Sri Lanka Twenty20 World Cup Team

Sri Lanka Team - Twenty20 World Cup The Sri Lankan team was one of the surprise packages at the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup, coming out of nowhere to reach the final of the tournament before losing to Pakistan. After taking a while to acclimatise to the speed and intensity of Twenty20 cricket, Sri Lanka now finds itself well poised to take advantage of a format of the game that suits its traditional strengths.

Twenty20 World Cup History

Sri Lanka made a promising start to their 2007 Twenty20 World Cup by finishing at the top of their group with victories over New Zealand and Kenya. The Kenyan game saw the Sri Lankans set the world record for a Twenty20 score, as they piled up 260/6 against the hapless African team. However, the Sri Lankans failed to take their momentum into the Super Eights.

In the second round of the tournament Sri Lanka lost to both Pakistan and Australia, handing out a single defeat to minnows Bangladesh. This series of results saw the Sri Lankan team finish third in their group, resulting in a disappointing early exit from the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup.

2009 witnessed a vastly improved showing by Sri Lanka. The team topped Group C by beating Australia and the West Indies in the first round of the tournament, and then went on to win all of its matches in the Super 8s. The Sri Lankas looked certain to steamroll Pakistan in the final, but were eventually well beaten by a determined Pakistani side.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Sri Lankan cricket is as strong as it has ever been. The team going to the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup features a strong bowling attack, which includes both genuine pace and excellent spinners. The batting also has a solid look about it, with explosive hitters capable of imposing themselves on the game.

Sri Lanka’s only weakness would be a tendency to capitulate in the final stages of high profile tournaments. While the team has the focus to win through to the final rounds of any international tournament, it appears to become overwhelmed by the occasion when the stakes are raised.