KARACHI, Nov 15: Former Test captain and Manager Sri Lankan under-19 team, Bandula Warnapura said Thursday that his junior squad was making a short trip to Pakistan in preparation for the coming Junior Cricket World Cup to be held in New Zealand in Jan-Feb next year.

“We wanted to give our boys good international exposure before finalising the team for the world cup” Warnapura told the media on his arrival with an 18-member Lankan under-19 squad for the five match one-day series against Pakistan under-19.

48-year-old Warnapura, who brought first Sri Lankan team to Pakistan after they were granted Test status in 1981-82, said they were looking forward to a good series between the two teams.

“First we requested Pakistan board to send its under-19 team to Sri Lanka but PCB wanted us to play in Pakistan which we accepted” he informed.

Warnapura, who played five Tests for his country said, his side wanted to play in a slightly colder climate because temperature in Sri Lanka ranges between 30-35 degrees centigrade.

He said the series between the two countries will help them in judging the performance of the boys before picking the 14- member squad for the Junior World event.

He said Sri Lanka finished runners-up behind India in the last competition held in their own country.

Responding to a question about the impression of the strongest school and junior base in Sri Lanka, he said definitely it was but now other countries are also concentrating on the same aspect.

He said like Test matches, school competition in Sri Lanka is watched by a strong crowd with lot of rivalry which helped in grooming the boys for big cricket.

When asked which team he rates as favourites for the Junior World Cup in New Zealand, he said it was a difficult question because no body make an accurate forecast.

He thanked PCB for inviting the team to Pakistan and providing them an opportunity for good cricket against Pakistan juniors—APP