Pata
02-24-2007, 01:04 PM
Sri Lanka's leading and veteran pace bowler Chaminda Vaas believes Sri Lanka have a great chance of repeating their 1996 World Cup triumph at the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean over the next two months.
"The current side is in the same mould as the outfit that won under Arjuna Ranatunga and we are peaking at the right time," he told reporters before the team left for the West Indies.
"We possess a well-balanced side which is equally strong in all three departments, batting, bowling and fielding, and the unity under captain Mahela Jayawardene is excellent."
Sri Lanka’s form leading up to the tournament has been mixed with a disappointing Champions Trophy, a 2-2 away draw to New Zealand and a 2-1 loss to India.
But Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene insists his team are not reading too much into the recent loss to India, a series in which their two leading bowlers, Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, were rested.
"We travel to the World Cup knowing that we have a squad capable of winning the tournament if we play our best cricket," Jayawardene said.
"We may have just lost to India but that short series also allowed the middle order to regain form and gave the back-up bowlers some really good exposure."
"We have improved a great deal during the past year and we have shown that we have the kind of competitive instinct and fighting spirit necessary to win major tournaments."
Sri Lanka will play in Group B with 1983 champions India, Bangladesh and Bermuda.
"We have to take it one match at a time and will not be taking any opposition lightly," said Jayawardene, a member of the team who suffered a shock defeat to Kenya at the 2003 World Cup.
Sri Lanka are likely to play six specialist batsmen and five frontline bowlers on good batting pitches and play an extra batsman when conditions assist the bowlers.
"The current side is in the same mould as the outfit that won under Arjuna Ranatunga and we are peaking at the right time," he told reporters before the team left for the West Indies.
"We possess a well-balanced side which is equally strong in all three departments, batting, bowling and fielding, and the unity under captain Mahela Jayawardene is excellent."
Sri Lanka’s form leading up to the tournament has been mixed with a disappointing Champions Trophy, a 2-2 away draw to New Zealand and a 2-1 loss to India.
But Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene insists his team are not reading too much into the recent loss to India, a series in which their two leading bowlers, Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, were rested.
"We travel to the World Cup knowing that we have a squad capable of winning the tournament if we play our best cricket," Jayawardene said.
"We may have just lost to India but that short series also allowed the middle order to regain form and gave the back-up bowlers some really good exposure."
"We have improved a great deal during the past year and we have shown that we have the kind of competitive instinct and fighting spirit necessary to win major tournaments."
Sri Lanka will play in Group B with 1983 champions India, Bangladesh and Bermuda.
"We have to take it one match at a time and will not be taking any opposition lightly," said Jayawardene, a member of the team who suffered a shock defeat to Kenya at the 2003 World Cup.
Sri Lanka are likely to play six specialist batsmen and five frontline bowlers on good batting pitches and play an extra batsman when conditions assist the bowlers.