COLOMBO, Feb 22: World Cup winner Aravinda de Silva has tipped Sri Lanka to emulate the success of his 1996 side in the forthcoming tournament in the Caribbean. "I honestly feel this side have a better chance than we had in 1996.,” he said while talking to a private tv channel on Wednesday. “The bowling looks good, the batting has depth and the fielding looks sharp. My money is on Sri Lanka," he said.

Sri Lanka begin their campaign with what should be an easy win over Bermuda in Trinidad on 15 February and then take on Bangladesh and India. The match against India is likely to decide the group winners, with both teams desperate for a victory which will enable them to carry the points forward to the Super 8 phase.

Sri Lanka recently lost a warm-up series in India 2-1, but they were without their two main bowlers, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, who were given an extended break. De Silva expects both to shine in the Caribbean, saying: "Murali is a world-class performer and a lot of people under-rate Vaasy. He's a quiet achiever and played a vital role in the last World Cup."

The middle order batting is De Silva's only serious concern and he has backed the inclusion of former skipper Marvan Atapattu, who can bat anywhere in the top six. "Marvan's presence should sort things out. He brings experience and should be able to bat according to the situation," he commented.

The win over Australia in the 1996 final was the biggest day in Sri Lankan cricket history and De Silva fancies a repeat of that result if the two sides meet again. "Australia are an ageing side. There's pressure on most of their players,” De Silva opined. "Their bowling is not what it used to be. [Glenn] McGrath can contain but the traditional bounce won't be there [for him] in the Caribbean. Brett Lee provides a bit of variation, but the rest of the bowling looks very average," he said. —Agencies