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Atapattu warns against complacency

Marvan Atapattu has urged his team-mates to be completely focussed on winning the next two matches of the Paktel Cup against Zimbabwe

Wisden Cricinfo staff
24-Jun-2005


Chaminda Vaas bowls during a practice session at Rawalpindi © AFP
Marvan Atapattu has urged his team-mates to be completely focussed on winning their next two matches of the Paktel Cup, against Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka lost their first game of the tournament, against Pakistan, by eight wickets, and take on Zimbabwe on October 9 and then again a couple of days later. A win in those two games at Rawalpindi will assure Sri Lanka of a place in the final against Pakistan, who have already booked their spot with three wins out of three.
Sri Lanka have won their last six one-day internationals against Zimbabwe, but Atapattu believed that his team must resist the temptation to approach these matches with anything less than 100% seriousness. "We were the first to play a new-look Zimbabwe in April, since then they have improved," he said. "They have showed what they are capable of, so we must not take them lightly."
Atapattu was clearly speaking from experience: the last time the two teams met was in the Champions Trophy less than a month back, when Sri Lanka chased down a target of 192 with only four wickets to spare.
Tatenda Taibu, the Zimbabwean captain, took encouragement from that performance and from his side's display in their second match of the Paktel Cup against Pakistan, when they scored 252 for 4, and then reduced Pakistan to 89 for 4 before losing by three wickets.
"We must improve on our performance from the last match against Sri Lanka when we came close to upsetting them. The fact that we are fighting to stay in this tri-series may help us to raise our game," said Taibu. "It's time now for us to break the ice and win a game. Experience can't be bought in a shop. I know the more games we play against the tougher teams the more experience we get, so it's only a matter of time."