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An article published in the widely circulated newspaper here has described the ``Sri Lankans as a streak team. When it starts winning it takes a brick wall to stop it, but when it starts losing it tends to keep losing''.

This description was made in the Special World Cup layout of the Herald Sun newspaper on Tuesday by its columnist Robert Craddock, a person most Sri Lankan cricket followers here love to hate for his disturbing comments during the Lankan tour here early this year.

The rest of the article read, ``They were the hunters, motivated by rival teams' boycotts of their country during the 1996 World Cup, which they duly won''. This time they are the hunted, the defending champions, an ageing team defending glory won when they were younger and sharper.

There is a theory the Sri Lankans have gone a little soft since the last World Cup. Set up for life by the riches showered upon them after their most deserved victory against Australia in the 1996 final in Lahore, the Lankans were never as hungry again.

Coach Dav Whatmore resigned because he felt he could not get the side to train as hard as he wanted. His replacement, Bruce Yardley, came and went soon after, failing to break the dictatorship of captain Arjuna Ranatunga.

Sri Lanka bombed out in Australia this summer, but that means nothing. It did the same thing four years ago then, two months later, won the Cup with the greatest display of sustained batting aggression the event has seen.

It is rich in talent and has the most experienced side in this year's competition. In Aravinda de Silva, Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana, it has a top order which can shake the world on its day.

Perhaps it will not be able to bat with the brutal force that won it the 1996 World Cup because England in May means soft and difficult wickets.

This will be the swan song World Cup for a group of players including Ranatunga who will bow out in the next year.

Meanwhile, on behalf of Sri Lanka's cricket followers and supporters here in Australia, I wish Arjuna and his team the best of wishes in retaining the World Cup for the second time in succession.''