Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu said they would struggle against the world champions without the off spinner.
Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 75 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Tom Moody arrived in Sri Lanka on Saturday evening and will start preparations for the forthcoming Test series against the West Indies.
Marvan Atapattu will lead the Tests against West Indies and the triangular ODI series in Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan opener split the webbing between the middle and index fingers on his left hand while fielding during the first day's play.
SL captain Marvan Atapattu believes his team's rain-ruined one-day series victory over England will boost their confidence for next month's Test series.
Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu believes his side are capable of becoming the best one-day international team in time for the World Cup.
He hit an unbeaten 274 as New Zealand declared their first innings at 515 for 7 in the first Test against Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan skipper scored 97 not out to guide his team to a four-wicket victory and an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match ODI series against South Africa.
Marvan Atapattu and Avishka Gunawardene scored fifties as Sri Lanka snatched a thrilling three-wicket win.
The hosts amassed a 492-run at the end of the third day in the second Test.
The SL captain hit a century to lead Sri Lanka to 411 for five on the disrupted third day of the second Test against Australia.
Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu made centuries in a record opening stand as Sri Lanka smashed 343 for five in their one-day international match against Australia on Thursday.\n\n
The duo hit double centuries as Sri Lanka piled up 713 for three declared in reply to Zimbabwe's 228 on the third day of the second Test.
Taibu's maiden test wicket started a Sri Lankan slide in which they lost six wickets for 133 runs, four of them to the second new ball.
Sri Lanka were 456 for 7 in reply to Zimbabwe's first innings of 199 on day 2 in the first Test.
Sri Lanka, 2-0 down in the series, closed on 239 for two in reply to Australia's first innings total of 401
A large sum of cash was reportedly found in a hotel room that had been occupied by Marvan Atapattu.
Atapattu has kept the job despite Sri Lanka's failure this month to qualify for a home tri-series final for the first time.
Sri Lanka's Head Coach Graham Ford has resigned from his position, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) head Thilanga Sumathipala said on Saturday.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) may end up appointing former Australian captain Greg Chappell as its new chief coach.
Sri Lanka pace spearhead Lasith Malinga is recovering well from his ankle surgery and should be back in action during the later stages of the One-Day International series in New Zealand next month, according to coach Marvan Atapattu.
South African Graham Ford will take over as the chief coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team for his second stint replacing Marvan Atapattu, who had stepped down five months back. Ford is expected to join the side in February before the three-match T20 International series against India. The news was announced in Surrey county's website as they confirmed their current coach Ford's decision to leave for international assignment. Ford had earlier coached Sri Lanka for two years starting from 2012.
Sri Lanka Cricket's selection committee chairman Aravinda de Silva stood by his panel and took full responsibility for making last-minute changes to the team for the ICC World Twenty20. "All decisions were taken in the best interest of the team and we take responsibility," de Silva, the hero of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup win, said. He replaced the committee headed by Kapila Wijegoonawardana. Wijegoonawardana's committee was sacked by the Sports Ministry just a few days before the team departed. De Silva's committee, which also included Kumar Sangakkara, made changes to the squad picked by the previous committee. Sri Lanka fared poorly and failed to make it to the semifinals in a woeful defence of their title won in 2014.
Refusing to blame the players for the debacle in the ongoing One-Day series in India, former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga said the country's administrators are responsible for the fiasco which has also disturbed the team's World Cup preparations.
Which Indian batsman has the highest run tally against Sri Lanka (Clue: He has an aggregate of 1,995 runs)? Which Sri Lankan skipper led the islanders against India in 13 Tests and did not win a single one? As the Test series gets underway, Rajneesh Gupta surveys India-Sri Lanka Tests played over the years.
India have won the Asia Cup on seven occasions, Sri Lanka on five occasions, with Pakistan winning it twice.
India may be weakened by the absence of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but the World champions cannot be taken lightly, especially with a strong batting line-up at their disposal, says Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews.
The tri-series in Australia, India's final ODI engagement before the World Cup, gets underway on January 16, says Chandresh Narayanan, casting a fascinating look at the survivors from earlier World Cups.
India have won the Asia Cup six times, Sri Lanka five, and Pakistan have won it just twice. As the 14th edition of Asia's own trophy gets underway on Saturday, Rajneesh Gupta presents the numbers on the 13 editions so far.
The Sri Lankans have played 17 Tests in India in 35 years, but failed to win a single one.
'I would have loved to win a 50-over World Cup. We had two chances, but we didn't convert them.' 'There are regrets, but not regrets that I will be thinking about for years and years.'