Sri Lankan stars Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene sign on for Black Clash

Sri Lankan duo Muttiah Muralitharan and Mahela Jayawardene will play in the Black Clash. Photo / Getty Images

After upsetting Team Cricket last year, Team Rugby has revealed two secret weapons to help them go back-to-back in the 2020 Black Clash.

Former Sri Lankan internationals Muttiah Muralitharan and Mahela Jayawardene will suit up for Team Rugby in the exhibition Twenty20 cricket match in Napier later this month.

They will link up the likes of former New Zealand under-20s cricket captain Kaylum Boshier, Beauden and Jordie Barrett, and Brad Weber.

While two former elite cricketers joining Team Rugby is a bit of a head-scratcher, the additions were justified as the two are rugby fans.

"These guys wouldn't be playing for us unless they had a rugby pedigree," Team Rugby coach and selector Sir Graham Henry said.

"To have a couple of Sri Lankan rugby players who can play a bit of cricket is going to be quite handy for us."

A key member of Sri Lanka's 2014 world champion side, Jayawardene posted multiple records in every form of the game.

The former CD Stag was the first Sri Lankan to amass 10,000 runs in test and ODI cricket, while his innings of 374 against South Africa in 2006 still stands as the highest test score by a right-handed batsman in the history of the game.

Rated by many as the best test match bowler of all time, Muralitharan's haul of 800 test wickets may never be eclipsed.

"Murali still gives me nightmares, so having him pop up again is a real concern," admitted Team Cricket coach and captain Stephen Fleming.

"And last time I played Mahela he got a hundred in a world cup semi-final. You couldn't ask for two better pros."

Team Rugby: Richie McCaw, Israel Dagg, Jason Spice, Ofisa Tonu'u, Beauden Barrett, Jordie Barrett, Aaron Smith, Brad Weber, Kaylum Boshier, Derren Witcombe, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene. Coach: Sir Graham Henry

Team Cricket: Stephen Fleming (coach and captain), Daniel Vettori, Nathan Astle, Grant Elliott, Jacob Oram, Hamish Marshall, Chris Harris, Kyle Mills, Luke Ronchi, Nathan McCullum, Mathew Sinclair, plus an International wildcard to be announced.