Lokuarachchi out for two months

The Sri Lankan legspinner, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, is expected to be out of action for two months after undergoing an operation on his dislocated right index finger.

Lokuarchchi sustained the injury while attempting a return catch off Ravi Bopara during England's first innings of their match against a Sri Lanka Board President's XI in Colombo.

Initially it was feared he had sustained a break, but his coach, Chandika Hathurusinghe, confirmed that the blow had dislocated a knuckle without severing the surrounding tendons. Nevertheless, he is expected to spend three weeks in plaster, and it will be a further month before he is fit to bowl again.

Though Lokuarachchi was not in contention for the forthcoming Test series against England, he was very much in the selectors' thoughts for the CB Series in Australia in January and February. He played in the final two matches of England's recent ODI series in September and October, and has taken 31 wickets at 23.38 in 31 matches to date.