Former dashing batsman Yusuf in the frame:

Surfeit of cricket for our willow wielders

Pakistanis here later this month:

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE

The Sri Lankan cricketers will have a surfeit of cricket beginning with the arrival of Pakistan later this month for two Twenty20, Five One-Day Internationals and Three Test matches.

After facing the Pakistanis, Sri Lanka will ready for the World Cup Twenty20 yto be played in Sri Lanka in September/October. After the Twenty20 WC, Sri Lanka will take wing to Australia for a Three Test series including the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Team to watch

To the Pakistan tour and at the moment led by Misbah Ul-Haq, they are the team to watch and the team Sri Lanka will love to beat. When Sri Lanka played Pakistan in Desert Country, they lost the Test and One-day series.

But under come back Captain Mahela Jayawardena, Sri Lanka will be a different kettle of fish after their excellent showing in the Tri Series in Australia and against England at home.

Jayawardena with his brilliant leadership has infused the cutting edge to the game and the Pakistanis will not find the Lankans easy meat this time round. The Pakistanis too, according to reports are hard at training and will bring out their best possible set of cricketers.

Yusuf in the frame

In this endeavour, they have ideas of recalling former champion batsman Mohammad Yousuf and have put him through a rigorous fitness test in an attempt to revive his international career. Yousuf 37 last played for Pakistan in 2010.

Pakistan will, after their practice games start the competitive part of their tour with Two Twenty20 games at the Hambantota on June 1 and 3.

Then they will move to the Pallekelle for two One-day Internationals on June 7 and 9. The Pakistanis will then motor down to Colombo to play the remaining Three one-dayers at the R.Premadasa International Stadium on June 13,16 and 18. Then the Pakistanis will play what the game is all about – Test cricket with the first one at the Galle International Stadium from June 22 to 26, the Second at the Sinhalese Sports Club from June 30 to July 4 and the final one at the Pallekelle International Stadium from July 8 to 12. ‘Most of the Sri Lankan cricketers playing in the Indian Premier League will be back well in time to join the rest of their colleagues training to front up to Pakistan, because indications are that the teams that they are playing for would not be figuring in the final round games.’

According to Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga.