Said Ranatunga: We realise the importance of this tour. we won the previous Three-Test series one-nil and nothing short of giving continuity to that success will suffice.
Maximum effort
''The boys have all been told what is expected of them. Maximum effort and nothing short is required. They realise the importance of this tour and have promised more than 100 per cent.
''Coach Bruce Yardley has settled down well with the boys. They are highly impressed with his coaching and many of them have been able to turn their game strategy around'', said the skipper.
The Sri Lankans leave early on Sunday morning from Katunayake for New Zealand for a Two Test and Three One-Day International series.
Improvement
''All of us have watched and studied the improvement in the Kiwis get up. Under new coach Steve Rixon they are an altogether different set of cricketers that what they were under their own coaches. Rixon has moulded them and although they lost the series to England 2-0, they are not a side that will easily crumble.
''Now that they have been beaten by England they will be doubly determined to whack us. We must guard against this. The only way we can do this is by playing at our best'', said Ranatunga.
Sri Lanka are ahead of England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe in the Wisden rankings. If we don't win in New Zealand it will be a fall back. Thus Sri Lanka cannot afford to do now that they are endeavouring to be the best Test playing nation by the year 2000.
Best pick
Manager and chairman of selectors and former dashing batsman Duleep Mendis said that the best team has been picked. 'Sri Lanka has picked the best men available and we should not be lacking in variety and balance', said Mendis.
This is the first time that the Lankans will be firing with five pacemen on a tour. The selection of five pacies was warranted because when Sri Lanka last played there, the wickets were more amenable to pace.
The Kiwis realising this are sure to slow down their wickets. But even so the Lankans have champion off spinner Muttiah Mural- itharan, Kumara Dharmasena and Aravinda de Silva to trouble the Kiwis.
Special attention
Muralitharan is bound to attract special attention. But the Lankan camp is confident that he is not tampering with the rules and they will look to him to wreck the Kiwi batting.
Left armer and close follower of the redoubtable Pakistani Wasim Akram, Chaminda Vaas will lead the pace barrage. When Sri Lanka won its first historic Test in Napier on the previous tour, it was Vaas who did all the damage with a match bag of 10 wickets. Ranatunga will be looking for a repeat performance form him on this tour as he is the leading paceman.
Both ways
Vass has the ability to move the ball both ways and bowl a cleverly disguised slower ball very much like Akram. Ranatunga will be hoping that Vass will once again come good on this tour.
Pushpakumara or Sajeeva Silva should partner Vaas with Wickremasinghe and Nuwan Soysa also trying hard to get into the team.
Sri Lanka's batting is their strong point. With Atapattu there, the absence of Gurusinha will not be felt. Atapattu is one of the most technically correct batsman in the country and if gets going he should be a success and a treat to watch.
Batting challenge
Jayasuriya, Mahanama, Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Hashan Tillekeratne and Romesh Kaluwitharane will carry Sri Lanka's batting challenge. In addition to being tremendous strokemakers they have immense experience behind them and big total should come easy.
However it is in fielding that the Lankans will give the Kiwi players and spectator lesson. they have the talent to be the best fielding side in the world. If they concentrate and do the fielding points correctly they should come out as one of the best fielding sides to visit New Zealand.
Sri Lankans wish the team nothing but the very best!