Sri Lanka

Mahela Jayawardena’s men will be looking to go one step further than at the CWC 2007 and clinch the ICC World Twenty20 title.

Some excellent performances in the Caribbean, most notably from the skipper and Sanath Jayasuriya with the bat, and Muttiah Muralidaran and Lasith Malinga with the ball, helped the Sri Lankans reach the CWC 2007 final against Australia where they just couldn’t curb Adam Gilchrist’s destructive hitting.

Only Matthew Hayden scored more runs than Jayawardene in the CWC 2007, while Muralidaran finished as the second highest wicket-taker behind Glenn McGrath.

In a group with New Zealand and Kenya at the ICC World Twenty20 2007, Sri Lanka’s passage to the Super Eight stage will be far from straightforward, especially as it has played less Twenty20 cricket than some of its main rivals.

Sri Lanka beat England by two runs at Southampton in its first ever Twenty20 game in June 2006. Having made 163 all out, with Jayasuriya scoring 41, England required five runs off the last ball of the game but debutant Tim Bresnan could only manage two runs from a Dilhara Fernando delivery.

In a two-match Twenty20 series in December 2006 against New Zealand, Sri Lanka experienced mixed fortunes, winning a rain-affected match in Wellington by 18 runs (Duckworth/Lewis method) and then losing by five wickets at Auckland having scored a disappointing 115 all out.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardena (captain), Dilhara Fernando, Hasantha Fernando, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Sanath Jayasuriya, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Jehan Mubarak, Muttiah Muralidaran, Kumara Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga, Dilshan Tilakarathne, Chaminda Vaas, Gayan Wijekoon.