The Sri Lankan team is hoping to give former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya a grand farewell by winning the second and final Test against Pakistan starting here on Monday.
Left-handed Jayasuriya, 36, Sri Lanka's highest run-scorer in both Test cricket and one-day internationals, announced his retirement from Tests on Friday.
"We haven't beaten Pakistan for 20 years at home. It is going to be the last Test for Sanath and he deserves a grand send-off for what he has been for cricket," said assistant coach Trevor Penny.
Penny, who took charge after coach Tom Moody flew to England to attend the funeral of his father-in-law, said the team would miss Jayasuriya, who will continue to play one-dayers. "We won't be doing anything drastically different but just stick to the basics and try to come up with a good show," Penny said about the match.
The opening Test ended in a draw in Colombo after the home side set an improbable 458-run target for Pakistan, who played out over four sessions to save the match.
The home side will not be risking experienced paceman Chaminda Vaas, who is recovering from a side strain and have named an unchanged squad.
"He has sort of recovered but we don't want to risk him in a match situation. The idea is to give him plenty of rest and recovery period and have him fit for the upcoming England tour," Penny added. Seamer Nuwan Kulasekara was expected to come in for Dilhara Fernando, who went wicketless in the first match. Sri Lanka were also likely to field uncapped left-arm spinner Sajeeva Weerakoon in place of Malinga Bandara.
For Pakistan, middle-order batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who missed the first Test with a hamstring injury, had recovered.
However, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq was battling to get fit after suffering a knee injury.
Pakistan have a selection worry as they will have to leave out Faisal Iqbal, who put up a match-saving partnership with centurion Shoaib Malik in the first Test.
"I was impressed with the way the youngsters performed. I am always happy when there is a problem in selection because it means there is competition," said skipper Inzamam ul Haq.
THE TEAMS (from):
SRI LANKA: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Michael Van Dort, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Malinga Bandara, Sajeewa Weerakoon.
PAKISTAN: Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt, Danish Kaneria, Rao Iftikhar, Imran Farhat, Faisal Iqbal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Arshad Khan.
UMPIRES: Steve Davis (AUS) Darrel Harper (AUS)
TV UMPIRE: Asoka de Silva (SRI)
MATCH REFEREE: Alan Hurst (AUS).
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