In pursuit of this goal, the island nation has lined up for itself a strenuous schedule of as many as 36 Tests within the next three and a half years.
The extent of the Sri Lankan determination can be guaged from the fact that the nation has, in the 14 years since gaining full Test-playing status in 1982, played a mere 66 Tests.
Sri Lanka has been petitioning for equitable distribution of Tests between the nine full-member nations of the International Cricket Conference for some time now. ICC members, sources said, reacted favourably to Lanka's proposal during last week's annual meeting of the cricket body.
``They accepted what we said, but we realize it won't happen in the next few years since some countires have fixed their schedules until the year 2002,'' said Tryphone Mirando, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka.
Lanka has consistently been snubbed in its requests for a five-Test series with England.
``We won't get a five-test series in England for several more years, since the schedules are already fixed, but we hope to get a full series in the future,'' Mirando told reporters after returning to Colombo after the ICC meeting.
Sri Lanka had more success with the other seven ICC members, lining up a total of almost 40 Tests until the turn of the century, eight each against India, New Zealand and Zimbabwe. The other Tests scheduled are against Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and the West Indies.
The Lankan cricket schedule for the period from now to the year 2000 was decided upon during the annual ICC meeting at Lord's last week, and announced in Colombo on Thursday by BCCSL president Dhammika Ranatunga.
The schedule reads thus:
August-September 1996: Singer quadrangular tournament in Sri Lanka featuring, besides the host nation, India, Zimbabwe and Australia.
September 1996: Two Tests against Zimbabwe.
February-March 1997: Three Tests, three one-day internationals versus Pakistan.
March-April 1997: Three Tests, ditto one-dayers versus New Zealand.
April-May 1997: Two Tests versus West Indies.
May-June 1997: Lanka to participate in a multi-nation tournament in India, details not yet finalised.
August 1997: Asia Cup one-day tournament
August-September 1997: Two Tests versus India.
October-November 1997: Lanka to participate in multi-nation tournament in Pakistan, details to be finalised.
November 1997-January 1998: Three Tests versus India.
February-March 1998: Three Tests, three one-dayers versus Zimbabwe.
March-April 1998: Two Tests versus South Africa.
May-June 1998: Three Tests, ditto one-dayers versus New Zealand.
June-July 1998: One Test versus England.
August-September 1998: Quadrangular tournament in Lanka with India,
Australia and South Africa to mark 50 years of Lanka's Independence.
August-September 1998: Three Tests versus Australia.
December 1998-January 1999: Two Tests, two one-dayers versus New Zealand.
January-February 1999: Three Tests versus India
February-March 1999: Triangular one-day series in India.
May-June 1999: Lanka to defend one-day World Cup title in England.
August-September 1999: Three Tests, ditto one-dayers versus Australia.
What is most interesting about the schedule is the attempt, by the Sri Lankan board, to stop cashing in on the nation's reputation as one of the most attractive one-day teams in the world, and to schedule a heavy dose of Test matches in a bid to achieve its ambition of becoming the top-rated Test nation in the world.