Date-stamped : 15 Nov95 - 02:30 VASS IS PICK OF THE SRI LANKAN BUNCH By Ian Jessup of AAP Australian cricket captain Mark Taylor today rated leftarm quick Chaminda Vaas one of the players to watch in a confident Sri Lan- kan team to arrive here next month. Sri Lanka has had unprecedented success in the last 12 months, winning Test series in New Zealand and Pakistan and beating the West Indies in the final of the Champions Trophy in Sharjah this month. Vaas, 20, bowled Sri Lanka to its maiden overseas Test victory in New Zealand earlier this year and was one of the stars of the historic 2-1 Test series win in Pakistan last month. The 18-man squad lands in Cairns next month for a three-Test series and the annual triangular World Series one-day competi- tion. "I've seen a bit of him and he looks good," Taylor said today after casting his eye over the Sri Lankan squad. "He swings it into the right handers and he's one of the main reasons they have done well lately. I faced him in a one-dayer in Sharjah and in Sri Lanka and I'm looking forward to seeing him bowl out here." Taylor said Sri Lanka was no longer just another nation playing Test cricket and the visitors could claim to be the best in the world if they beat Australia. Australia, of course, must first keep at bay an unpredictable Pakistan side featuring the recalled Salim Malik who was cleared last weekend of trying to bribe Australian players last year. "Sri Lanka have played a lot of Test cricket lately and they're playing very well as a team," Taylor said. "I speak on behalf of the Australian team when I say we're wil- ling to put the title up for grabs this year. In my opinion we became world champions when we beat the West Indies in the West Indies and if someone can knock us off over here they can say the same thing." Australia beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in a three-Test series in Sri Lanka three years ago but only after snatching an improbable win in the first Test. Trailing by almost 300 on the first innings, spinners Greg Matthews and Shane Warne bowled Australia to an 11-run win. "I remember Romesh Kaluwitharana belted a century in his first Test against us in that match," Taylor recalled. "And they dropped some catches in our second innings and should have won." Kaluwitharana and Chamara Dunusinghe are the two wicketkeeper- batsmen in the squad to be led by Arjuna Ranatunga and coached by former Victoran Test opener Dave Whatmore.