Date-stamped : 15 Nov95 - 02:30
Sri Lanka Manager Mendis hints on `few surprises'

by SA'ADI THAWFEEQ

"Expect a few surprises on the tour,'' said Sri Lanka manager Du-
leep Mendis expressing his views on the tour of Australia.

"The boys have done their homework. It is now a matter of putting
things together,'' said the former Sri Lanka captain who has tak-
en two sides to Australia in 1982-3 and 1984-5.

"Australia is always tough because of the travelling involved. It
is  going to be a very hard and strenuous tour, hopefully it will
be a successful one. After Pakistan  and  Sharjah  the  boys  are
keenly looking forward to it,'' he said.

"We are confident, but not over confident,'' said Mendis.

The team has been put through a series of strength training exer-
cises by a specialist from the Australian Cricket Academy in Ade-
laide, Richard Done.

One of the biggest priorities for the  team  in  the  next  three
months  is to keep the 18 players injury-free. Partly with a view
to that, fast bowlers Chaminda Vaas and  Manjula  Munasinghe  are
already in Australia, where they are being properly diagnosed and
getting rehabilitated where needed, by experts in Sydney.

Both players are recovering from injuries before  and  after  the
Pakistan  tour.  They  will  be  joining  the  team only from the
Tasmanian game on November 29.

Sri Lanka open their two month 16-match tour of  Australia  which
involves  three  Tests  against  Australia,  with  a one-day game
against a Queensland XI at Cairns on Sunday.  They will  also  be
involved  in  the Benson and Hedges World Series Cup one-day tri-
angular with Australia and West Indies.

Apart from skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and vice-captain Aravinda  de
Silva  who have been on three previous tours to Australia, Asanka
Gurusinha and Roshan Mahanama who have been  on  two  tours,  and
Hashan  Tillekeratne  and  Sanath Jayasuriya who have gone on one
tour, the rest of the tour party are all new to Australian condi-
tions.  Sri Lanka last toured Australia in 1989-90 under Ranatun-
ga.

Source :: Lanka Internet Services

<END> Contributed by Vicky (vigneswa@*.ecs.umass.edu)