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Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from England

MANCHESTER, Monday - No sooner has one controversy been overcome another emerged as a report in one of the Sunday newspapers stated that champion off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan would return home after the Old Trafford Test against England and forego the NatWest one-day triangular series against England and India which follows immediately afterwards.

Sri Lanka team manager Chandra Schaffter dismissed the news item appearing in 'The London Sunday Times' as "totally rubbish".

"You can take it from me that there is absolutely no truth in that story," said Schaffter who is probably officiating his last tour as manager.

'The Sunday Times' ran a story under the headline: 'Murali out of one-day party' and stated: "Muttiah Muralitharan is expected to return home after the third and final Test at Old Trafford this week, confirming he is well short of full fitness. Murali is understood to have told MCC players at Chesterfield that he is returning to Sri Lanka after the Manchester Test".

Schaffter said when he questioned Muralitharan about the validity of the article, the bowler had laughed and denied he ever said anything of that nature.

Ever since Muralitharan played in the second Test against England at Edgbaston last week, there has been several stories floating around in the British press giving differing accounts that the bowler was forced to play despite not being fully fit from his arm injury, which the team management has totally denied.

The team management has clamped down on Sri Lankan players from talking to the British media which has to some extent led to all these speculations getting into print. Although Sri Lanka lost the second Test by an innings at Edgbaston, Muralitharan took five wickets for 143 runs and looked the easily the best Sri Lankan bowler in the side. Sri Lanka are due to finalise their squad of 16 players for the one-day series by Wednesday or Thursday. The series commences on June 27 with Sri Lanka meeting England in the lung opener at Trent Bridge.

The players who are most likely to be out of the one-day squad are Hashan Tillakaratne, Tilan Samaraweera, Eric Upashantha and Ruchira Perera who will be replaced by those from Colombo. Whether veteran batsman Aravinda de Silva will be retained in the one-day team is still in question.

The team will be finalized in Colombo by the three-member selection committee and made known to the team management here after the necessary approval has been obtained from the Sports Minister.

Chairman of selectors Guy de Alwis was in Birmingham during the second Test to discuss the composition of the one-day team with captain Sanath Jayasuriya and coach Dav Whatmore. The weather in Manchester has not been all that kind and there has been frequent rain and sunshine which is how it may remain to be during the Test which is scheduled to begin on Thursday.

Sri Lanka are trailing 1-0 in the three-match series and must win at Old Trafford if they are to draw level and save the series.

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