Sri Lankan seam bowler Chaminda Vaas will not play in this week's third Test against Bangladesh in Kandy as he has being allowed to return to England where he has a county contract with Middlesex.

Sri Lanka already hold a winning 2-0 lead in the series.

"We will be without Vaasy for the final Test. He is going back to England," a Sri Lanka Cricket spokesman confirmed.

Vaas took six wickets in the first two Tests to improve his overall total to 319 in 98 games at an average of 29.21.

He is likely to be replaced by Farveez Maharoof, Sajeewa de Silva or Malinga Bandara for the final match of the series, which starts next Wednesday.

Despite Vaas's departure to rejoin Middlesex in time for the resumption of the County Championship following a break for the Twenty20 Cup, Sri Lanka's star spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan will remain with the squad.

He is spending the summer with another county side, Lancashire, but will play in Kandy, which is his home town.