Sri Lankans raring to go in Sharjah
The Sri Lankans will like to forget their performance in the ICC knock-out tournament at Nairobi and take on India with new determination in the opening encounter of the Coca
Cola Cup cricket tournament, beginning in Sharjah on October 20.
The Sri Lankan team, led by Sanath Jayasuriya, arrived in Sharjah on Sunday and did some practice at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Sri Lankan coach Dave Whatmore said: "Losing (in Nairobi) was a
small portion of disappointment for everyone, but in terms of effect,
I would say that every member of the team would be trying even
harder to win the Coca Cola Cup."
Whatmore told a local newspaper that the condition of the wicket
would dictate the formation of the Sri Lankan team in the
tournament, in which Zimbabwe features as the third team.
The Indian and Zimbabwean teams are expected to arrive on
Thursday.
Though India lost to New Zealand in the ICC knock-out tournament
final on Sunday, they look a rejuvenated side with the addition of
youngsters like Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan. It is to be seen
whether India will continue with the same eleven that did duty
at Nairobi because some players, like Vinod Kambli and Ajit Agarkar,
were not much impressive in the ICC knock-out tournament.
The India-Sri Lanka opener in the Coca Cola Cup on October 20
will be followed by the Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe encounter the next day.
India take on Zimbabwe on October 22 while October 23 and 24 will be
rest days. On October 25, Sri Lanka will meet Zimambwe and on October
26 India take on Zimbabwe. It will be India vs Sri Lanka on October
27 and the final will be played on October 29. This will be the first
time in the history of Sharjah cricket that a final will be played
on Sunday.
The winning team will get US $50,000 while the losing
finalist will bag US $30,000.
There will be individual prizes also.The man of the match in the
preliminary rounds will get 1,000 dollars and in the final 1,500
dollars.The man of the series will get 3,500 dollars.There will be
1,000 dollars at stake each for the best bowler, best fielder, the
player hitting the fastest fifty and the player hitting super sixes
in every match.
The beneficiaries this time from India are: Dilip Sardesai, Rusi
Surti and Navjot Singh Sidhu while for Sri Lanka, the contribution
will go to the players' benefit fund.
UNI
Mail Cricket Editor
