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| Sunday, 10 July 2005 |
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'New look' Windies team up against it Sri Lanka's cricket fans will have to keep their fingers crossed as to what type of cricket is in store for them at the Two-Test tour of West Indies here followed by the Triangular one-day series with India as the third team. With Brian Lara - the usual Windies captain out of the series owing to a sponsorship row with the West Indies cricket authorities and some of their stars out for the same reason, the outcome of the Sri Lanka-West Indies two Test series is somewhat in the balance with possibly the edge on Sri Lanka. The First Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka will be played from July 13 to 17 at the SSC grounds while the second Test will be played from July 21 to 25 at the Asgiriya International Stadium in Kandy. Sri Lanka's fans will be afforded the opportunity of witnessing a Test series after quite sometime and it will also give Sri Lanka's new coach Tom Moody to flex his coaching muscles as well. Union Assurance will sponsor the Test series. "Nowadays cricket is a team game that requires the ultimate in professionalism and dedication. Test cricket is also a test of endurance and perseverance and qualities such as these are what make Union Assurance what we are today", F. M. A. Khan, General Manager Customer Relationship Management said while addressing the journalists at a press conference. He said that with several of the Union Assurance team members having played cricket at the highest level, UAL has long fostered the cause of cricket in Sri Lanka. "We have come forward as principal sponsor for the Test series precisely because the qualities inherent is being a successful professional cricket team are the selfsame qualities that inspire them at Union Assurance", he added. Marvan Atapattu will lead Sri Lanka in the Test series with Mahela Jayawardene as his deputy. There are Test recalls for Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Zoysa and Russel Arnold in the squad of 14 players picked by the Sri Lanka selectors for the two-Test series. West Indies will be captained by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, but they are bound to feel the absence of Brian Lara Sarwan and Gayle who have opted out on the sponsorship issue. Chanderpaul said that they have in their squad a group of young players like Xavier, Marshall, Ryan Ramdass and Narasinh Deonarine and Tino Best - all keen to play Test cricket and they have performed well with the "A" team. The Sri Lanka squad: Marvan Atapttu (capt.), Mahela Jayawardene (V.Capt.),
Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Tilan Samaraweera, T. M. Dilshan, Upul
Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Muttiah Muralitharan, S. L. Malinga,
M. Wijekoon, Russel Arnold and H. M. Herath. |
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