Jayasuriya confident and raring to go

The rains might have brought proceedings to a grinding halt at Dhaka but they certainbly have not been able to get Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya down. The blazing left hander admitted that "the rains have hampered practice" but was quick to add that they had been making the one and a half hour trip to the BKSP indoor facilities outside Dhaka.

Although heavy rains made any play impossible and umpires Venkatraghavan and Salim Badar had no choice but to call of play in the morning itself, the Bangladesh Cricket Board are keen to get the tournament off to a start. Jayasuriya echoed that feeling. Having done exceptionally well in the last series they played where they beat Pakistan 3-0 in their own backyard, Jayasuriya wants to continue on a winning note. "That series was one of the highlights of my career. Beating a tough side like Pakistan in their own backyard takes a lot of effort. We gained a lot of confidence because of that win and we aim to continue in the same manner here."

Jayasuriya will be lucky to get some play in the next few days. If the weather does clear up in a big hurry maybe Sanath will dazzle once more. The Lankan skipper was not unduly bothered by the fact that he was going through a lean patch with the bat. He also said he was open to batting at any position and that he might consider dropping himself down the order if coach Dav Whatmore thought that was the best strategy.