Lanka looking to consolidate one-day standings

by Chris Dhambarage

Sri Lanka will be hoping to further consolidate their position in the International Cricket Council one day international standings when they take on Bangladesh in the first one dayer at the Sinhalese Sports Club grounds, Maitland Place today.

The Lankans will have another great chance of closing the gap on the World champions Australia following their success in the IOC tri series against India and the West Indies this month. Now they are in with a good chance of making a clean sweep and could further get closer to the world champions in the latest rankings.

Sri Lanka collected four points from their previous tri series and their present rating of 121 points is the best rating held by any team in 2005 apart from Australia who are ahead by fifteen points. The Lankans by naming a full strength one day squad have already indicated that they mean business and will be determined to exploit their opponents in all departments of the game.

The Lankans will be firing all cylinders and have also ruled out any possibility of complacency against the tenth ranked one day side in the world. They have been preparing for this series as they have been doing against any other team and will also like to perform in the same hard manner as they would do against any other top ranked side in the world.

Sri Lanka certainly feels that this series will be the stepping stone for their further development as a one day team and are considering this series as a very important one. The series will also be quite a significant one as both teams are looking forward to experimenting with the International Cricket Council's new playing conditions which include two five-over 'power plays' with field restrictions and permit the use of 'super subs'.

Sri Lankan coach Tom Moody said that his team has a fair idea how they should approach the game but they are going with a little bit of uncertainty as to what is the perfect way of approaching the new regulations. Whatmore, who introduced aggressive pinch-hitters as Sri Lanka's coach in 1996, feels that the new rules will provide more entertainment although he said it would make chasing targets easier and favour the side batting second on a good pitch.

Bangladesh of course suffered a demoralising ten wicket defeat in their only warm up match against a Sri Lanka XI at the De Soysa Stadium in Moratuwa on Sunday. Their five-wicket victory over the world champions Australia in Cardiff on June 18 which is considered as the biggest one-day upset in the history would have given Bangladesh a great deal of confidence but the challenge they face in this series is even more daunting.

Bangladesh crashed to heavy innings defeats inside three days in both Tests during their recent tour of England. The conditions in Sri Lanka, however, will suit the visitors more than in England, but they will need to put up a disciplined effort against the hosts if they are to silence the ever growing number of critics.

Out of the 112 one-day internationals, they have won only 10 and are the lowest ranked side in international cricket in both forms of the game. In addition Sri Lanka have emerged victorious in all 11 one day matches played against Bangladesh.

The teams:

Sri Lanka (from): Marvan Atapattu (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Upul Chandana, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan, Avishka Gunawardene, Dilhara Fernando, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Thilan Samaraweera.

Bangladesh (from): Habibul Bashar (captain), Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Ashraful, Javed Omar, Rajin Saleh, Tushar Imran, Aftab Ahmed, Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Rafique, Khaled Mahmud, Aminul Islam, Manjural Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Russel.