The Sri Lankan selectors, on Sunday, dropped batsman Kusal Mendis from their 15-member squad while Angelo Mathews returned to lead the side in the upcoming tour of India.
Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne hit crucial half centuries to guide Sri Lanka to their highest-ever run chase as the hosts defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets on the final day of an intriguing one-off Test on Tuesday.
Malinga brought his tally to 99 wickets, surpassing Afridi's total haul of 98 wickets.
Dinesh Chandimal-led Sri Lankan squad,on Wednesday arrived for their six-week tour of India, which starts here with the first of the three-Test series, beginning on November 16.
If the home fans had hoped the change in format would bring a change in fortune, they were left bitterly disappointed with India breezing to their 217-run target in under 29 overs.
James Neesham did his World Cup chances no harm after 18 months out of the New Zealand side as he produced an all-around performance in their 45-run win over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international on Thursday.
Pakistan's teenage fast bowler Naseem Shah led the hosts' recovery against Sri Lanka on a riveting opening day as Test cricket returned to the country on Wednesday for the first time since a militant attack in 2009.
Tim Southee's prophecy before the start of the first Test against Sri Lanka came true on the opening day of the match as he took his eighth five-wicket haul at the Basin Reserve on Saturday.
Suranga Lakmal bowled a tight final over to help Sri Lanka win the rain-hit fourth one-dayer against South Africa by three runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method on Wednesday and snap their losing streak.
David Miller helped South Africa blast 14 runs from their super over, before the wily Tahir restricted Sri Lanka to only five in reply, two of which were wides.
New Zealand skittled Sri Lanka out for 122 on Monday to secure a series-levelling victory by an innings and 65 runs on the final day of a rain-hit second and final Test in Colombo.
The hosts have hit nadir in both form and confidence, and, after a lop-sided 3-0 Test series victory, the script did not change much in the opening ODI, where India steamrolled the opposition by nine wickets.
India gave themselves a boost before next month's Twenty20 World Cup at home as Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed four wickets in their series-clinching nine-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final Twenty20 international on Sunday.
Captain Eoin Morgan smashed his second half-century in two games and Adil Rashid took four wickets to help England crush Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the rain-marred third One-Day International on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Perera and all-rounder Asela Gunaratne have returned to the one-day international squad for the three-match series against India, the country's cricket board said on Tuesday.
Dinesh Chandimal will lead a 14-man squad in the absence of injured captain Angelo Mathews in the two-match T20 series against Australia, starting from Tuesday in Pallekele.
'We have seen the SLC statement, but are not privy to any information or intelligence report relating to safety of the SL team. The PCB reiterates its commitment to provide complete safety and security to the SL side and in this relation will continue to work with the SLC'
Pakistan Science and Technology Minister Fawad Hussain claimed that Sri Lankan cricket players opted out from the upcoming tour of Pakistan after India threatened them that they will be ousted from the Indian Premier League if they failed to do so.
Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been included in the 16-man squad for the second Test of the three-match series against India which begins on Thursday after recovering from illness.
A ruthless India equalled their biggest victory margin, decimating a lacklustre Sri Lanka by an innings and 239 runs in the second Test to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Sri lanka's senior batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan was on Saturday ruled out of the first Twenty20 international against India with a hand injury, with wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella named as his replacement. Dilshan, who did not travel with the team to India, is expected to be available for the second match, in Ranchi, on February 12. The first match is scheduled to be held in pune on February 9, with the third game at Visakhapatnam on February 14. Dilshan's injury is an aggravation of an old complaint that surfaced after he hurt himself while attempting a catch during the semi-final of the recently-concluded Super T20 Provincial Tournament.
David Warner capped a brilliant return to form on home soil with a third successive half-century to fire Australia to a seven-wicket victory and a 3-0 T20 series sweep of Sri Lanka.
Rabada trapped Smith leg before wicket on the opening day of the second Test at St George'sPark on Friday and appeared to brush against the batsman in his celebration as the Australian walked down the pitch.
India lose 7 wickets for 22 runs. Defeat seems certain. Then the Master and an unlikely disciple take charge.
South Africa have slipped to number six in the world, behind fifth-placed Sri Lanka, and have a host of questions to answer, not least around a brittle top six and the balance of the side.
Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal took four for 27 to set up Sri Lanka's 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first Test in Harare on Thursday.
Sri Lankan batsman Asela Gunaratne was on Wednesday ruled out of the ongoing three-Test series against India after fracturing his left thumb during the opening day of the first match, in Galle, on Wednesday.
Trent Boult needed just 15 balls to change the complexion of the second Test against Sri Lank
Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis fell agonisingly short of a maiden double century but his career-best 194 propelled the hosts to 494 all out against Bangladesh in the first innings of the first Test on Wednesday.
Kusal Mendis remained unbeaten on 166 and combined in a fourth-wicket partnership of 196 with Asela Gunaratne to put Sri Lanka on course for a big first innings total against Bangladesh on the first day of the opening Test at Galle on Tuesday.
In the first Test in Kolkata, Herath bowled only eight overs in seaming conditions, but was required to send down 39 overs in the only innings that India batted in Nagpur, after which he complained of back pain.
Chasing an elusive dream of winning their first cricket Test in India, Sri Lanka will begin their gruelling tour with a two-day tour fixture against a depleted Board President's XI, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
Sri Lanka's top-order batsmen put up a solid display and were ably aided by their bowlers to help their side thump England by 219 runs for the touring side's worst one-day international loss by runs.
Root said that spinning tracks will throw challenges to the visiting team but they are adapting to the conditions quickly.
In both the innings during this Test match, Sri Lanka have lost a wicket to a pacer in fading light, prompting the umpires to check light, after which the spinners struck twice.
South Africa opener Quinton de Kock's attacking 87 set up a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day international in Dambulla on Wednesday, handing the tourists a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Kohli edged Warner to take fifth position after completing his 50th international century in the first match of a three-Test series against Sri Lanka in Kolkata on Monday.
Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne missed individual centuries but forged Australia's highest partnership of the summer to earn the hosts a handy first innings lead against Sri Lanka on day two of the series opening day-night Test on Friday.
Keshav Maharaj claimed a career-best eight for 116 to prevent Sri Lanka from making the most of a strong start and limiting them to 277 for nine on the opening day of the second and final Test on Friday.
Also returning to the 15-man squad, which will also take part in the upcoming Asia Cup tournament before the March 8-April 3 World Twenty20, was all-rounder Angelo Mathews.
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