Kimberley: Sri Lanka set out on a cricketing odyssey that ends with the 2003 World Cup when it starts a tour of South Africa with a four-day match against South Africa 'A' at the De Beers Diamond Oval from on Friday.
Sri Lanka, the 1992 World Cup champions, will play two Tests and five One-day Internationals in South Africa. Following the South African tour, it heads back to Sri Lanka for a brief break at home and then across the Indian Ocean to Australia to play in a triangular One-day tournament with home side and England. Its Australian tour ends a week before the teams assemble back in South Africa for the World Cup. The first task for Sanath Jayasuriya's team will be to prepare for the two Test matches in South Africa. It will have challenging warm-up games, with the South Africa 'A' side containing several players with recent international experience and a host of challengers for promotion to the senior national side. Then it plays a Rest of South Africa XI in Lenasia, near Johannesburg, before the first Test starts at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on November 8. The Sri Lankan selectors opted for six fast bowlers in their 16-man Test squad, leaving star off spinner Muthiah Muralitharan to carry the spin bowling load. Some changes were expected to be made for the One-day series. It's the Sri Lankans' third tour of South Africa in five seasons. Although it has lost four out of five Test matches played in South Africa, it has a nucleus of players with plenty of experience of conditions. Jayasuriya and Muralitharan, who will be key men if Sri Lanka is to make a successful challenge, are on their fourth visit to South Africa, having first toured with a Sri Lankan under 24 team ten seasons ago. The teams: Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Russell Arnold, Hashan Tillakaratne, Jehan Mubarak, Hasantha Fernando, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando, Sujeewa de Silva, Chamila Gamage, Thilina Thushara, Tharanga Lakshitha, Muthiah Muralitharan and Prasanna Jayawardene. South Africa 'A': Dale Benkenstein (captain), Neil McKenzie, Jacques Rudolph, Alviro Petersen, Boeta Dippenaar, Justin Ontong, Robin Peterson, Andrew Hall, Steve Elworthy, Thami Tsolekile and Quinton Friend.
Tags: cricket, kimberley, sri lanka, world cup, south africa, de beers diamond oval, indian ocean, australia, england, sanath jayasuriya, lenasia, johannesburg, wanderers stadium, johannesburg, marvan atapattu, kumar sangakkara, mahela jayawardene, russell arnold, hashan tillakaratne, jehan mubarak, hasantha fernando, chaminda vaas, dilhara fernando, sujeewa de silva, chamila gamage, thilina thushara, tharanga lakshitha, muthiah muralitharan, prasanna jayawardene, dale benkenstein, neil mckenzie, jacques rudolph, alviro petersen, boeta dippenaar, justin ontong, robin peterson, andrew hall, steve elw.
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