The Sri Lankan Cricket team has named the BOLA Professional Bowling Machine in their squad to tour England next month.
The machine, which can bowl at a top speed of 95mph, has been selected to replace the side's fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who's given up test cricket to play one-day games and IPL cricket only.
"We've examined the laws of the game thoroughly and there's nothing in them to say that a team has to be made up of 11 humans." Tillekaratne Wickremasinghe told reports in Colombo.
"Yes, it's an unusual decision, but there are advantages to our selection. Firstly, the BOLA doesn't require a hotel room or a first class plane ticket. Secondly, there could never be any allegations of betting irregularities. And thirdly, he'll be less of a bizarre looking player in the field."
Malinga, currently playing for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has a shock of bleached hair mixed in with his curly dark locks, making him look like someone who's forgotten to take his sun hat off, when he steams in to bowl.
The ECB said it will study the team's claims before responding in more detail, but a spokesman said England will notice very little difference.
"We're familiar with Malinga and his 'slingy' action, so facing a machine that throws the ball with be nothing new."