Misbah to miss Galle opener

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Pakistan will be without captain Misbah-ul-Haq for the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle after he was handed a one-match ban by the International Cricket Council.

Veteran batsman Misbah was punished after Pakistan were found guilty of a “serious over-rate offence” in the fifth and final one-day international between the two teams in Colombo.

Pakistan will have to cope without their skipper, Misbah-ul-Haq, in the first Test of three against Sri Lanka after he was suspended by the ICC

Pakistan were ruled to be three overs short of their target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration.

Misbah was therefore handed two suspension points, resulting in his ban, while each of his players were fined 40% of their match fee.

Sri Lanka have named a 15-man squad, with Nuwan Kulasekara and the in-form Thisara Perera among those to be recalled.

Nuwan Pradeep and uncapped all-rounder Jeevan Mendis also come in, while Chanaka Welegedara returns after missing his side’s last Test outing - against England - through injury.

Batsman Lahiru Thirimanne and seamers Suranga Lakmal, Dhammika Prasad and Shaminda Eranga have all been omitted by the hosts.

The three-Test series gets under way on Friday, with further matches to follow at Colombo and Pallekele.