overlooked for the first two Tests amid media speculation that he was being eased out of the five-day game and would only play one-day and Twenty20 cricket. Vaas, who made his

Test debut against Pakistan

at Kandy in 1994, has

claimed 354 wickets at an average of 29.40 with 12 five-wicket hauls, and twice took 10 wickets in a match.

Muralitharan, the world’s leading Test bowler with 770 wickets, was expected to return for the final Test after missing the first two matches due to a knee injury. Sri Lanka Cricket, which announced the squad in a media release, did not say why Muralitharan was not picked. The selectors retained the same 15 players who formed the squad for the first two Tests.

SQUAD: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Tharanga Paranavitana, Malinda

Warnapura, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thilan Thushara, Chaminda Vaas, Ajantha Mendis, Chamara Kapugedera, Kaushal Silva, Suranga Lakmal, Dhamikka Prasad.