WELLINGTON: Sri Lanka will face off against the Black Caps in their first tour of New Zealand in eight years on Friday, looking to acclimatise to local conditions for the upcoming World Cup.
The tour features two Test matches, the first beginning in Christchurch on Boxing Day, but the emphasis is squarely on the 50-over game, with seven one-dayers as a warm-up to the February-March tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
"We have to be mentally and physically fit for the most important game on February 14," said coach Marvan Atapattu, referring to his team's clash against New Zealand in the opening match of the World Cup.
Sri Lanka are buoyant after humiliating England 5-2 in a one-day series, a result that contributed to Alastair Cook's sacking as limited-overs captain, and notching Test and one-day series wins over Pakistan in August.
But captain Angelo Mathews said he expected a tough match against the Kiwis, particularly since Mahela Jayawardene will be missing from the Test line-up after retiring from the long format of the game to concentrate on a World Cup swansong.
New Zealand, who recently drew a Test series and won their ODI series with Pakistan in the UAE, will be out to make a statement in front of their home fans ahead of the World Cup.
The Blacks Caps under Brendon McCullum's aggressive leadership have shown they can compete with the best and they are desperate to build some momentum leading into the World Cup.
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