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Test champs Pak now look for ODI honours

On the eve of the triangular one day tournament featuring Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India, the first named appears to have a clear head-start over its two rivals from the subcontinent.

All three teams in the fray are past winners of the World Cup, and all three are using the upcoming tournament to tune up for the big one just around the corner.

Sri Lanka, defending world champions, look in the worst shape of the three, with flamboyant opener Sanath Jayasuriya and spinning spearhead Muthiah Muralitharan beset by injuries.

India meanwhile will have to do without the services of master batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is resting following a back injury sustained in course of the Madras Test, earlier this year, against Pakistan.

It is, thus, Wasim Akram and his men who seem best poised to translate their Test supremacy, recently demonstrated during the Asian Test Championships, into a one-day triumph as well.

Pakistan will play Sri Lanka in the tournament opener on Friday, and will go into the match at full strength. "We have proved that we are Asia's best in Test cricket, now we must show we are not behind in one-day matches also,'' skipper Akram, who said that his team was not going to rest on its ATC laurels, said.

Sri Lanka meanwhile are fighting to come out of a slump that began in 1998 when they lost the Independence Cup at home to India, before a disastrous tour Down Under when they were beaten by both England and Australia in a tri-series.

Arjuna Ranatunga, who is back after a leg injury, said that the absence of Jayasuriya and Muralitharan was definitely a dampener. "They are recovering fast, but we don't want to risk playing them here with the World Cup just around the corner," the Lankan skipper said.

Ranatunga has only this tournament to get his team into some kind of shape, as the Lankans are not playing any international cricket after this.

The Lankans will take on hosts India at Nagpur on Monday, and the game should see Sadagopan Ramesh, star for India during the recent Test series against Pakistan and in the ATC league games, walking out to open in a one dayer for the first time.

India is also slated to play strike bowler Ajit Agarkar and flashy middle order batsman Vinod Kambli in the lineup -- both Bombay players having declared themselves fit after injuries.

Azharuddin said it felt good to be at the head of a young squad, but conceeded that Tendulkar's absence will be felt. "You can't replace a player like Sachin, but the others will have to learn to play without him," Azhar, who on May 19 will equal Clive Lloyd's record of having captained a side in three successive World Cups, said.

Agencies