Sri Lanka, smarting from a 4-1 one-day series defeat by South Africa, have surprisingly recalled wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana and fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa.

They were named on Tuesday for a triangular limited-over tournament in Australia, the team's last big warm-up before the World Cup.

Kaluwitharana's recall came as a shock. The 33-year-old's international career appeared to have ended when he was not selected for Sri Lanka's provisional 30-man team for the World Cup.

He and left-armer Zoysa were left out of the one-day series in South Africa -- the site of the world tournament starting in February -- after sub-par performances in England earlier in the year.

But good domestic form and a local media campaign won a recall for Kaluwitharana, who remains hugely popular because of his play as a pinch-hitting opener when Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996.

He is expected to open again with captain Sanath Jayasuriya, as well as keeping wicket. That would force Kumar Sangakkara, another wicketkeeper-batsman and one of the few highlights in South Africa, to play as a specialist batsman.

Australia play England in the first game of the tournament on Friday.

Sri Lankan cricket board officials also said veteran Aravinda de Silva would miss the first three games of the event.

"For personal reasons he has been excused. He has served Sri Lanka so well over the years so we have to consider that request," chief selector Guy de Alwis said. He will be replaced by Thilan Samaraweera.

Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, recovering from a hernia operation, could play in Sri Lanka's third game against Australia in Perth.

Muralitharan, 30, called for throwing by Australian umpire Darrell Hair in the 1995-96 Melbourne Test against Australia, will thus miss a reunion with Hair when he takes charge of Sri Lanka's match against England in Brisbane on December 17.

Sri Lankan board officials said they had not been concerned about Hair but did not want to rush their star off-spinner back from injury.

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Aravinda de Silva (Thilan Samaraweera), Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold, Jehan Mubarak, Chaminda Vaas, Pulasthi Gunaratne, Prabath Nissanka, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sujeewa de Silva, Nuwan Zoysa. Coach - Dav Whatmore.