Injured Murali to miss Twenty20

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has been ruled out of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 with an elbow injury.

Leg-spinner Malinga Bandara is expected to be called up as his replacement.

Muralitharan reportedly complained of muscle pain between his right elbow and shoulder after bowling 30 overs for Lancashire against Kent on Wednesday.

"Murali is affected by an elbow injury and he will be out for four to six weeks," said Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Kangadaran Mathivanan.

"He is definitely out of the Twenty20."

Muralitharan is also in danger of missing the home one-day international series against England in early October.

But the off-spinner should be fit for the two Tests against Australia in November where he needs nine wickets to overtake Shane Warne's record tally of 708.

Muralitharan's absence is a huge blow to the Twenty20 hopes of in-form Sri Lanka, whose captain Mahela Jayawardene said on Wednesday that his side could win the tournament.

Sri Lanka open their campaign against Kenya in Johannesburg on 14 September.

Source: BBC Sport