COLOMBO, Dec 16: Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu believes his side are capable of becoming the best one-day international team in time for the 2007 World Cup. The skipper wants his players to continue their development on the tour to New Zealand which starts on Dec 17.

The visit includes a five-match series of one-dayers followed by two Tests. Sri Lanka have a 71 percent win ratio under Atapattu, having triumphed in 25 of the 35 matches played since he took over after the 2003 World Cup.

That run of success has lifted them into second place in the International Cricket Council's official ODI Championship behind Australia. New Zealand are third. "We want to be the number one team in the world," Atapattu told reporters before the squad flew out on Thursday. -Reuters