Sri Lanka will be keen to maintain their recently-acquired reputation of doing consistently well away from home when they begin their World Cup campaign in the Caribbean.

None of the three other sub-continent sides can match an impressive record of Mahela Jayawardene’s Sri Lankans, who won more than 50 percent of their one-day internationals in 2006. That included a rare 5-0 whitewash in England and a shared series in New Zealand.

Those results underline the fact that Sri Lanka will not be a soft side in the one-day extravaganza although they would have received a wake-up call by their 2-1 defeat in India earlier this month. It is a nice blend of experience and youth that has made Sri Lanka a team to watch out for in the tournament, especially under Australian coach Tom Moody who knows a thing or two about World Cup having figured in three editions.

Sri Lanka’s strength still is batting but their bowling has improved considerably recently, with Lasith Malinga capable of doing unpredictable things with the new ball. They were always considered a two-bowler team of left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas and ace off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who have a total of 802 wickets between them in one-dayers.

Things have changed now as Malinga has given his team more options with his consistency, a fact admitted by his captain. Sri Lanka’s batting remains as versatile as ever. They have explosive left-handed openers in veteran Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga who can demoralise any attack.

There will be no respite for the opposition as Kumar Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan are capable of stepping up the run-rate in the middle order. Sri Lanka should not face any difficulty in advancing to the next round from Group B, which comprises India, an inconsistent Bangladesh and first-timers Bermuda. Sri Lanka open their campaign against Bermuda on March 15. Sri Lanka, who played the first two World Cups as a non-Test-playing nation, were the champions in 1996 and semi-finalists in 2003.

Squad: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Marvan Atapattu, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Chamara Silva, Chaminda Vaas, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Malinga Bandara