A dispute over Sri Lanka's team for the second Test against Bangladesh has deepened, with the sports minister quoted as saying Muttiah Muralitharan should be reinstated.

The off-spinner was one of eight top players told even before the series began that they would be left out of the squad for the final match, in favour of younger men.

Sri Lanka won the first match by an innings and 196 runs earlier this week.

But captain Sanath Jayasuriya has called for Muralitharan to play in the second match, beginning on Sunday.

And the Daily News quoted Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Johnston Fernando as saying there was a good chance Muralitharan would appear.

"Since he is fit, in-form and willing to play, I don't see any reason as why we should stop him," said Fernando.

"He could not play in a major part of the recent summer tour to England due to an injury.

"Hence, one cannot complaint about player burnout in this case."

Sri Lanka's selection committee is appointed by the sports ministry, which must approve their choice.

But the cricket board said on Thursday that it had not been told of any changes to the previously announced line-up.

"The selection committee has not informed us of any changes and the team is as the ministry approved it last Friday," cricket board spokesman Niresh Eliatamby said.

Muralitharan took a 10-wicket haul in the first Test, taking his career total to 430 - behind Shane Warne, Kapil Dev and Courtney Walsh's 519 in the all-time list.

But he has only just recovered from a shoulder injury which marred the team's recent tour of England.