Sri Lanka hope Muralitharan can put England in a spin

Sri Lanka are hoping master off-spinner Mutiah Muralitharan, who has tormented England in the past, will be able to showcase his talents during the visitors eagerly anticipated tour which begins in February

"He has done them in their own backyard. I'm sure Murali will be quietly confident," said Chandrishan Perera, spokesman for the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, referring to Muralitharan's 16-wicket haul at The Oval in 1998.

Sri Lanka, expected to return from a one-day series in New Zealand on February 12 to prepare for the three-test series against England, will look to take advantage of the comforts of home after being mauled on a South African tour late last year.

Sri Lanka were brushed aside 2-0 in the test series as their batsmen and most of their bowlers had trouble adjusting to the faster wickets.

But in Sri Lanka, the wickets, especially for the opening test in southern Galle from February 22, are expected to favour swing bowlers.

"They have in the past. Generally sub-continent wickets are friendly to spinners," said Perera.

"As such, Sri Lanka will prepare the wickets to showcase our strengths, just the way they prepare fast pitches in South Africa or Australia," he said.

The other tests are in Kandy from March 7 and Colombo starting on March 15, and there will be three one-day internationals beginning after the last test.

POLITICS

The tour could also be overshadowed by politics, with Britain expected to make a decision in the coming weeks on whether to ban the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) under an anti-terrorism law that went into effect this month.

Sri Lanka has been pushing hard for the ban and has warned a failure to do so would result in a worsening of relations with their former colonial master.

The LTTE, fighting for an independent Tamil state in the north and east, have an international headquarters in London.

Perera said that after a weak showing in South Africa, Sri Lanka's batsmen were expected to put up more of a fight at home.

The recall of veterans Aravinda de Silva and Hashan Tillekeratne should help.

De Silva is Sri Lanka's all-time leading runs maker with more than 13,000 in tests and one-day internationals.

Tillekeratne had not been selected for the national team since Sri Lanka's poor showing in the 1999 World Cup, but played his way back into the side with consistent performances in domestic cricket.

"They provide so much leadership and experience. If they are included in the side, they can add so much," Perera said.

He added that Kumar Sangakkara and the dependable Russel Arnold should also contribute runs.

Sangakkara was the top batsman on the South Africa tour with an average of just under 40.

Arnold is also a spin bowler who should benefit from the conditions at home.

HUMID

Besides Muralitharan -- who took his 300th test wicket in South Africa -- and possibly an improved batting line-up, Sri Lanka will have hot, humid weather on their side.

"It will be more humid than anything England have dealt with before," Perera said, adding that the tour had special significance for Sri Lanka because their first test match in 1982 was against England.

"The country is really looking forward to it, especially after England's success in Pakistan," he said.

England snatched a 1-0 test series win in Pakistan, their first since 1962, seven weeks ago.

"Sri Lanka is a good place to tour, the quality of cricket, the quality of the spectators," added Perera.

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Mail Cricket Editor