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| February 2, 2003 | Sunday | Ziqa’ad 29, 1423 |
Sri Lanka’s factbox
Group B (with South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh, Kenya and Canada)
Strengths: Well-versed in the one-day game and blessed with considerable experience, including seven players with more than 150 caps. Off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who imparts prodigious turn through a unique combination of finger spin and wrist rotation, is a consistent threat. Batting can be destructive on flat pitches.
Weaknesses: Sri Lanka’s batsmen are traditionally vulnerable on the fast, bouncy pitches common in South Africa. Running between the wickets can be sluggish. Fielding has been poor recently. Fast bowlers, Chaminda Vaas apart, are occasionally wayward and prone to conceding a lot of extras.
Key man: Sanath Jayasuriya — has returned to his best form after struggling with the bat in the early stages of the recent triangular one-day series in Australia. The dashing left-hander was a dominant figure at the 1996 World Cup, attacking the bowling from the first ball and fully exploiting the field restrictions in the first 15 overs.
One-day form: Superb at home but inconsistent overseas. Have not lost a home series or tournament since July 1998. Won the Morocco Cup against Pakistan and South Africa in August 2002 and shared the ICC Champions Trophy with India in September 2002. However, form slumped after that with 4-1 defeat in South Africa and three straight losses in triangular series in Australia.
Past World Cup performances: Surprise winners of the 1996 World Cup, defeating Australia in the final, having not previously qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament. Crashed out of 1999 World Cup after first round.
Prediction: Third-place qualifier for Super Sixes.—Reuters
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