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Message: <blockquote data-quote="binu_rulz" data-source="post: 930336" data-attributes="member: 20441">REBEL Sri Lankan batsman Marvan Atapattu could be sent home as early as tonight after the former captain labelled selectors as "muppets" in a bitter outburst last night.Sri Lankan team manager Shritam Samararatkne confirmed Atapattu's sensational spray could bring an end to his 89-Test career.After Sri Lanka was heavily embarrassed on the field in the first Test, it was stung in amazing scenes after play in which Atapattu launched an angry tirade at the team's administration.The veteran batsman claimed chief selector Ashantha de Mel was a "joker" and accused the other selectors - including selector-on-tour Ranjidh Madursinghem - of being "muppets", money-hungry and having personal grudges.Selectors initially left Atapattu, 36, out of the touring party and his skin was only saved after the intervention of Sri Lankan Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge."(There is) a set of muppets, headed by a joker," Atapattu seethed. "If three guys are controlled by a joker they can be called muppets."Sri Lankan cricket, at this moment in time, I don't think it is going in the way it should be going."I don't give credit for the way they have handled things. If they have handled things well I think we should have a good back-up (batsman)."For some reason we don't have and, at the age of 37 or 38, for people to come and play for Sri Lanka these become tough tours."Sri Lanka has been brought to its knees in the first Testm while Atapattu's incredible outburst could sink his career and throw the tourists' summer into chaos.Asked if Atapattu could be sent home for his comments, Samararatkne said: "That's a possibility."The outburst from Atapattu, who hadn't played a Test since 2005, overshadowed the first Test action.De Mel is a powerful figure in Sri Lankan cricket and a former Test pace bowler from 1982-86.Atapattu, who missed the World Cup with a back injury, last week admitted he didn't know whether he had been welcomed back into the fold by his teammates, but he may not have to worry about that much longer.Yesterday Sri Lanka's battered batsmen were bowled out for 211 at the Gabba and plunged to 2-80 at stumps, still needing 260 runs to make Australia bat again.They face almost certain defeat today.Cruise missile Brett Lee (4-26 and 1-26) last night vowed to complete a quick kill and wave the finger of death at Sri Lankan side facing its heaviest defeat against Australia.Lee was at his brilliant best, delighting in mimicking umpire Rudi Koertzen's infamous finger of death when he trapped Prasanna Jayawardene lbw with a nasty yorker.</blockquote>

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