Flower optimistic of teams prospects against Sri Lanka

Zimbabwe cricket team captain, Andy Flower is optimistic his lads will dismiss Sri Lanka opener, Marvan Atapattu early in the next two Tests starting today at Harare Sports Club.

He said the players were getting their confidence back and thus he was hopeful that they would subdue their opponents.

We will have to work out a way to get him out. He batted with a lot of concentration and his innings was truly a good one.

I am a little disappointed because I feel we should have scored more than 400 in our first innings, said Flower.

The first cricket Test played at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, ended in a draw without a ball being bowled on the fifth and final day due to heavy rains. The Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU), desperate to redeem its lost pride and in an attempt to sharpen their attack, has included three bowlers in their squad and contracted the services of former Australian fast Test bowler, Carl Mackmannas as the bowling coach, ahead of this weeks matches.

The national selectors have also called up Everton Matambanadzo to beef up the squad.

The local side has been finding it difficult to recapture the form that saw them reach the super-six stage in the World Cup. Their loss of form has seen them suffer embarrassing defeats. Only two weeks ago they received one of their heaviest defeats when they lost by an innings and 219 runs to their bitter rivals South Africa.

ZCU has recalled the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy medium pacer Garry Brent, left arm spinner Raymond Price and Andy Whittal in a 14-member squad announced by the union this week.

Price and Whittal are fantastic bowlers and could add sting to the teams bowling prowess.

Winning against big teams will enable Zimbabwe to play more Test matches against cricket giants like South Africa and Australia.

Though in last weeks match against South Africa the local side had three of its key players sidelined because of injuries, among them Heath Streak and Paul Strang, they still managed to subdue the visitors.

Zimbabweans will pray for the return to form of world cup hero, Neil Johnson.

The visitors have an ace up their sleeve in off-spinner, Mutiah Muralitharan. Muralitharan, currently ranked fifth in the World bowling rankings and seventh in Tests, bagged 31 wickets at an average of 14 in four Tests played in Sri Lanka against the locals.

Flower, together with his troops, would be hoping that Muralitharan does not cause any problems during the three Tests and five-one day matches this week.