Before The Game: World's No 1 South Africa vs Incredible Sri Lanka

ICC Champions Trophy will be starting on tomorrow at super Sport Park, Centurion and first match will be South Africa vs Sri Lanka. Both two teams are well prepared to win first match. At this moment, South Africa is the world's No 1 ODI cricket team and they desire to win this trophy in 2nd time in their country. Therefore they will play strongly to win first match against Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is more powerful with their bowling department than any other country in the tournament. There are 3 Sri Lankans bowler include in Top ODI Bawlers ranking. Nuwan Kulasekara is the No 1 ODI bawler at the moment and Spring king Muralidharan, Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga will manage SL bowling department. Im other hand SL still struggling with their batting because they could not show any strong in their middle order. Therefore Master Blaster Sanath Jayasuriya, Scoopy Master Dilshan. Captain Sangakkara and Jayawardena have more responsibility for batting. Also rising star Anjelo Mathews showed his performances in bowling, batting and fielding in past.

South Africa has strong batting and bowling line up. Smith, Gibbs, Duminy, de Villiers and Kallis are the soldiers of SA batting department. But SA declared Gibbs will not play first match against Sri Lanka because of injury which happened during the warm-up match against West Indies. Therefore SL has certain advantage. In other hand SA has powerful bowlers like Ntini, Steyn, Botha and Van Der Merwe. Van Der Merwe showed his performances against West Indies in warm-up match and picked up 4 wickets.

According to history SA and SL played 45 matches since 1992 and SA won 22 matches and SL won 21 matches. These two teams are more powerful teams in cricket history. Therefore this match will bright the tournament.

Squads

South Africa - Graeme Smith (capt), Johan Botha, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs (injured for first match), Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe

Sri Lanka - Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedara, Angelo Mathews, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dhammika Prasad, Lasith Malinga, Thilina Kandamby