🚀 go-pugleaf

Sri Lanka vs West Indies curtain-raiser in Sharjah

Sri Lankans, full of confidence, will take  on  West  Indies   on
Wednesday  in the `curtain raiser` of the tournament and Pakistan
on Thursday.

The Sri Lankan team, led by Arjuna Ranatunga will arrive on Tues-
day night in Sharjah to play in the three-nation Champions Trophy
which starts on Wednesday. Pakistan and the West Indies  are  the
other participating countries in the triangular limited over con-
test.

The Sri Lankan is expected to leave Colombo`s Bandaranaike Inter-
national Airport at 5.15 p.m, and are scheduled to arrive here at
10.45 p.m. on Monday. They will open  their  campaign  when  they
take  on the West Indies in the `curtain raiser` match on Wednes-
day (11).

Ranatunga and his team will arrive in Sharjah brimming with  con-
fidence  following their success in New Zealand and Pakistan this
year.

Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga, in a pre-tour interview, said
that they aim to win their first trophy in Sharjah, a venue which
has not been too favourable for them. Since making their debut in
the  desert  in 1984, Sri Lanka has won only six of their 27 out-
ings here.

Ranatunga said that his team is in top form and will go  all  out
to  clinch  the trophy. He said that they will do their utmost to
beat Pakistan and the West Indies.

Sri Lanka, on present form, stands a good chance of  winning  the
title as the West Indies too are fielding a makeshift side, minus
eight of their regulars.

Among the top players missing in the Caribbean side  are   Curtly
Ambrose,   Courtney  Walsh,  Carl Hooper, Keith Atherton,  Junior
Murry,  Kenneth  Benjamin,  Vesbert    Drakes    and     Rajindra
Dhanaraj.

Ramiz  Raja`s  Pakistanis   are crisis-ridden following the humi-
liating defeats in the home series.

Pakistan selectors will have  a big problem in picking  the  side
which will have to  regain their lost prestige as world champions
in limited over cricket.

The triangular Champions Trophy  cricket  tournament  would  give
Pakistan  an  early chance to shake off the humiliation of defeat
by  Sri Lanka in the recently concluded home series.

Pakistan will meet Sri Lanka in the first of the two first  round
match on Thursday (12).

Source :: The Daily News (http://sri.lanka.net/lakehouse/)
<END> Contributed by The Management (cricinfo@*ogi.edu)