Middle order batsman Tillekeratne Dilshan has been recalled for the three match ODI series against Pakistan that starts later this month. After a poor run in ODI cricket, Dilshan was axed from the ODI side after Sri Lanka’s disappointing loss in the five match home series against India in August last year.

"We are impressed with the role Dilshan played during the recent Test series in Bangladesh and that’s the type of performance we look forward to from a player of his caliber," Ashantha de Mel, Chairman of Cricket Selectors, told ‘The Island’.

In the recent Test series, Dilshan became the fourth Sri Lankan to score two hundreds in the same match after Duleep Mendis, Asanka Gurusinghe and Aravinda de Silva. He was named Man of the Match in the second Test in Chittagong and walked off with the Man of the Series award for an excellent all-round effort.

Dilshan is one of the most experienced batsmen in the side having played 152 ODIs, where he has scored 2994 runs at an average of 29 with a hundred and 14 fifties. His off-spin has claimed 46 wickets for the Sri Lankans.

However, there was no place for ace paceman Chaminda Vaas, who incidentally became only the fourth bowler in the world to claim 400 ODI wickets in his last outing in Colombo.

Vaas recently in an interview with our sister paper Divaina expressed his disappointment on losing his place in the ODI squad. The left-arm-seamer, however, vowed to fight back and intended to continue till the 2011 World Cup in the sub-continent.

Middle order batsman Chamara Silva, who was axed after the Indian series has been named as a standby along with opener Mahela Udawatte.

Sri Lanka will leave to Karachi on the 18th of January and will play the three matches in Karachi (January 21), Lahore (January 24) and Faisalabad (January 27).

Former Sri Lanka opening batsman Brendon Kuruppu has been named as the Manager for the tour. He will take over from Jayantha Paranathala, who is functioning as the Manager of the team in Bangladesh.

Mahela Jayawardene ( Capt), Kumar Sangakkara ( V. Capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, T. M. Dilshan, Thilina Kandamby, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thilina Thushara Mirando and Angelo Mathews.

On stand-by: Ishara Amarasinghe, Malinga Bandara, Chamara Silva and Mahela Udawatte.