COLOMBO - Sri Lanka’s prolific spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out of the inaugural World Twenty20 Championships next month due to an elbow injury.

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

"He is definitely out of the Twenty20."

Leg-spinner Malinga Bandara is expected to replace Muralitharan in the tournament to be played in South Africa from September 11-24.

SLC sources said Muralitharan complained of muscle pain between his right elbow and shoulder after bowling 30 overs in the English county match for Lancashire against Kent yesterday.

Muralitharan later consulted Sri Lankan team doctors in Colombo over the telephone and was advised to rest, sources said.

The off-spinner is also in danger of missing the home one-day series against England in early October.

But he should be fit for the two Tests against Australia in November where he needs nine wickets to overtake the retired Shane Warne’s world record tally of 708 wickets.

Sri Lanka opens their Twenty20 campaign against Kenya in Johannesburg on September 14.
AFP