Marvan disappointed Windies not at their best

by Sa'adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu expressed disapointment that his team will not be playing the best side West Indies can put out for the two-Test series.

"Personally I would like to think when I finished my career that I had played with the best teams. So obviously with Lara, Sarwan and the likes of Gayle not being here, I will be thinking that I didn't play the best side that I've heard of," said Atapattu.

"Lara gave us a bit of a rough time when he was here the last time scoring close upon 600 runs in the series. He gave us trouble. But the game of cricket is such that it doesn't mean that it happens every time. We were looking forward to the challenge this time but it is a bit disappointing now that it is not here," he said.

Atapattu said his team had a similar experience in Zimbabwe last year when the top white cricketers took a stand against the Zimbabwe Cricket Union on a racial issue concerning selections.

"We managed to motivate the guys in different ways according to the form of the game that we played in one-day or a Test match. We'll have a plan here as well. As we came good out of that tour I am sure we will do the same here," he said.

Atapattu admitted that his team had not played much cricket since the tour of New Zealand ended in April but added that some of the players had been playing county cricket.

"In the past few weeks along with Tom Moody who has taken up the job as our new coach, we had a program or two. We have worked hard at match situations and hopefully we will do well when the series actually starts," said Atapattu.

He said that the first Test at the SSC grounds was important from Sri Lanka's point of view because it will be the country's 150th since gaining Test status 24 years ago. "It is always important and always special when you play a Test match for your country. It is even special when it is the 150th," he said.

"We have got a new management now. As far as the players are concerned we are trying to focus as much as we can on the game. We do need the right support from the management staff and I am sure we will get it," Atapattu said.

Atapattu welcomed the return of spin king Muttiah Muralitharan to the team. Muralitharan the second highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 532 wickets has joined the team at practice after representing Lancashire in the English county championships.

"It is nice to have Murali back. He is not the best bowler in my side but the world's best bowler. He troubles most batsmen than anybody else in the world. It is exciting to have him back after a long lay off. Everybody in the side is looking forward to having him among us," said Atapattu.

Muralitharan is returning to Test cricket after a lapse of nearly eleven months having undergone an operation in his bowling arm.

With regard to the players' contracts which the Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee has yet to finalise Atapattu said: "Nearing the series I think the contract will be of less priority. We will try and focus more on the cricket that we are going to play.

I am sure the authorities are looking at the contracts and the legal side of it and will get it over sooner than later. Our job in the meanwhile is to focus on cricket until at least this series is over."