“We are taking this tournament very seriously and we certainly want to win it”, said Mahela Jayewardene, Captain of the Sri Lankan team ahead of the Canada Cup 20/20 Four nations tournament which is scheduled to begin on October 10. The other countries taking part are Pakistan, Zimbabwe and hosts Canada.

Speaking to The Sunday Times Jayewardene said; “Yes we have some young talented players in the team with a few seniors being rested. I believe the selectors are looking ahead to next years 20/20 World Cup in June and have picked the squad with that in mind. We are not going to take any opponent lightly. This format is such that if you are not at your best any team can defeat you on a given day.”
When asked about the return of Farveez Maharoof from injury, Jayewardene said; “It is good to have him back. He is very good with both the bat and the ball. Having said that we also have about two or three allrounders in the team and I think it up to them to show what they can do the on the international stage since they have been given the opportunity. In addition the seniors in the team, myself included have to put our hands up.”

With regard to possible team combination, Jayewardene explained; “We do not have any preconceived plans with regard to combinations. Canada is new terrain for us and we need to take a look at the pitch and assess the conditions before making any decisions.”

Following this series Sri Lanka will play Zimbabwe and Bangladesh after which the National team has no fixtures until the tentative tour of England next year.

When questioned about the long break and how it would affect the players, Jayewardene said; “I do not think there will be any adverse effect. We just finished a long season and on the contrary I believe it would be good for the team. And it is though we will not be playing any internationl cricket. The domestic tournament is starting followed by a 20/20 tournament and the provincial tournament.”

He added; “The selectors are keen on the national players playing as many domestic matches as possible. This is good for Sri Lanka cricket on the whole because the up and coming youngsters will play against quality opposition. Over the years we have seen that since this did not happen, players found it difficult to adjust from domestic to international cricket. Hopefully this measure will help to bridge that gap. Thus it is good for the future of Sri Lanka cricket.

Meanwhile Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Cricket Duleep Mendis said all the problems regarding visas had been sorted out and that the team would leave as scheduled on October 7 or 8.

The Sri Lanka team to Canada comprises of; Mahela Jayewardene (Captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, Thilina Kandamby, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Farveez Maharoof, Thilina Thushara Mirando, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Jeevantha Kulatunga, Dilhara Lokuhettige and Kaushalya Weeraratne..