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Jayasuriya faces 'big challenge'

Sri Lanka's new captain Sanath Jayasuriya said it was a ''big challenge'' to lift the cricketing fortunes of his country, and was looking forward to the return of former Australian cricketer Dav Whatmore as coach.

''To captain Sri Lanka is a great honour, but at the moment we are down and we have a job ahead of us. It's a big challenge,'' the state-owned Daily News today quoted Jayasuriya as saying.

He said it was not going to be easy against the World Cup champions, Australia, who are due in Sri Lanka next month to play in a triangular that also involves India. Australia will also play a three-Test series against Sri Lanka.

''They are coming here as the World One-day and Test champions with a lot of confidence. Our confidence is a bit low, but if we focus ourselves on what we have to do and play very hard the results will come,'' Jayasuriya said.

The 30-year-old hard-hitting left hand batsman, who hails from a fishing village in southern Sri Lanka, replaced Arjuna Ranatunga, the country's longest-servicing and most successful skipper.

Mahela Jayawardene also replaced Aaravinda de Ssilva as vice-captain.

Jayasuriya, however, felt that major changes were not necessary and Whatmore and Ranatunga could help him.

''Dav's coming gives me a lot of confidence. I know what he did to us three years ago. His presence in the dressing room is going to be very encouraging,'' he said.

Whatmore quit shortly after Sri Lanka won the 1996 World Cup, but has been recontracted as coach from August 1, officials said.

''Arjuna is one of the best captains we have produced and I will need a lot of his experience... if we are to give Aaustralia a good run,'' Jayasuriya added.

The Sri Lankan cricket board yesterday officially announced the appointment of Whatmore for a period of three years, with a yearly salary of 50,000 pounds. He will take over on August 1.

Jaysuriya said: "Our batsmen have to get their confidence back. One of the reasons why we fared so badly in the World Cup was because our experienced batsmen failed to click'', he said.

Meanwhile, a family spokesman of Arjuna Ranatunga has denied that the former cricket captain had sought police protection on his return to Sri Lanka after the country's debacle at the World Cup.

"There had been widespread reports locally as well as in the international press that Arjuna had asked for protection. It is all rubbish. He never asked for any protection,'' the spokesman said.

UNI