The New Nation - Internet Edition

bdnews24.com , Dhaka

Captain Mahela Jayawardene wants Sri Lanka to be their ruthless self and keep up the standard they have set in the last four to five years when they take on Bangladesh in both Test and one-day international series.

"We have got a very good side, very good combination that we could come up with and we want to maintain the standard," Jayawardene said on Friday said at a media conference at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium after their first practice session was hampered by bad weather.

"We made steady progress as a team in the last four to five years, in both versions of the game and our Test team has been really consistent. So we just want to maintain that," said Jayawardene, who bagged the ICC most successful Test captain last time.

He said he had repeatedly asked the guys to keep the standard up and play the proper cricket whether the opponents were Bangladesh or some other team.

He also said he himself and his teammates were always serious in every game they played.

"Bangladesh are an improving and young side. We don't want to leave any room for them to get close to us and that's the attitude," said a cautious Sri Lankan captain.

Sri Lanka had earlier visited Bangladesh only once for a full series in 2006, and Jaywardene led his side in place of injured regular skipper Marvan Atapattu. In that series, Sri Lanka won both Tests, but lost one of the three ODIs.

"It was not that pleasant, we lost a one-day game to Bangladesh. Yes, it wasn't a great start, but it's always been a good place for us. The people have been brilliant for us, they love the way we play the game," remembered the 31-year old batsman.

"For me yes it was my start here, but I never expected to captain my country for this long. That was the interim period they gave me the job when Marvan was injured.

"Yeah, things have been okay, you know I don't know how long I will hold the post. But the important thing for us is to improve as a team," he continued.

The Sri Lankans only did some stretching in the morning and dispensed with their scheduled net session because of poor visibility in the net area amid gloomy weather.

Jayawardene hoped the weather would change for the better and they would get the wicket prepared for the first Test, beginning on Dec. 26.

Sri Lanka will tour Pakistan next month as India pulled out of their scheduled tour.

Asked whether they were taking the series against Bangladesh to prepare for the tougher Pakistan tour, Jayawardene said: "That is what I said in the beginning. We do not take things like that.

"For us Test cricket is Test cricket, [it] does not matter who we play against. We do not have any Test Cricket after this right now. So there is nothing for us to get prepared for. Our focus is to win the Test series and win the one-day series. That is it."

The Sri Lankans have brought along a bunch of young cricketers as the team management wants to expose some players to the international cricket. Pacer Chaminda Vass was named in the Test squad but rested from one-day team while mercurial Sanath Jayasuriya was named for the one-day squad.

"First of all they haven't been rested. Sanath has retired from Test cricket and Vassy hasn't been selected for the one-dayers, because we have got some very good young bowlers and it's a case of trying and getting them up to the international level," explained coach Trevor Bayliss.