PALLEKELE: Sri Lanka and the West Indies will be eyeing a place in the semi-final today after hard-fought wins in group one of the Super Eights.
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, whose team faces the West Indies today, hopes to carry on the momentum from the victory over New Zealand.
“When you are leading a team in a pressure situation and a crunch game like this, points on the board are very important,” said Jayawardene. “We can surely build on this.”
Sri Lanka have not won a major trophy since their 1996 World Cup win in the sub-continent. They were runners-up in the 2007 and 2011 World Cup (50 overs) and lost to Pakistan in the 2009 World Twenty20.
West Indies, who gained two crucial points by outsmarting title-holders England by 15 runs, are also looking for a first major trophy in eight years.
“When we left the Caribbean, winning this tournament for our fans was on our minds,” said West Indies captain Darren Sammy. “It is a good opportunity for us to do that here. We’ve been playing well as a team and we have to take it one game at a time. The senior players always turn up for Sri Lanka and they have a good mix on the squad. Playing them is a big challenge but it’s one we’re ready for.”
Sammy said fast bowler Fidel Edwards will come under consideration after leg-spinner Samuel Badree was brought to tame England with slow bowlers.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2012.
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