Sri Lanka taking World Cup step by step
Published: Feb 20, 2011 00:34 Updated: Feb 20, 2011 00:34
HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka will take its World Cup campaign step by step as it tries to cope with the weight of expectation as co-host, according to captain Kumar Sangakkara.
Sri Lanka's bid to win the world title for a second time starts on Sunday against Canada in Group A, which also features three-time reigning champion Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Sangakkara wants his team to build momentum over time and just focus for the moment on beating Canada - a team which was bowled out by Sri Lanka for just 36 in a group match at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.
"Our job is to win the first game rather than try and win the tournament from the first game," Sangakkara told a news conference on Saturday.
"We are going to try and enjoy every game, take it step by step and hopefully build ourselves up." The pressure is on Sangakkara and his team as it carries the hopes of 20 million Sri Lankans.
"The expectations are huge but it's important we play game by game," said the skipper.
Powerful batting displays from Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva led Sri Lanka to victory in 1996 World Cup when it defeated Australia in the final at Lahore, Pakistan.
De Silva is now chief selector and was present at the brand new 35,000-capacity Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium for a peptalk with the team.
"His advice is extremely valuable at all times, he is a very shrewd thinker of the game and a fantastic cricketer," Sangakkara said.
Sangakkara will be playing in his third World Cup and with the likes of experienced spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and fast bowler Lasith Malinga in the side, Sri Lanka are joint favorites along with other co-host India.
"It's a great privilege to captain this particular team," Sangakkara said. "I think they are a wonderful bunch of guys and it's a great honor to play for your country in front of your home crowd. So hopefully we can do everyone proud." Key middle-order batsman Chamara Silva will skip Sunday's game due to death of his elder sister Nelum Anusha Silva on Thursday. The father of team manager Anura Tennakoon also died the same day, but Sangakkara said such tragedies bring the team more closer.
"We've just got to concentrate on playing good cricket because what we do will obviously affect them so I think they'll be looking at us." Sangakkara hinted he might include either leftarm spinner Rangana Herath or Ajantha Mendis alongside Muralitharan for Sunday's game, with all-rounder Angelo Mathews providing a medium fast attack.
"We can go with two spinners as Angelo Mathews brings in a nice blend to the side," he said. "Among the fast and spin bowlers, we hope to pick four to play with Angelo." Canada, which came close to pulling off an upset victory over England in a warmup match on Wednesday, will be playing with nothing like the expectations that weigh on the Sri Lankans.
"There's no pressure on us really for tomorrow's game," Canada skipper Ashish Bagai said. "We are here to play a good brand of cricket tomorrow and showcase the world we can play a little bit." Bagai is one of the survivors, along with batsman John Davison, who played against Sri Lanka in that World Cup 2003 game.
"There's only two guys from that World Cup here and we don't talk about that game too much," he said.