Cricket: Sri Lanka setting sights on World Cup

Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu believes his side are capable of becoming the best one-day team in time for the 2007 World Cup.

He wants his players to continue their development on the tour to New Zealand which begins with a one-day match against Central Districts in New Plymouth on Tuesday.

The tour includes a five-match series of one-dayers followed by two tests.

Sri Lanka have a 71 per cent win ratio under Atapattu, having triumphed in 25 of the 35 matches played since he took over after the 2003 World Cup.

That run of success has lifted them to second place in the ICC's official one-day championship behind Australia. New Zealand are third.

"We want to be the No 1 team in the world," Atapattu said before the squad left Colombo yesterday.

"But we'll have to work really hard towards that objective.

"We cannot do that overnight, but we can during a set period and the aim is to be there by the 2007 World Cup."

Atapattu predicted a tough series, especially after New Zealand's 1-1 draw with Australia in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series last week.

"They are a tough team in their own conditions and, although they don't have a lot of stars, they have been playing very competitively as a group," he said.

"They have the advantage of playing at home, but this is also the best time for us to make a mark and prove ourselves in New Zealand.

"Only [seam bowler] Chaminda Vaas out of the senior players has played much cricket there, so this will be a new experience for us.

"Fortunately, we have four days of training before our first practice match, and then two practice games before the one-day series.

"This gives us plenty of time to adjust to the climatic conditions and the pitches.

"We'll try to figure out within the first week what our strategies are going to be."

The squad were blessed by Buddhist monks at Sri Lanka Cricket's headquarters in Colombo before their flight.

They left without spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, still recovering after shoulder surgery in August.

"I am pretty confident he will be available for the test series," Atapattu said.

"He says he is getting better day by day, and bowled four overs at normal speed on Tuesday.

"The cricket board is arranging for him to participate in a practice game [on December 27] and when he is ready he can hopefully join us in New Zealand."

The squad also left without coach John Dyson, who has missed the last 10 days of training to attend to personal issues in Australia.

Dyson will join the team at the weekend.

The one-day series starts in Auckland on Boxing Day.

- REUTERS