Colombo, August 13 :

Confident Sri Lanka, a nervous and wary India and injury-ridden South Africa launch the World Cup season with a limited-overs tri-series from Monday.

A morale-boosting win in the two-week event will kickstart preparations for the Champions Trophy to be held in India in October-November and the World Cup in the Caribbean in March-April next year.

“It’s an important series to see where we stand,” said Sri Lankan coach Tom Moody ahead of his team’s opening game against South Africa under the Premadasa stadium on Monday. Mahela Jayawardene’s in-form home team are on a roll after a successful tour of England earlier in the summer where they fought back to draw the Test series 1-1 and blanked the hosts 5-0 in the one-dayers.

Last week Sri Lanka drubbed South Africa 2-0 in a home Test series. Sri Lanka appear almost invincible in their own backyard, having won 15 of their last 20 home one-day internationals with four defeats and one game being rained off. Jayawardene, however, refused to dwell on the past and warned team-mates against being complacent for the tri-series.

India, who thrashed Sri Lanka 6-1 at home last year, hope to leave behind the disppointment of a surprise 1-4 loss to Brian Lara’s unheralded West Indians in the Caribbean in May. “Sri Lanka is a very improved side after England,” said Indian captain Rahul Dravid. India are boosted by the return of Sachin Tendulkar, after a five-month absence due to surgery on his shoulder.

South Africa have been battered by a string of injuries to key players. Already without captain Graeme Smith, star all-rounder Jacques Kallis and hard-hitting batsman Justin Kemp, the Proteas are concerned over pace spearhead Makhaya Ntini’s hamstring strain and veteran Shaun Pollock’s lower back pain.

Each team plays the other twice in the league with the top two advancing to the final on August 29.