Clinical Sri Lanka will test their skills against the flamboyant West Indies when both sides battle for their maiden World Twenty20 title in today’s mouth-watering final.
A sell-out crowd of 35,000 at the Premadasa stadium will offer boisterous support as Mahela Jayawardene's home team attempt to reverse fortunes after losing three finals in major meets since 2007. Standing in the way will be the destructive West Indies batting led by opener Chris Gayle, who crushed Australia in Friday's semi-final with a scintillating 75 of 41 balls.
But Jayawardene played down Gayle's importance in the match, saying his team never planned for just one individual.
"We have never gone after individuals," said Jayawardene. "Gayle is just another player in a very good West Indies side. But we plan and analyse for a team, not individuals. The West Indies obviously had a ball with the bat against Australia. But it’s a new game and everything will depend on how we execute our plans. It’s a great challenge to have as a team."
Jayawardene scoffed at Gayle's remarks that the West Indies were going to ruin Sri Lanka's party by winning the title.
"I can't make out if the pressure is on us or him. If he has said something like that, the pressure must be more on him. Let him deal with it."
He also emphatically rejected suggestions that Sri Lanka had deliberately ordered slow pitches for the tournament to suit their spin bowlers like Ajantha Mendis.
"This is an ICC event and the ICC controls the pitch, not the Sri Lanka team or the Sri Lankan board. Why would we have prepared a turning pitch against Pakistan when they have some of the best spinners in the game like Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez."
Will be a memorable occasion: Sammy
West Indies captain Darren Sammy was confident of winning a major title for the first time since the Champions Trophy triumph in 2004.
"When we take the field, everyone will be looking to perform their best because this is going to be a memorable occasion and a victory will mean a lot for fans back home," said Sammy. "If we play our best, conditions will not count. Our job is to put up a big total whether we bat first or not.
"Sri Lanka obviously know the conditions well, but I am hoping we get a good pitch to play on in the final. The emphasis however will remain on doing best in the given conditions."
Sri Lanka
Beat Zimbabwe by 82 runs
Lost to South Africa by 32 runs
Beat New Zealand in Super Over
Beat West Indies by 9 wickets
Beat England by 19 runs
Beat Pakistan by 16 runs
West Indies
Lost to Australia by 17 runs
N/R against Ireland
Beat England by 15 runs
Lost to Sri Lanka by 9 wickets
Beat New Zealand in Super Over
Beat Australia by 74 runs
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2012.
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99.99% of Pakistanis feel Razzaq should have been in the team. He is a billion times more reliable with the bat than Afridi ( Afridi trolls need to realize the destruction they have caused by blindly and irrationally supporting someone who cannot even manage his own innings).
Kamran Akmal and Nasir Jamshed should have opened . Shoail Tanveer and Shoaib Malik had no justification to be in the team. Umber Akmal should have come in much earlier.
If Umer Gul can't bowl Yokers , he didn't deserve to be in the team. Cheema of Junaid Khan should have been part of the squad so not to make us over reliant on Gul.
Hafeez is too nervous a captain . It was quite evident against India , Frankly , Misbah would have done a better job.