Women's team hopes to break Asgiriya Hoodoo?

When the West Indies women's cricket team arrives in Sri Lanka at the end of this year to play three one-day matches and one Test, they will take on Sri Lanka in one ODI at Asgiriya, which is increasingly being considered as a Hoodoo for Sri Lanka teams.

"Sri Lanka has struggled at the venue but we shall do our best to brake this trauma and hopefully start a precedent for our national team to win the matches thereafter," said Gwen Herat, President of the Women's Cricket Association of Sri Lanka Lanka (WCASL).

"With lots of new comers bidding for places in the team, this might be a challenge but with experienced players like C. Seneviratne, T. Ekanayake, S. Sivanathan and H. Abeysinghe the girls should do well."

Several World Cup 2000 players will be retained in the team after trials.

"This is the beginning of our trek to the 2004 world cup in South Africa and they have to bear in mind and be dedicated towards achieving success. We have great sponsors in Singer Sri Lanka and Lanka tiles and we shall strive not to let them down," she said.

Herat is keen for the team to tour England despite the economic strain that it would entail. The national had already been invited to tour Pakistan.

"This team needs tougher competition than Pakistan and England can supply that," she explained. "In fact at the world cup 2000 in New Zealand, H. Abeysinghe was picked woman of the match against England."

"The girls need a lot of motivation and regular physical training and this too will be looked in to along with psychological and mental attitude towards the game. It is important they have a clear vision and not play the way they did at the world cup 2000."

Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa are the finalists competing for the World cup in 2004.

Practices start on 17th September at 2:00pm at SSC Grounds. Rohan Fernando will train the pool and will be assisted by Vanessa Bowen. In mid-November the teams will be picked and a former test cricketer will train them until the West Indies arrive.