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Sanatha hopes for a turnaround

By Marlon Fernandopulle
Captain Sanath Jayasuriya and Wisdens best Bowler Muttiah Muralitharan will carry a Nations hope as Sri Lanka, after poor back to back tours to South Africa and Australia embarked early yesterday for the eight edition of the World Cup, determined to turn things round and prove their true capabilities.

Three wins in their last 13 games is not the best preparation for any team prior to the big event. But if that performance has served as a good wake up call and the team has learnt from their mistakes then Sri Lanka cricket fans could expect their team to rise to the big occasion. The Captain admitted that the team was not upto the mark in South Africa and Australia.

We had more than a few problems. We lost too many wickets early in the innings.Our batsmen were not at their best and I was not among the runs.Our medium pacers were wayward and we had a no- ball problem with Dilhara.We have focused on these aspects in the last few days. Hopefully things would have turned around for us now.The players are aware that they have to give their 100 percent if we are to compete in the World Cup, said skipper Sanath Jayasuriya before his team’s departure.

Skipper Jayasuriya is aware that his form with the bat is crucial for his teams success.His back to back centuries in Australia guided Sri Lanka to their only two victories in the VB Triangular. Jayasuriya who revolutionized the one day game with his explosive hitting in the 1996 World Cup will have to play his natural game and give the Lankans that text book one day start if the team is to upset the more fancied opponents.

With Atapattu, Aravinda, Mahela, Sangakkara and Arnold to follow the Lankan batting line-up boosts of big names capable of taking even the best bowlig apart.But more often than not they have failed.But as the skipper acknowledged at least two batsmen must get big scores if Sri Lanka is to take the fight to their opponents.With most of the venues where Sri Lanka are scheduled to play not having the Johannesburg or Capetown bounce,it will be upto the batters to apply themselves totally,concentrate immensely and judiciously select their shots and put up a challengimg total if they are to give their bowlers a chance.

The return of Muttiah Muralitharan has also got the team pumped up.The 30 year old off spinner was not a regular player in the recent games due to injury.
However with his return the Lankans are well aware that their trump card is back. With over 300 wickets in the kitty and an economy rate of less than four runs per over Murali is definitely seen by many countries as their biggest threat.

Apart from picking up wickets the champion off spinner can also keep the pressure up on the batsmen which has also become a good ploy in the one dayers.In 1996 when Sri Lanka won the World Cup two factors contributed largely towards their resounding success. It was their experience where a large number of their players had played over 100 games and the team had collectively played over 1000 games.

This time the Lankans once again boast of a wealth of experience with eight of their players having over 100 games and the team having collectively played over 1700 games. Despite conditions in South Africa not suited for the Lankans a lot of planning and thinking has been put in since 1999 by successive Interim Committees with the South African World Cup in mind. Hence,the Lankans should at least make it to the Super Six stage

With the entire nation backing the cricketers to the hilt, let’s hope that Sanath Jayasuriya's team will rise to the occasion and maybe even take the team beyond the Super Six stage and put Sri Lanka cricket on the map again.

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