Jayawardene gets the nod

Sri Lanka8217;s cricket selectors today included seven specialist batsmen and four spinners in a 15-member national squad to play New Zealand in the first Test match starting in Colombo8217;s Saravanamuttu Stadium on Friday.

Middle-order batsman Mahela Jayawardene, who was dropped for the Sharjah tour earlier this month after his dismal performance in the world cup, has been recalled after scoring a century in a warm-up game on the weekend. Jayawardena averaged just three runs in nine matches during the Cup.

Romesh Kaluwitharana and Chandana, who performed well in the warm-up matches, have also been named in the squad.