WC team preview: Sri Lanka hope to be third time lucky

Sri Lanka will hope to be third time lucky after disappointments in the 2007 and 2011 ICC Cricket World Cups, where they finished runners-up to Australia and India respectively. Going into the 2015 edition, they have one of the more balanced teams and the most experienced one as well. Mahela Jayawardne, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Lasith Malinga have been part of the two heartbreaks before and this could be their year to lift the trophy which they first won way back in 1996. After breaking the jinx of the final by winning the ICC World T20 in Bangladesh last year, Sri Lanka go into the tournament as one of the favourites.

Group: Pool A

Captain: Angelo Mathews

Sri Lanka may have the oldest squad among the title contenders, but experience-wise, no other team comes close to them. Jayawardene, Sangakkara and Dilshan have played over a thousand ODIs combined and on the pacy tracks of Australia and New Zealand, their experience will be a big boost. Sangakkara has been in prolific form in all formats and was the most successful ODI batsman of 2014 with 1,256 runs in 28 innings at 46.51. The fact that this is the last World Cup for the three pillars of Sri Lankan batting, will get the team extra motivated to go the distance this time around, similar to how India rode on the emotions of Sachin Tendulkar's final World Cup to deliver the goods.

Malinga's participation in the World Cup is in doubt but if reports are to be believed, his recovery from the ankle niggle has been satisfactory and if fit, he, along with Nuwan Kulasekara and Rangana Herath, will make the Sri Lankan bowling attack one of the most potent ones in the tournament.

If there is any weakness, it is at the top of the order, where Sri Lanka have not been able to find a solid opener to partner the 38-year-old Dilshan. Dimuth Karunaratne at the top has not been amongst the runs even as Dilshan has provided the starts, and in all likelihood Jayawardene will return to the top. Dinesh Chandimal, another highly rated player, too has not been able to justify the faith shown in him by the selectors. He is being nurtured to take over the mantle from Sangakkara but with an average of just 29.73 from 90 ODIs, he has a long way to go.

If fit, Malinga will be the X-factor for Sri Lanka. Be it with the new ball or at the death, he is a valuable asset for the team and has the ability to turn the game. He has not played since an arthroscopic surgery in September, and even though he has been bowling in the nets sparingly, Sri Lanka are clearly preserving him for the World Cup and will hope to have him fully fit for the tournament.

Otherwise, it is tough to look beyond the numbers Angelo Mathews racked up in 2014. He was first batsman in 2014 to score over 1000 ODI runs and in the 32 ODIs he played last year, the allrounder managed to notch up nine fifty-plus scores, coming into bat in the lower-order. He was economical with the ball as well and emerged as strong leader from the shadows of his more illustrious team-mates.

Dark Horse

In Thisara Perera, Sri Lanka have a decent fast bowling allrounder and in the seamer-friendly tracks of Australia and New Zealand, he will be useful. Primarily a lower-order hitter, Perera can also surprise the batsman with his bounce and is an excellent outfielder. Sri Lanka have been trying out Jeevan Mendis and Perera in the second allrounder's spot in the XI, and Perara is likely to get the nod ahead of Mendis.

vs England: Won 3, lost 2 (away)vs South Africa: Won 1, lost 2 (home)vs Pakistan: Won 2, lost 1 (home)vs India: Won 0, lost 5 (away)vs England: Won 5, lost 2 (home)

They finished runners-up to India in the final at the Wankhede Stadium, despite a valiant 103 by Mahela Jayawerdene. In the group stages they steamrolled their lesser opponents, but lost to Pakistan by 11 runs and their game against Australia produced no result due to torrential downpour. After finishing second in Group A, they got the better of England by 10 wickets in the quarter-finals. They also managed to defeat New Zealand twice in the tournament once in the Group stages by 112 runs and then in the semi-final by five wickets. Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan was the top-scorer of the tournament scoring 500 runs from eight matches.

Angelo Mathews (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Sachithra Senanayake.

February 14: New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Hagley Oval, ChristchurchFebruary 22: Afghanistan v Sri Lanka, University Oval, DunedinFebruary 26: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Melbourne Cricket Ground, MelbourneMarch 1: England vs Sri Lanka, Westpac stadium, WellingtonMarch 8: Australia vs Sri Lanka, Sydney Cricket Ground, SydneyMarch 11: Scotland vs Sri Lanka, Bellerive Oval, Hobart