Vaas believes Sri Lanka can recapture World Cup

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Feb 22 (Reuters) Veteran pace bowler Chaminda Vaas believes Sri Lanka have a great chance of repeating their 1996 World Cup triumph at the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean over the next two months.

''The current side is in the same mould as the outfit that won under Arjuna Ranatunga and we are peaking at the right time,'' he told reporters before the team left for the West Indies.

''We possess a well-balanced side which is equally strong in all three departments, batting, bowling and fielding, and the unity under (captain) Mahela Jayawardeneis excellent.'' Sri Lanka's form leading up to the tournament has been mixed with a disappointing Champions Trophy, a 2-2 away draw to New Zealand and a 2-1 loss to India.

But Jayawardene insists his team are not reading too much into the recent loss to India, a series in which their two leading bowlers, Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, were rested.

''We travel to the World Cup knowing that we have a squad capable of winning the tournament if we play our best cricket,'' Jayawardene told Reuters.

''We may have just lost to India but that short series also allowed the middle order to regain form and gave the back-up bowlers some really good exposure.

''We have improved a great deal during the past year and we have shown that we have the kind of competitive instinct and fighting spirit necessary to win major tournaments.'' Sri Lanka will play in Group B with 1983 champions India, Bangladesh and Bermuda.

''We have to take it one match at a time and will not be takingany opposition lightly,'' said Jayawardene, a member of the team who suffered a shock defeat to Kenya at the 2003 World Cup.

Sri Lanka are likely to play six specialist batsmen and five frontline bowlers on good batting pitches and play an extra batsman when conditions assist the bowlers.

The main dilemma will be the final makeup of the middle order after Chamara Silva cracked a brilliant 107 not out against India, his maiden one-day international hundred.

Four players, Silva, Russel Arnold, Tillakaratne Dilshan and former captain Marvan Atapattu, are competing for the number five and six slots if Sri Lanka play just six batters.

Sri Lanka's bowling has traditionally revolved around the accurate swing bowling of Vaas and the spin of Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest one-day wicket-taker playing in the World Cup.

But while they remain pillars of the attack, Sri Lanka now have other wicket-taking options up their sleeve, including the genuine pace of Lasith Malinga.

The 23-year-old, who bowls with an unusual round arm action, has claimed 39 wickets in 28 matches at a healthy average of 26.97.

He has claimed a permanent berth in the ODI team because of his ability to produce dangerous reverse-swinging yorkers at high speed with the old ball.

REUTERS AY VC0955