Masakadza to join Zimbabwe senior side in Sri Lanka

Teenage Zimbabwean batting sensation Hamilton Masakadza and former captain Brian Murphy have been added to Zimbabwe's squad for their three-Test tour in Sri Lanka.

But Zimbabwe have lost promising all-rounder Shaun Ervine, 19, with a stress fracture of his back, sustained in Bangladesh. He has already returned to Zimbabwe.

The new players will increase the squad to 15, giving Zimbabwe greater options in the batting and spin bowling department.

Masakadza, the first black Zimbawean to hit a first-class century, who also became the youngest debut centurion in Test history when he scored 119 against West Indies in July, has been playing in Kenya with the A team having taken time off to complete his school A-Levels.

Murphy, 25, a leg-spinner, who took over the captaincy after the sudden resignation of Heath Streak in October 2001, had been forced out of Zimbabwe 's tour of Bangladesh with a broken finger but has now recovered.

Zimbabwe played poorly in the LG Abans tri-series in Sri Lanka, winning just one game, but present captain Stuart Carlisle now hopes his inexperienced team can now perform better in what he admitted was going to be a "very tough" series.

The team will practice throughout the week before playing a solitary three-day practice game starting Friday in Colombo against a Board XI.

The Test series starts on 27 December at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo.