Sri Lanka focus on fielding and fitness ahead of ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup

Sri Lanka coach Sumithra Warnakulasuriya has said his players have focussed on improving their fielding and fitness in an attempt to give themselves the best chance of lifting the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup (ICC U/19 CWC).

Warnakulasuriya said those two areas had been crucial in the side's failure to win both the Afro-Asian U/19 Cup and the tri-series with Bangladesh and England late last year.

And the deficiencies led to them being the focus of attention ahead of this tournament with former international spinner Ruwan Kalpage drafted in to oversee the hard work.

"Those were the two areas, fielding and fitness, that have let us down," said Warnakulasuriya in Colombo on Monday.

"But over the past one-and-a-half months our preparations have been good, the boys have been put through a very strenuous programme and the standards have definitely improved.

"We have had a few more coaches involved too, like not only Kalpage but also Champaka Ramanayake and Hemal Mendis and now the team is looking good and we are looking forward to the tournament," he added.

Warnakulasuriya said that although he was aware the eyes of the whole country were on his players, expecting them to win the ICC U/19 CWC on home soil, he was not allowing himself or his players to look that far ahead.

"We are just looking at the short term target," he said.

"We are just going to take it match by match and we do not want to take Scotland or Namibia (who make up the rest of Group C along with India) very easily.

"We will just try to qualify for the quarter-final and then see how it goes on from there."

Captain Angelo Mathews played down the significance of the side's losses in the two tournaments last year and also the potential pressures that will come with home advantage.

"In those past tournaments we have had our ups and downs," he said. "But as for the past, it is history and we should just forget it.

"We need to get our act together and play as a team so that we will be able to do well but I think playing in home conditions means we should be able to do just that.

"People will expect a lot from us because we are at home and that will be pressure but I think you have to have some pressure to be able to play well," he added.

Sri Lanka's main Group C rivals are India and the two sides go head-to-head on the last day of first round matches on February 10 in an encounter that could be a dress rehearsal for the final nine days later.

But Mathews cautioned against the belief that tournament favourites India are the only team that represent a threat to his side's ambitions.

"There are many teams to look at and not just India," he said.

"I think India is going to be tough but so will the other Test-playing nations."

Before that meeting on February 10 there are matches with Scotland and Namibia for Sri Lanka to look forward to and Warnakulasuriya admitted he knew little about those two sides.

"I saw Namibia play a practice match at Royal College and I have seen Scotland practice at the R.Premadasa Stadium but I do not know much about them," he said.

"Sometimes it does help knowing about the opposition but really it all depends on how you play on a particular day.

"You may know and you may plan but it may not work on that day. It is always best to concentrate on what you do and if we do that then I am sure we can deal with things."

Sri Lanka's group C matches take place on Sunday (against Scotland), February 7 (Namibia) and February 10 (India) with all matches being played at the R.Premadasa Stadium.

The top two sides from each of the four groups in the tournament will progress to the Super League stage, which consists of knock-out quarter- and semi-finals and a final on 19 February.

The Sri Lanka squad is: Angelo Mathews (captain), Sameera de Zoysa (vice-captain), Dilhan Cooray, Hans Fernando, Chathupama Gunasinghe, Shalika Karunanayake, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sachith Pathirana, Prabudha Perera, Thisara Perera, Ashan Priyanjara, Malinga Pushpakumara, Sachithra Serasinghe and Rajeewa Weerasinghe.

Manager - Ashley de Silva, Coach - Sumithra Warnakulasuriya, Assistant Coach - Hemal Mendis, Fielding Coach - Ruwan Kalpage, Fast Bowling Coach - Champaka Ramanayake.

The ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup 2006 will take place between February 5 and 19. 16 teams are scheduled to play 44 matches in 15 days at five different venues in Colombo.