Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are having one last shot at winning a World Cup for Sri Lanka, desperate to go one better than they did at the last two editions.
Both players have had chances to match the 1996 Sri Lankan team which won the World Cup, but twice fell one win short by losing the 2007 final to Australia in Barbados and the 2011 decider to India in Mumbai.
Jayawardene, who scored a century in the 2011 final, is the most experienced player in the 2015 tournament with 33 World Cup matches to his credit, while Sangakkara has played 30 matches at the marquee ODI event.
Sri Lanka was drawn into Pool A with co-hosts New Zealand and Australia, England, Scotland, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and is a firm favorite to be one of the four quarterfinalists from the group.
Sangakkara needs only 11 runs to surpass Ricky Ponting's 13,704 runs in ODI cricket and move into second place on the all-time list behind Sachin Tendulkar (18,426). Jayawardene is one of the only three batsmen to have played over 400 ODIs — he has 12,525 runs from 441 matches.
The rich experience of these two batsmen gives young Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews enough batting power to challenge any bowling lineup. Despite losing last month's seven-match ODI series 4-2 to New Zealand, both Sangakkara and Jayawardene crafted centuries for Sri Lanka and got used to the conditions.
Chairman of selectors and former opener Sanath Jayasuriya said he wasn't too upset with the result in the New Zealand series and considers it merely preparation for the World Cup.
He said the bowling group and the lower middle-order were areas that needed the most attention.
"I hope that when the World Cup starts everything will be in place," Jayasuriya said.
Sri Lanka has taken a gamble with its experienced fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who hasn't played since surgery on his troubled left ankle in September. He missed Sri Lanka's series against India and England and the team management didn't take a chance with its premier fast bowler in the series against New Zealand.
"A player like Malinga, we have to take a gamble because he is a match-winner," Jayasuriya said as he announced the World Cup squad last month.
Fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara also forced his way back into the team with some strong form in domestic cricket after being ignored for the home series against England.
The selectors have also included offspinner Sachithra Senanayake, who has passed tests on his bowling action, and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath as the only specialist spinners, expecting that the wickets will favor the seamers in New Zealand and Australia.
Allrounders Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mathews and Thisara Perera will play important roles, with Sri Lanka hoping they can be as effective with their bowling as regular pacemen.
