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Sri Lanka have included all-rounder Kumara Dharmasena in their 16-man squad for the third Test against Pakistan beginning on Wednesday, ending Dharmasena’s nearly two years in the wilderness because of a questionable bowling action.

Dharmasena has not played international cricket since November 1998 after the International Cricket Council’s panel on illegal bowling found his action suspect and wanted it changed.

Cricket officials said that dharmasena had since taken steps to change his action and last week was cleared for selection by the Sri Lankan cricket board.

He has played 20 Tests, scoring 660 runs and claiming 50 wickets.

Sri Lanka dropped fast bowler Ravindra Pushpakumara and Rangana Herath, who played in the second Test in Galle which Pakistan won by an innings and 163 runs to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

Fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa has been included in the squad after being rested for the second Test.

The squad: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold, Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, Arjuna Ranatunga, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Prasanna Jayawardena, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumara Dharmasena, Upul Chandana, Dilhara Fernando, Kumar Sangakkara, Avishka Gunawardana.

English cop to head ICC probe

LONDON: Sir Paul Condon, who recently retired as the head of the Metropolitan Police here, has been appointed International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption policeman.

The decision was taken in Paris by the ICC Executive Board which consists of nine Test-playing nations and three representatives from the associate countries.

Pakistan initially voiced some reservations over an Englishman being put in charge of this new job created by the ICC in the wake of the match-fixing scandal.

But with nearly all other members in support, Pakistan was persuaded to accept Condon, The Daily Telegraph reported on Monday.

Sir Paul, whose appointment will come up for confirmation at the annual general meeting of ICC here, was once rated as the most powerful figure in British policing.

But before his retirement from the MET, his reputationwas tarnished as a result of the McPherson inquiry into the unsolved murder of the black teenager Stephen Lawrence.

Forgive Hansie, pleads Cronje Sr

CAPE TOWN: The father of disgraced South Africa cricket captain Hansie Cronje has appealed to the nation to give his son a chance to make a new life for himself.

Ewie Cronje’s comments appeared in The Cape Times on Monday following his son Hansie’s marathon 10-hour testimony to the King Commission.

Cronje senior was quoted as saying: “The past 12 weeks have been a very tough time for the entire Cronje family and hopefully we will emerge from it stronger people.

“Both myself and Frans (Hansie’s older brother) have been present throughout hansie’s evidence. We have seen Hansie admit that he has done wrong and that he must be punished for it.

“He has also made an apology without reservation to everybody and I hope that the country and the game will accept it.”