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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ravicham" data-source="post: 344523" data-attributes="member: 16538">World Cup Team AnalysisSri Lankan middle order a spot of botherMarch 8, 2007 Lasith Malinga is capable of unsettling batsmen with his searing yorkers and steep bouncers © Getty Images  Strengths and weaknessesI feel Sri Lanka have the best chance to win the World Cup this time. Looking at the combination I feel it is a well-balanced squad. The strength of the team is the top-order batting, starting with Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga. If they get off to a good start then we will have our batting consolidated with Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Marvan Atapattu batting down the order. All in all, it is quite a balanced side. If the wickets suit the seamers, we have Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Kulasekera who can do a bit with the ball. If the pitch has some bounce and pace we have Dilhara Fernando and Lasith Malinga who can really make a difference. The only weakness I see is in the middle order. When we are chasing a big total and if we don't get off to a good start, they (middle order) need to accelerate, but we don't really have players in the middle who can turn it around. Areas of improvementOne of the key areas to improve on is the third fast bowler. We have a lot of options; we have got some additional allrounders whom we could use. The other area of concern is the middle order. They really need to find some form; they haven't got Sri Lanka out of trouble in recent times. I don't know if the middle-order has the capacity to turn around a game at required times. In India, they did not perform well. But we must understand that two of our key bowlers, Muttiah Muralitharan and Vaas were not there. A lot will depend on these two, as they are very experienced. To have one of the world's best spinners and a fast bowler who has performed over the years gives a boost to the captain and the team. Key playersYou cannot underestimate Lasith Malinga. He can come in and get a breakthrough and make a difference to the side. Especially when things are going well, he is one bowler who can unsettle a batsman and pick up a couple of quick wickets and turn the game around. Fernando is another bowler who I feel has the ability to get a breakthrough when necessary. Adaptability to conditions in the Caribbean I hear most of the pitches have been re-laid so there might be a bit of concern over how they will play. It is hard to predict, since they have been re-laid, you never know how much of moisture there is under the surface. But if you look at the past and consider the kind of wickets we have encountered in the West Indies, I feel the chances of a sub-continent team doing well are far greater than any of the other sides.</blockquote>

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