Arnold and Dilshan win recalls

Sri Lanka have recalled Russel Arnold for their tour of New Zealand later this month. Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was controversially axed for the Pakistan tour, has also returned to the fold. Muttiah Muralitharan will travel with the team as part of his recovery programme.

The two squads - which were picked on Thursday night and passed to the Sports Ministry for approval - reflect a change of thinking within the seven-man selection committee after the public spat between skipper Marvan Atapattu and Ashantha de Mel, the chairman of selectors, in Pakistan.

There, de Mel criticised Atapattu and the team management in the media for supposedly being selfish and holding back the development of young players. Dilshan was dropped, according to de Mel, to force the team to blood a youngster. Atapattu and the team management were shocked and angered by his attack.

Arnold's international future appeared uncertain when he was dropped for the Asia Cup after scoring 6 and 11 in the first Test against Australia at Darwin in July. The selectors looked then to have decided that the time had come for a younger player in the middle order. But while Arnold's axing from the Test side was not surprising, his omission from the limited-overs team had raised eyebrows, especially considering the fact that he'd scored a crucial 51 not out in his last appearance. Admittedly, it was against Zimbabwe, but it still saved Sri Lanka's blushes.

Fortunately for Arnold, who is 31 and recently became a proud father, his good form in domestic cricket for Nondescripts, coupled with the relative failure of his replacements, forced the selectors to concede that he still has a role to play in the middle order where he can rebuild, tick along or tee off.

Not only have Arnold and Dilshan returned, but Kumar Sangakkara has been handed back the wicketkeeping gloves on a fulltime basis after the retirement of Romesh Kaluwitharana. Dilshan will provide wcover for Sangakkara.

The decision is another U-turn by the selectors, who had previously wanted Sangakkara - who averages 41.57 with the gloves and 68.15 without them - to concentrate on his batting in Tests. But Sangakkara enjoys wicketkeeping, and the selectors are clearly worried about the batting of Prasanna Jayawardene, the perennial A-team understudy.

Muttiah Muralitharan will join the tour from the start as a 15th man despite not being fully fit. Atapattu wants him in New Zealand, and it is hoped that he will be match-fit in time for the first Test in the New Year. There is an outside chance that he might play in the last one-dayer.

Mahela Jayawardene has been reconfirmed as vice-captain despite speculation that some of the selectors were pushing for a change and arguing the case for Chaminda Vaas. But Atapattu has clearly backed Jayawardene, who has provided solid backroom support and led well in his absence.

Sri Lanka team for New Zealand tour
Marvan Atapattu (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Russel Arnold, Saman Jayantha, Mahela Jayawardene (vice-capt), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekera, Muttiah Muralitharan. For Tests only: Ian Daniel, Thilan Samaraweera, Lasith Malinga.