Cricket World Cup: Which team will your shirt be on? A nation by nation guide to the Cricket World Cup - Sri Lanka

VERDICT: In Arjuna Ranatunga the champions possess one of the most formidable and most irritating captains in the world. His range of little tricks are tailored perfectly to stick right up the opposition's pipe but to the neutral observer he is a thinking, protective leader who merely does what the others do in taking the laws and regulations to the edge, only better. But this will not be enough for his side to retain the trophy. They remain a tight-knit unit (nine of their winning side return), they played the socks off in England late last summer but their all-round bowling will not last the distance on English pitches.

EMERGING HERO: Since he has already scored a century against England - in the Battle of Adelaide in January - Mahela Jayawardene may be said to have emerged already. But he has yet to prosper in England; at 21 he is next in their line of fearless strokeplayers.

ACHILLES' HEEL: Disputes among the board at home but, perversely, also Ranatunga. The little general may have made the mistake of thinking he is bigger than the game. He isn't.

HISTORICAL POINT: They were makeweights in 1983 but it was in that competition that their seam bowler Asantha de Mel became only the second bowler in World Cup history to claim five wickets in an innings twice. He had figures of 5 for 39 against Pakistan and two days later took 5 for 32 against New Zealand.

SILLY POINT: Sri Lankan cricketers are renowned for their exotic, luscious and unpronounceable names. Not so their incisive left-arm opening bowler, Vaas. Mind you, his other names are Warnakulasooriya Patabendige Ushantha Chaminda Joseph.

RECORD: 1975 1st round; 1979 1st round; 1983 1st round; 1987 1st round; 1992 1st round; 1996 winners.

SQUAD: A Ranatunga (capt), P A de Silva, S T Jayasuriya, M S Atapattu, D P M Jayawardene, R S Mahanama, R S Kalu-witharana, H P Tillakaratne, M Mura-litharan, W P U J C Vaas, G P Wickram- asinghe, E A Upashantha, U D U Chan-dana, U C Hathurusinghe, R S Kalpage.

ODDS: 10-1.